While the term may sound a bit weird, ‘dry drowning’ is most definitely a very serious and life-threatening occurrence that occurs mostly with smaller children.
The condition itself is quite rare, and it caused by having water (or other fluids) trapped in the lungs. This can happen after going swimming, but the worrying part is that the symptoms at first don’t appear to quite severe.
The little two-year-old boy Gio from Fort Collins managed to swallow a bit of water when he recently went swimming and was playing on the steps of the pool, his father Garon Vega recalls as reported by local KUSA News.
Gio got sick, but his condition worsened by the day.
“Little boy started complaining about head pain, he would say mama head hurt, mama head hurt,” his father said.
Shortly after, Gio’s mom read a story about a family who had lost their four-year-old son after a dry drowning incident.
Gio’s parents quickly made the link and suspected that their son might’ve had water in his lungs as well. Tragically, the four-year-old boy Frankie Delgado passed away and doctors discovered the fluids in his lungs after he passed away.
“I came across an article about a 4-year-old little boy who went swimming and he passed away from something called secondary drowning,” he said.
Shortly after, Garon decided to take Gio to the ER with him and they confirmed his suspicion.
“The doctor said basically it is in fact fluid in his lungs, he has a significant amount of fluid in his lungs was secondary drowning,” Garon recalls.
“Dry drowning is a common name for a condition where fluid floods the lungs, not because fluid is absorbed through the mouth of the breathing pipe, but because it leaks into the lung from the blood supply itself,” said Doctor Ivor Douglas, a Chief of Pulmonary Sciences and Clinical Care Medicine at Denver Health. “Just a little bit of fluid in the breathing pipe itself can set this process off.”
“Just a little bit of fluid in the breathing pipe itself can set this process off.”
Although dry drowning is indeed very rare and doesn’t occur often, it’s extremely life-threatening and is dangerous because it carries generally unsuspicious symptoms.
“This is common in the swimming pool. Kids choke or cough or splatter and the airways will be cleared, but if that persists to any level of breathing discomfort that should warrant attention,” the doctor said.
“If we had waited the night, he probably wouldn’t have made it,” Gio’s dad said.
After the incident, Garon wants to spread awareness about dry drowning and possibly save lives.
“I had no idea that you could drown without being submerged in the water,” he said. “I had no idea. None of us did until now. I’m telling everybody else too it can happen. It can happen. Knowing is very powerful. It can be life-saving.”
Here are the most important warning signs:
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Fevers and headaches
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Difficulties breathing
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Coughing
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Change it the color of lips
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Changes in the overall responsiveness and alertness of a child
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Water rescue: any child pulled from a pool should be evaluated for further medical attention
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Forgetfulness or change in behavior
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Sleepiness: if your kid was excitedly playing in the pool and is now fatigued, it may be a good idea to speak to a doctor before putting them to bed
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Throwing up: “Vomiting is a sign of stress from the body as a result of the inflammation and sometimes a lack of oxygen, also from persistent coughing and gagging,” explains Dr. Berchelmann according to Parents.com
If you suspect that your child is “dry-drowning,” contact your pediatrician right away. If your child has immediate trouble breathing, it is best to contact emergency services by dialing 911.
For information on dry-drowning, please visit these sites: Parents.com, Osteopathic.com, Upworthy.com.
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