Being exhausted and sleepy after a long day at the swimming pool is normal, especially for kids who are more active during the day. This is why Cassandra Jackson didn’t find anything unusual when her 10-year old son Johnny said he needed some sleep after returning home from the pool.
He has spent the whole day at the pool ans was feeling exhausted, so Cassandra didn’t cross her mind that something might be wrong with him. After a while, she went to check on her son and was shocked at what she saw.
Her son was heavily breathing with foam on his mouth. She took him immediately to the emergency room and the doctors said Johnny had the condition known as “Secondary Drowning” caused by inhaled water, which can appear within 72 hours. If warning symptoms are ignored, this condition can be fatal. Whenever a person (both adults and kids) breathes even a small gush of water (ocean, lake, or pool), it can cause irritation and swelling of the lungs. Although this amount can be small, it can still obstruct the function of lungs to supply oxygen to the bloodstream.
Whenever your kid swallows too much water, or has had a near drowning, watch out for the secondary drowning symptoms that might appear within 72 hours. If you notice any of the following symptoms take your kid to the hospital immediately.
These are the symptoms of secondary drowning:
- Shortness of breath after bathing
- Extreme fatigue after bathing
- Mood swings, or irritability, for no apparent reason
