If the person is awake and able to breathe often all that is requires is providing extra oxygen while the operating room is prepared for bronchoscopy.

If a children less than one and is unable to breathe at all then five back blows followed by five chest thrusts should be done. In children over the age of one abdominal thrusts are recommended.

If this is not effective than bag mask ventilation is recommended. Next laryngoscopy can be tried to look and see if the foreign body can be removed. If the above is not effective than intubation or cricothyrotomy can be tried.

For children less than 1 year, the American Heart Association recommends performing cycles of 5 back blows (or slaps) followed by 5 chest compressions. These cycles of 5 back blows then 5 chest compressions are repeated until the object comes out of the infant's airway or until the infant becomes unresponsive. If the infant becomes unresponsive, the American Heart Association recommends starting CPR. The reason that abdominal thrusts are not recommended in children less than 1 year is because they can cause liver damage.

The American Heart Association recommends chest thrusts rather than abdominal thrusts for pregnant or obese persons who are choking.

Chest thrusts are performed in a similar to the abdominal thrusts, but with a change in hand placement of the rescuer. The hands are placed on the lower part of the choking victim's chest, at the base of the breastbone or sternum, rather than over the middle of the abdomen, as in traditional abdominal thrusts. Strong inward thrusts are then applied.

Treatment depends on the underlying cause. Treatments include iced saline, and topical vasoconstrictors such as adrenalin or vasopressin. Selective bronchial intubation can be used to collapse the lung that is bleeding. Also, endobronchial tamponade can be used. Laser photocoagulation can be used to stop bleeding during bronchoscopy. Angiography of bronchial arteries can be performed to locate the bleeding, and it can often be embolized. Surgical option is usually the last resort, and can involve, removal of a lung lobe or removal of the entire lung. Non–small-cell lung cancer can also be treated with erlotinib or gefitinib. Cough suppressants can increase the risk of choking.

Conditions which commonly involve hemoptysis include bronchitis and pneumonia, lung cancers and tuberculosis. Other possible underlying causes include aspergilloma, bronchiectasis, coccidioidomycosis, pulmonary embolism, pneumonic plague, and cystic fibrosis. Rarer causes include hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT or Rendu-Osler-Weber syndrome), Goodpasture's syndrome, and granulomatosis with polyangiitis. In children, hemoptysis is commonly caused by the presence of a foreign body in the airway. The condition can also result from over-anticoagulation from treatment by drugs such as warfarin.

Blood-laced mucus from the sinus or nose area can sometimes be misidentified as symptomatic of hemoptysis (such secretions can be a sign of nasal or sinus cancer, but also a sinus infection). Extensive non-respiratory injury can also cause one to cough up blood. Cardiac causes like congestive heart failure and mitral stenosis should be ruled out.

The origin of blood can be identified by observing its color. Bright-red, foamy blood comes from the respiratory tract, whereas dark-red, coffee-colored blood comes from the gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes hemoptysis may be rust-colored.

The most common cause of minor hemoptysis is bronchitis.

- Lung cancer, including both non-small cell lung carcinoma and small cell lung carcinoma.

- Sarcoidosis

- Aspergilloma

- Tuberculosis

- Histoplasmosis

- Pneumonia

- Pulmonary edema

- Pulmonary embolism

- Foreign body aspiration and aspiration pneumonia

- Goodpasture's syndrome

- Granulomatosis with polyangiitis

- Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss syndrome)

- Bronchitis

- Bronchiectasis

- Pulmonary embolism

- Anticoagulant use

- Trauma

- Lung abscess

- Mitral stenosis

- Tropical eosinophilia

- Bleeding disorders

- Hughes-Stovin Syndrome and other variants of Behçet's disease

- Squamous Cell Carcinoma Of Esophagus

In one study, peanuts were the most common obstruction. In addition to peanuts, hot dogs, and grapes, latex balloons are also a serious choking hazard in children that can result in death. A latex balloon will conform to the shape of the trachea, blocking the airway and making it difficult to expel with the Heimlich maneuver.

