Have parents ever heard of dry drowning?

Drowning is a rare but still possible condition, especially in young children, and can easily lead to death without the attention of parents and prompt intervention.

When a child gets into the water, if he panics, he instinctively inhales or swallows the water. Once the child has been rescued from the water, most of us will assume the danger is over. But after drinking the water through the nose or mouth, the muscles in the child's windpipe may contract to protect the lungs.

Some people have referred to this phenomenon as drowning, although it is not a medical or diagnostic term. Drowning occurs mainly in young children. Although 95% of children are fine after accidentally slipping into the water and panicking, parents must remain alert and be aware of possible dry drowning symptoms. Drowning is a condition that requires immediate medical attention.

What is dry water drowning?

Drowning is death after swallowing or inhaling fluids for more than 24 hours but shows no signs of difficulty breathing. Today, researchers and doctors sometimes use the term dry drowning to describe cases of laryngeal irritating fluid causing the organ to contract and close. When the larynx is constricted, breathing becomes difficult. Fluid that your baby swallows can appear in inappropriate areas such as the sinuses and lungs.

Signs of dry drowning

You should watch for the warning signs of dry drowning within an hour of leaving the water. Drowning causes the vocal cords to close on the trachea. This phenomenon is called laryngospasm. Laryngospasm can range from mild (breathing becomes difficult) to severe (preventing oxygen from entering or leaving the lungs).

Symptoms to watch for include:

Cough

Chest pain

Asleep

Tired

Dizziness

Dizzy

Be confused or dreamy

Having trouble breathing or talking

Grumpy or unusual in behavior

There is foam appearing in the nose or mouth area.

Young children sometimes cannot speak or describe feeling short of breath. That's why it's important to carefully monitor your baby after he accidentally falls into the water to make sure his breathing is normal.

Treatment of dry drowning

If you experience symptoms of dry drowning, you should call an ambulance or get your baby to the hospital right away. Meanwhile, try to calm your baby so that his trachea muscles relax more quickly.

Once your baby arrives in the emergency room, the doctor performs medical tests to determine breathing ability as well as other important signs such as heart rate, body temperature and oxygen levels. If the signs of survival are normal, the doctor will continue to monitor the baby for about 4-6 hours, then move the baby out of the emergency room.

How to prevent dry drowning for young children

Drowning is one of the leading causes of death in young children. But you can minimize your baby's risk of this by doing your best to prevent an accident from happening.

For children 2 years of age and younger, any drowning is at serious risk. Even if your baby is only under water for a minute or two or misses a few sips of water, you should take your baby to the clinic for a checkup in case it is bad.

Also, pay attention to some of the following safe keeping tips:

Sign up for your child to join a swimming class

Supervise children under 4 years of age when exposed to water in any situation, including bathtubs

Children under 4 years of age are never allowed to swim by themselves without protective equipment

When allowing children to do activities on the water such as rowing, riding a boat, parents must always wear a life jacket for the baby

Consider taking a CPR (cardiopulmonary) class if you regularly watch kids at the pool or beach.

With timely treatment when the symptoms of drowning occur, young children have a high capacity to recover without experiencing lasting side effects. Therefore, you should carefully monitor the symptoms after the baby has an accident in the water.