Fish is the protagonist of multiple bites of our gastronomy, from cod with pilpil and fried fish to salmon a la ribereña and tuna with onions. Perhaps its only drawback, because health benefits are not lacking, are the thorns, which have surely given more than one scare.
To avoid choking on fish bones, it is best to prevent. Before cooking, they can be removed with a pair of tongs. It is important that we remove them in the same direction that they are placed, and not in the opposite direction, so we will not damage the meat. In this sense, it is also key that as we remove them we leave them in a bowl, so we will not contaminate the work area and it will be more difficult for them to slip onto the plate.
If even so we leave some and it sticks in our throat, we must know how to act quickly. One way to get rid of the thorn is to cough hard, but if this doesn't work, we can try eating other foods that push it into the stomach. These can help you:
In addition to spines, there are other foods that can cause choking. These are popcorn, ham, jelly beans, marshmallows, grapes, cherries, olives, and nuts.
When any of these last foods clog the airways and the cough is unable to expel them, it is best to carry out the Heimlich maneuver.
As the pediatrician Matilde Zornoza explained in this report, it consists of “standing behind the person and encircling their waist with your arms. Next, the hand is closed and held with the other as a fist in the area of the pit of the stomach (between the navel and the thorax). Finally, a strong pressure is made inwards and upwards, like a spoon".
