Drownings happen all the time, their number increases during the holidays. "A man drowns silently" - this sentence is repeated like a mantra by everyone who has seen a man drowning at least once. But what exactly does the sinking process look like? What happens to the person then?

Statisticsdrowningare inexorable - almost500 people drown in Poland every year . In this respect, we are far behind other countries in the European Union. According to the Supreme Audit Office, there are statistically two people per 100,000 inhabitants in Poland, and in the rest of the EU there are twice as many victims.

Drowningthree times more oftenaffects men than women. This is probably due to bravado and alcohol abuse by men, especially those in their 30s.90%drowning takes place in freshwater, and only10%in the sea.

Drowning - what is it?

Drowning is a type ofviolent asphyxiation(i.e. blocking the access of oxygen to the lungs) caused by flooding the respiratory tract with water. As a result, the following symptoms appear:

  • emphysema of the lungs - the lungs tightly fill the pleural cavities, cover the pericardial sac, you can see ribs on them (occurs only in the case of drowning in fresh water),
  • hypoxia of the brain and other organs,
  • changes in blood - its too thinning or thickening,
  • so-called "foam mushroom" coming out of the mouth and nose,
  • Dilated cardiomyopathy of the right ventricle, i.e. the maximum stretching of the heart muscle fibers,
  • presence of melting fluid in the victim's stomach (Wydler's symptom),
  • with time, white, folded skin on the hands and feet (the so-called "washerwomen skin").

Drowning - the most common causes

The most common causes of drowning include:

  • consumption of alcohol or drugsthat impair motor coordination and the view of the situation,
  • accidentswhile sailing, diving or practicing water sports,
  • unable to swim,
  • swimmingunsupervised , in dangerous places,
  • fatigue and exhaustion ,
  • muscle spasmscaused by contact of the hot body with cold water,
  • stomach crampwhich may occur when we enter the water immediately aftereating,
  • strokelikesheart attacka while in water,
  • head or spine injuriescaused by jumping into the water.

How does a man drown?

A person drowns on average3-5 minutes . This time can be shorter or longer if the drowning person is able to take some air in the meantime.

Importantly, when drowning, a person is usually not able to summon help, as he uses all his energy to breathe or keep his head above water. In addition, water entering the respiratory tract can cause a contraction that completely preventsfrom calling for help .

The sinking process can be divided into4 steps :

  • resistance stage(lasts 30-60 seconds) - consists in consciously holding your breath. During this time, the body uses up oxygen reserves and the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood increases.
  • stage of significant breathing movements(lasts 60-150 seconds) - due to the increased concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood, the drowned man tries to breathe air, chokes and coughs. Water or water with air gets into his respiratory tract and stomach. At this stage, the loss of consciousness begins.
  • seizure or worry stage(lasts 60-150 seconds) - at this stage, tonic-clonic convulsions appear, which indicate that the tolerance threshold has been exceeded in the human body the brain for hypoxia. There is a deep loss of consciousness and areflexia, i.e. inhibition of spinal reflexes.
  • Final breaths stage(takes about 30-60 seconds) - body tensions and short breaths follow. This stage ends with death.

We only havethree minutesto startresuscitationfrom cardiac and respiratory arrest, so that the drowned man has a chance to survive.

  • Dry and secondary drowning - symptoms and first aid

Drowning in fresh and s alt water - differences

Drowning in fresh water is different from drowning in s alt water. The point is thatfresh waterishypotonicto blood plasma, therefore it is easily absorbed from the alveoli into the blood vessels, making it there is a dilution of the blood with hypervolaemia, hyponatraemia (sodium deficiency) and haemolysis. This results in ventricular fibrillation and acute heart failure. As a result of drowning in fresh water, the lungs are almost dry, there is very little water in them.

In turn,s alt waterishypertonicin relation to blood plasma, therefore water and protein bubbles escape from the vessels under its influenceblood vessels, literally flooding the lungs. There is also a high concentration of blood, hypovolemia, and hypernatremia (excess sodium), which cause shock and, as a result, cardiac arrest.

How to avoid drowning?

The Government Security Center constantly reminds you to follow the followingsafety rules :

  1. Swim only in restricted or permitted areas where there is no no-swimming sign.
  2. Never enter water after alcohol or drugs.
  3. Do not jump into the water only in designated areas.
  4. Always wear a life jacket when getting on a boat or canoe. Also wear it on children.
  5. If you suddenly fall into the water, block your mouth and nose with your hand to avoid choking.
  6. If you get a cramp, don't panic. Try to stay afloat, straighten your leg and stretch your muscles (pull your toes up).

How to protect yourself from drowning?

Source: x-news.pl/TVN24

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