10 Facts Of Drowning And Safety Precautions

10 Crucial Facts About Drowning and How to Stay Safe

Drowning  

Drowning is a way of death by suffocation. Death occurs after the lungs take in water. This intake of water, in turn, interferes with breathing. The lungs become too heavy, and oxygen ceases being delivered to the heart. Without the supply of oxygen, the body begins to shuts down.

An average person can hold his breath for only about 30 seconds. For kids, this time span is even shorter. Even a person in top physical condition who has done his training for emergencies underwater can still manage to hold his breath for just 2 minutes.

But what we know as drowning only takes a couple of seconds to occur.

If, after inhaling water, the person is submerged for 4 to 6 minutes without resuscitation, this will cause brain damage and later death by drowning.

Ten facts of drowning and safety precaution

Take swimming lessons
Lessons with a certified, CPR-trained instructor can help kids and adults overcome their fear of water, and also teach them how to have a healthy respect for the dangers of water.
According to the World Health Organization, swim lessons and education in water safety play a key role in reducing drowning rates worldwide.

Float on the back
The safest place in the water is on your back, floating so you can breathe and call for help. Floating will allow a person to be near the surface of the water in such a manner that one can rest and maybe get in a breath while waiting for help to arrive in the case of an emergency. One of the first things that a person learns when taking swim lessons is how to float on his or her back.

Fencing around pools and access points to bodies of water
If you live in a home with a pool or near a lake and there are children in the house who can't swim independently, the creation of a physical barrier between the child and the water may mean life or death.

Don't play breath-holding games
In the process of swimming, do not hold the breath because the phenomenon of serious drowning and other serious hazards can happen. Explain and instruct clearly that competing to hold the breath underwater and any other such games are extremely dangerous and in no way should be included in any orthodox games in the water.

If a swimmer holds his or her breath too long or hyperventilates prior to going under, meaning he or she is taking deeper or quicker breathing, he or she is more likely to pass out underwater.

Keep inflatables handy
Whenever you are in a pool or lake, there should be floating objects that people can grab onto in case they end up in water above their head .
Children who aren't yet able to swim unsupervised should wear inflatable life jackets, puddle jumpers, or "swimmers" to keep them safe.

Don't mix swimming and alcohol
Don't swim when you're inebriated at a lake, pool or the ocean. Limit your alcohol consumption, especially on hot days when you're likely to be more dehydrated.

Never go swimming alone
Swimming should only occur when a lifeguard is on duty. Lifeguards don't just survey the people in the pool, lake or ocean; part of their job is to survey the water itself, providing swimmers with information and advice on safety concerns and doubtful conditions that may come up. They are also trained in rapid response when something happens.

Learn CPR
If you have a pool or a boat, take a CPR class. If someone begins to drown, you will want to feel prepared to resuscitate until more help can arrive on the scene.

Don't Jump in the Water to Save a Friend
In a situation when a child sees their friend struggle to keep their head above water, the first instinct might be to jump in to help, but it can result in both people drowning. Reach, throw, don't go technique is when you use some long object to drag the struggling swimmer to safety. With this technique, children are taught to help their friend without putting them-self at risk.

Supervise children around water at all times.
Never leave your children alone when they're playing in any form of water, such as the bathtub, shower, or even in a mini above-ground pool.

Keep in mind, a child does not have to be in deep water to drown. In fact, a child can drown even in shallow water.

Conclusion

Drowning is the impairment of breathing while in the water, and it happens in a completely physical way and faster than you might become aware of. Indeed, it is quite possible for a person to drown with people right next to them because they don't know how to recognize the signs.

Drownings are totally preventable. Do what you can to make sure you are safe, and those around you are, too.