If a horse is suspected of choke, a veterinarian will often pass a stomach tube down the animal's esophagus to determine if there is a blockage. Failure to access the stomach with the tube indicates a complete obstruction; difficulty passing the tube may represent a stenosis, or narrowing; or a partial obstruction. Radiography and endoscopy are also used in refractory cases.

Choking horses should be deprived of food and drink pending veterinary attention, so as not to increase the obstructive load within the esophagus. The veterinarian will often sedate the horse and administer spasmolytics, such as butylscopolamine, to help the esophagus to relax. Once the muscles of the esophagus no longer force the food down the throat (active peristalsis), it may slip down on its own accord. If spasmolytics do not solve the problem, the veterinarian will usually pass a stomach tube through one of the nostrils and direct it into the esophagus until the material is reached, at which point "gentle" pressure is applied to manually push the material down. Gentle warm water lavage (water sent through the stomach tube, to soften the food material) may be required to help the obstructing matter pass more easily, but caution should be exercised to prevent further aspiration of fluid into the trachea.

Refractory cases are sometimes anesthetised, with an orotracheal tube placed to prevent further aspiration and to allow for more vigorous lavage. Disruption of the impacted material can sometimes be achieved via endoscopy. If these methods still do not lead to results, the horse may require surgery to remove the material.

Some workers have advocated the use of oxytocin in choke, on the grounds that it decreases the esophageal muscular tone. However, this technique is not suitable in pregnant mares, as it may lead to abortion.

When laryngospasm is coincident with a cold or flu, it may be helpful for some sufferers to take acid reflux medication to limit the irritants in the area. If a cough is present, then treat a wet cough; but limit coughing whenever possible, as it is only likely to trigger a spasm. Drink water or tea to keep the area from drying up. Saline drops also help to keep the area moist. Pseudoephederine may also help to clear any mucus that may cause coughing and thereby triggering more spasms.

Minor laryngospasm will generally resolve spontaneously in the majority of cases.

Laryngospasm in the operating room is treated by hyperextending the patient's neck and administering assisted ventilation with 100% oxygen. In more severe cases it may require the administration of an intravenous muscle relaxant, such as Succinylcholine, and reintubation.

When Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is the trigger, treatment of GERD can help manage laryngospasm. Proton pump inhibitors such as Dexlansoprazole (Dexilant), Esomeprazole (Nexium), and Lansoprazole (Prevacid) reduce the production of stomach acids, making reflux fluids less irritant. Prokinetic agents reduce the amount of acid available by stimulating movement in the digestive tract.

Spontaneous laryngospasm can be treated by staying calm and breathing slowly, instead of gasping for air. Drinking (tiny sips) of ice water to wash away any irritants that may be the cause of the spasm can also help greatly.

Patients who are prone to laryngospasm during illness can take measures to prevent irritation such as antacids to avoid acid reflux, and constantly drinking water or tea keep the area clear of irritants.

Additionally, laryngospasms can result from hypocalcemia, causing muscle spasms and/or tetany. Na+ channels remain open even if there is very little increase in the membrane potential. This affects the small muscles of the vocal folds.

Perinatal asphyxia is the medical condition resulting from deprivation of oxygen (hypoxia) to a newborn infant long enough to cause apparent harm. It results most commonly from a drop in maternal blood pressure or interference during delivery with blood flow to the infant's brain. This can occur as a result of inadequate circulation or perfusion, impaired respiratory effort, or inadequate ventilation. There has long been a scientific debate over whether newborn infants with asphyxia should be resuscitated with 100% oxygen or normal air. It has been demonstrated that high concentrations of oxygen lead to generation of oxygen free radicals, which have a role in reperfusion injury after asphyxia. Research by Ola Didrik Saugstad and others led to new international guidelines on newborn resuscitation in 2010, recommending the use of normal air instead of 100% oxygen.

People with neuromuscular disorders or hypoventilation syndromes involving failed respiratory drive experience central hypoventilation. The most common treatment for this form is the use of non-invasive ventilation such as a BPAP machine.

