Can there really be such a thing as secondary drowning? Wouldn’t you just drown if you drowned? Would a second time around be worst than the first? And also, would you even know?
Sounds sci-fi but it’s not.
Albeit uncommon, a person who had a drowning close call can be out of the water and walking around normally before signs of secondary drowning become apparent. But all secondary drowning results in breathing trouble and brain injury, just as drowning in the water does. If untreated, it can be fatal.
While “secondary drowning” or “dry drowning” are not official terms, it happens when someone breathes in small amounts of water during a struggle. That triggers the muscles in their airway to spasm and makes breathing difficult.
Moms and dads: a long but very important read.
T
