Does Asphyxia Cause Aspiration?

Aspiration happens when something you eat or drink "goes down the wrong pipe" and enters your airway or lungs. The substance crowds out the air in your body. Drowning is the most common type of aspiration. Suffocation (smothering).

Is asphyxiation the same as aspiration?

The unconsciousness that results sometimes leads to death. Asphyxia can be caused by injury to or obstruction of breathing passageways, as in strangulation or the aspiration of food (choking) or large quantities of fluid (near-drowning or drowning).

What can asphyxia lead to?

It can quickly lead to loss of consciousness, brain injury, or death. Some causes of asphyxiation include drowning, asthma, and choking.