One treatment for obstructive hypopnea is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). CPAP is a treatment in which the patient wears a mask over the nose and/or mouth. An air blower forces air through the upper airway. The air pressure is adjusted so that it is just enough to maintain the oxygen saturation levels in the blood. Another treatment is sometimes a custom fitted oral appliance. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine's protocol for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) recommends oral appliances for those who prefer them to CPAP and have mild to moderate sleep apnea or those that do not respond to/cannot wear a CPAP. Severe cases of OSA may be treated with an oral appliance if the patient has had a trial run with a CPAP. Oral Appliances should be custom made by a dentist with training in dental sleep medicine. Mild obstructive hypopnea can often be treated by losing weight or by avoiding sleeping on one's back. Also quitting smoking, and avoiding alcohol, sedatives and hypnotics (soporifics) before sleep can be quite effective. Surgery is generally a last resort in hypopnea treatment, but is a site-specific option for the upper airway. Depending on the cause of obstruction, surgery may focus on the soft palate, the uvula, tonsils, adenoids or the tongue. There are also more complex surgeries that are performed with the adjustment of other bone structures - the mouth, nose and facial bones.

Asphyxia or asphyxiation is a condition of severely deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from abnormal breathing. An example of asphyxia is choking. Asphyxia causes generalized hypoxia, which affects primarily the tissues and organs. There are many circumstances that can induce asphyxia, all of which are characterized by an inability of an individual to acquire sufficient oxygen through breathing for an extended period of time. Asphyxia can cause coma or death.

In 2015 about 9.8 million cases of unintentional suffocation occurred which resulted in 35,600 deaths. The word asphyxia is from Ancient Greek "without" and , "squeeze" (throb of heart).

Sleeping on the back has been found to reduce the risk of SIDS. It is thus recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics and promoted as a best practice by the US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) "Safe to Sleep" campaign. The incidence of SIDS has fallen in a number of countries in which this recommendation has been widely adopted. Sleeping on the back does not appear to increase the risk of choking even in those with gastroesophageal reflux disease. While infants in this position may sleep more lightly this is not harmful. Sharing the same room as one's parents but in a different bed may decrease the risk by half.

The use of pacifiers appears to decrease the risk of SIDS although the reason is unclear. The American Academy of Pediatrics considers pacifier use to prevent SIDS to be reasonable. Pacifiers do not appear to affect breastfeeding in the first four months, even though this is a common misconception.

Anti-ligature is the "prevention" of tying or binding. Anti-ligature devices are used to prevent vulnerable people from accidentally or intentionally self harming, (typically hanging). Anti-ligature devices and equipment are primarily used where people are considered to be 'at risk' such as hospitals, prisons and nursing homes, but can also be found in some offices and schools.

They are designed to withstand high levels of abuse and as a result are constructed from solid stainless steel and have minimal moving parts. They typically feature sloped or curved corners to which nothing can be attached and are proportioned at specific critical angles and distances with no protruding parts to prevent ligature points.

Examples of anti-ligature devices can include electronically controlled tap-less wash basins and seat-less WC pans with concealed WC cisterns and anti-ligature shower controls and shower heads.

Oximetry, which may be performed over one or several nights in a person's home, is a simpler, but less reliable alternative to a polysomnography. The test is only recommended when requested by a physician and should not be used to test those without symptoms. Home oximetry may be effective in guiding prescription for automatically self-adjusting continuous positive airway pressure.

Excess body weight is thought to be an important cause of sleep apnea. In weight loss studies of obese and overweight individuals, those who lose weight show reduced apnea frequencies and improved Apnoea–Hypopnoea Index (AHI) compared to controls.

Bacterial infections of the orbit have long been associated with a risk of catastrophic local

sequelae and intracranial spread.

The natural course of the disease, as documented by Gamble (1933), in the pre-antibiotic era,

resulted in death in 17% of patients and permanent blindness in 20%.

