Choking

Choking is the mechanical obstruction of the flow of air from the environment into the lungs. Choking prevents breathing, and can be partial or complete, with partial choking allowing some, although inadequate, flow of air into the lungs. Prolonged or complete choking results in asphyxiation which leads to hypoxia and is potentially fatal.

Strangling is compression of the neck that leads to unconsciousness or death by causing an increasingly hypoxic state in the brain. Fatal strangling typically occurs in cases of violence, accidents, and as the mechanism of suicide in hangings. Strangling does not have to be fatal; limited or interrupted strangling is practiced in erotic asphyxia, in the choking game, and is an important technique in many combat sports and self-defense systems.

Strangling can be divided into three general types according to the mechanism used:

• Hanging - Suspension from a cord wound around the neck (see the separate article Hanging)
• Ligature strangulation - Strangulation without suspension using some form of cord-like object
• Manual strangulation - Strangulation using the fingers or other extremity

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