{"id":1045,"date":"2025-04-05T07:55:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-05T11:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aedcpr.com\/articles\/?p=1045"},"modified":"2025-11-10T13:31:39","modified_gmt":"2025-11-10T18:31:39","slug":"secondary-drowning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aedcpr.com\/articles\/secondary-drowning\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Secondary Drowning? Causes, Symptoms, & How to Treat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Imagine this: after spending some time in the water or watching your child during their swimming lessons, you or your child experience difficulty breathing despite having already exited the pool. How can something like this happen when you\u2019re no longer submerged in water?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You might have previously heard of \u201cdry drowning\u201d and \u201csecondary drowning.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dry drowning refers to a very rare, sudden, and severe injury that occurs when water causes your vocal chords to spasm and close.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondary drowning (also known as delayed drowning) refers to when water reaches your lungs. This fluid in the lungs can irritate the lungs\u2019 lining and build up, causing pulmonary edema. In other words, this translates to a lack of oxygen in your blood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Both \u201ctypes of drowning\u201d<\/a>\u00a0causes you to have trouble breathing right away and can worsen over 24 hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Secondary drowning is considered a type of submersion injury. It can occur hours after a near-drowning incident with someone inhaling water, causing a significant drop in their oxygen levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When this happens, this person must be rushed to the nearest emergency room or emergency department. If left untreated, secondary drowning can lead to respiratory and heart failure and even death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But not to worry: secondary drowning is also very rare, making up 1-2% of all drownings. Still, we\u2019ll walk you through the warning signs so you\u2019re prepared and know what to look out for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early Secondary Drowning Symptoms<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Early symptoms for children, adult, and infant secondary drowning to take note of include<\/p>\n\n\n\n