choking

It happens so often. I am talking about choking in the literal sense. Getting some fluid or food down the wrong pipe, causing spasms and coughing fits.

I remember, that this happened also, when I was a child and teen. But now I have the impression, it gets worse. Anybody out there, who knows how to prevent it? Or why it happens so frequently to some people and almost never to others?

I talked to my sister about it, when I was visiting a few weeks ago. Of course, just after it happened again, her entire family trying to pad my back. She said, it happens to her too, and often so. Mostly with liquids. That’s why she never orders soup in a restaurant any more, it’s too embarrasing to deal with the coughs and gasping and tears and snot in public, your face swelling up like a pumpkin.

So it must run in the family, I guess. Something genetic. Up until then, I just blamed it on myself. Not focusing on eating and drinking enough. Always doing something on the side, reading, talking, watching TV, whatever. I should really try to just eat and drink, with nothing else going on for a while and test, if the incidents of choking are lessening or disappearing.