Artificial respiration is a lifesaving technique where air is breathed into someone's lungs when they've stopped breathing on their own. If someone nearly drowns, chokes severely, or has their breathing stop for another reason, artificial respiration can help keep oxygen flowing to their brain and body until they can breathe again or professional help arrives.

The most common form is called mouth-to-mouth resuscitation or rescue breathing. The rescuer tilts the person's head back to open their airway, pinches their nose shut, and breathes into their mouth. Each breath makes the person's chest rise, just like normal breathing would. This delivers oxygen to their lungs and helps keep their blood carrying oxygen to vital organs, especially the brain, which can only survive a few minutes without oxygen.

Today, artificial respiration is often combined with chest compressions (pushing rhythmically on the chest) in a technique called CPR, which stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Together, these techniques can help keep someone alive until paramedics arrive with medical equipment.

Learning artificial respiration takes proper training. Many schools, community centers, and organizations like the Red Cross teach these skills. While you need formal instruction to perform it correctly, it has saved many lives and helped ordinary people act quickly during emergencies.