How To Recognize When Someone Is 'Dry Drowning'

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD OF 'DRY DROWNING?'

There are few things in life that are more horrifying to me than the thought of going underwater and not being able to come back to the surface. Many people lose their lives to drowning because we don't know what to look for when someone is drowning, or understand how to recognize the signs. What I also didn't know is that someone can "Dry Drown" after they are rescued.

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HOT TUBS AND POOLS

I bring this up because we are all getting our pools and hot tubs ready for the summer, and sometimes we think that people who know how to swim, couldn't possibly drown, but they can. Dry Drowning and Secondary Drowning are real things. Dry Drowning usually occurs in children. After taking in water through the nose or mouth, the muscles in your windpipe can start to contract to protect your lungs, and the vocal cords will close over the windpipe. The condition is called Laryngospasm. If possible, it's incredibly important to remain calm during the Laryngospasm, as the windpipe will relax quicker if you an.

Symptoms of Dry Drowning usually occur within an hour of the drowning incident and may include:

Difficulty breathing
Difficulty speaking
Unusual behavior
Irritable behavior
Coughing
Chest pain
Low energy or sleepiness after a near-drowning incident

If you recognize symptoms of dry drowning, it is really important to call someone for medical attention. You should call 911 right away, no matter what anyone else says. When the person is stable, they will be transported to a hospital for further observation to ensure that 'Secondary Drowning" is due to water remaining in the lungs.

HOW TO PREVENT DROWNING INCIDENTS

According to the article, any water submersion is serious for children 2 years of age or younger. If you have a water scare with your child, even if it only lasted a minute, you should take them directly to the Emergency room to be checked out.

For more information about drowning, you can click HERE.