Strangling involves one or several mechanisms that interfere with the normal flow of oxygen into the brain:

- Compression of the carotid arteries or jugular veins—causing cerebral ischemia.

- Compression of the laryngopharynx, larynx, or trachea—causing asphyxia.

- Stimulation of the carotid sinus reflex—causing bradycardia, hypotension, or both.

Depending on the particular method of strangulation, one or several of these typically occur in combination; vascular obstruction is usually the main mechanism. Complete obstruction of blood flow to the brain is associated with irreversible neurological damage and death, but during strangulation there is still unimpeded blood flow in the vertebral arteries. Estimates have been made that significant occlusion of the carotid arteries and jugular veins occurs with a pressure of around , while the trachea demands six times more at approximately .

As in all cases of strangulation, the rapidity of death can be affected by the susceptibility to carotid sinus stimulation. Carotid sinus reflex death is sometimes considered a mechanism of death in cases of strangulation, but it remains highly disputed. The reported time from application to unconsciousness varies from 7–14 seconds if effectively applied to one minute in other cases, with death occurring minutes after unconsciousness.

Immediate treatment is very important for someone with orbital cellulitis. Treatment typically involves intravenous (IV) antibiotics in the hospital and frequent observation (every 4–6 hours). Along with this several laboratory tests are run including a complete blood count, differential, and blood culture.

- Antibiotic therapy – Since orbital cellulitis is commonly caused by "Staphylococcus" and "Streptococcus" species both penicillins and cephalosporins are typically the best choices for IV antibiotics. However, due to the increasing rise of MRSA (methicillin-resistant "Staphylococcus aureus") orbital cellulitis can also be treated with Vancomycin, Clindamycin, or Doxycycline. If improvement is noted after 48 hours of IV antibiotics, healthcare professions can then consider switching a patient to oral antibiotics (which must be used for 2–3 weeks).

- Surgical intervention – An abscess can threaten the vision or neurological status of a patient with orbital cellulitis, therefore sometimes surgical intervention is necessary. Surgery typically requires drainage of the sinuses and if a subperiosteal abscess is present in the medial orbit, drainage can be performed endoscopically. Post-operatively, patients must follow up regularly with their surgeon and remain under close observation.

There is little data on the effects of screening the general population on the ultimate rate of suicide. Screening those who come to the emergency departments with injuries from self harm have been shown to help identify suicide ideation and suicide intention. Psychometric tests such as the Beck Depression Inventory or the Geriatric Depression Scale for older people are being used. As there is a high rate of people who test positive via these tools that are not at risk of suicide, there are concerns that screening may significantly increase mental health care resource utilization. Assessing those at high risk however is recommended. Asking about suicidality does not appear to increase the risk.

Pseudodysphagia is the irrational fear of swallowing or choking. The symptoms are psychosomatic. The act of swallowing becomes mentally linked with choking or with undercapacity of the esophageal opening. This can induce panic reactions before or during the act of swallowing. The sensation of difficult swallowing feels authentic to the affected individual, although it is based on nothing in reality. It is important that dysphagia (difficult or painful swallowing) be ruled out before a diagnosis of pseudodysphagia is made.

Fear of choking is associated with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, hypochondriasis, and weight loss. The condition can occur in children and adults; it is equally common among males and females. Quality of life can be severely affected. Avoidance of restaurants or social settings is common, since sometimes food can only be taken in small bites or with liquid.

Characterization of idiopathic dysphagia as psychosomatic has recently been challenged by published case reports documenting instances of "pseudodysphagia" patients suffering from the little-known entity Omohyoid muscle syndrome. Should this syndrome be found to have a spectrum of severity (particularly if mild cases of OMS do not demonstrate the typical transient soft neck mass), the medical community may need to consider ruling out this subtle, truly somatic etiology before arriving at true pseudodysphagia, the latter being essentially a diagnosis of exclusion.

In various cultures, there are alternative medicine applications of human urine for medicinal or cosmetic purposes, including drinking of one's own urine; but no evidence to support its use.