Medical experts warn parents about dry, secondary drowning dangers

As summer nears and the temperature rises, many families are hitting the water to cool off. While most parents and lifeguards recognize drowning as the main danger for water activities, there is another danger.

Dry drowning can occur when a person breathes in water, causing their vocal cords to spasm and closes off the water. In dry drowning, water doesn’t reach the lungs.

Secondary drowning is another danger that can happen hours after leaving the water. This type of drowning is caused when a person breathes water into their lungs. This can happen when a child is struggling to swim. Adults can suffer from dry drowning as well, but children are most susceptible because of their small size.

Dry drowning symptoms show almost immediately after. However, secondary drowning can take hours to appear. Both have the same symptoms: coughing, chest pain, trouble breathing, tiredness.

Medical experts recommend watching your child for signs of either type of out-of-water drowning for up to 24 hours after any sort of problems in the water. If symptoms don’t go away or get worse, go to the emergency room for an x-ray.