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Rest on the water is always associated with increased risk. Even a person who can swim well can drown. The reasons are different – a sudden deterioration in health, convulsions and the like. If there is someone nearby who knows how to provide first aid, then the likelihood of saving life and health increases. It is important for everyone to know the rules for first aid for drowning – in a critical situation, this knowledge will be very valuable.
What happens to a person when drowning?
There is a medical term for the word “drowning”. This is a condition provoked by a lack of oxygen caused by water entering the organs of the respiratory system or pulmonary edema. In such a situation, there is a direct threat to life.
If fresh water enters the lungs, it quickly enters the bloodstream, which leads to an increase in the volume of biological fluid. The first to be destroyed are red blood cells, which are responsible for transporting oxygen to all organs. The work of the heart muscle is disrupted, as a result, blood circulation stops altogether.
Salt sea water entering the lungs and blood causes other changes in the body. The blood, on the contrary, becomes thicker and moves poorly through the vessels. Due to the accumulation of blood in the vessels of the lungs, their walls can rupture. There is an acute violation of gas exchange, causing a complete cardiac arrest.
What do you need to know to avoid drowning?
In most cases, the cause of drowning is a gross violation of the rules of behavior on the water. It is important for every person going to the beach to know what wrong actions can cause tragedy.
It is forbidden to be in the water while intoxicated. In addition to the fact that under the influence of alcohol the sense of reality is distorted, it is impossible to predict the reaction of the body to the presence of ethyl alcohol in the blood.
When you first visit a reservoir, it is forbidden to dive until you have studied the area well – even a small snag that you can catch on your foot or hit your head can cause sudden death. Water games should not be associated with comic drowning or forceful exposure. Pay attention to what is happening around you – boats, catamarans and yachts are potential sources of danger. You can’t swim far from the coastline, even if you have good swimming skills, and you can’t leave children unattended – an adult should always be nearby, and not just watch from the shore.
Types of drowning
There are three types of drowning. The first aid that will help a person survive depends on the type of drowning.
- True drowning – occurs due to the ingress of fluid into the lungs. The main symptom of this condition is that the skin becomes bluish. If you come to the rescue in a timely manner, pull a person out of the water and help restore a normal breathing rhythm, you can avoid serious health consequences.
- Syncope drowning – in this case, cardiac arrest is noted, which can be provoked by a sharp emotional outburst. For example, a person was very frightened of something, or such a reaction of the body to scalding cold water. At the same time, in the vast majority of cases, water does not fall into the lungs, which greatly facilitates resuscitation procedures. The main symptom is that the skin becomes pale, acquire a pronounced white color.
- Asphyxial drowning is the most difficult type, in which resuscitation measures in most cases are ineffective. The reason for this phenomenon is laryngospasm, caused by the reaction of the nervous system to certain pathogens. For example, such drowning often occurs in a state of intoxication.
Seeing a drowning person, you must immediately call an ambulance.
First aid for drowning
The first aid that can be provided to a drowning person is divided into two types – removing the victim from the water and, directly, medical care.
It is important to remember that at the moment of danger, a person has a panic attack, and he cannot adequately assess his actions. Therefore, the rescuer must behave with extreme caution, otherwise he himself risks being in the place of the victim. The ideal solution is to throw a life buoy or rope to the victim, you can use a long stick. If a person is far from the shore, you must first realistically evaluate your own swimming skills. It is better to swim up to a drowning person from behind, grabbing him by the hair or neck.
When the victim is already on the shore, you need to try to establish the type of drowning. In the case when a person is drowning in consciousness, first aid is limited to simply warming with warm dry things, tea.
It is necessary to reassure the person, to make him feel that he is safe. It is advisable to stay nearby until the ambulance arrives.
Help with different types of drowning
If the skin has a bluish tint, we are talking about blue drowning – that is, there is water in the lungs. First you need to clean the oral and nasal cavity of sand and algae. In some cases, as a result of seizures, the jaws are tightly closed – it is unacceptable to try to put a finger between them, a flat and hard object, for example, the back of a cutlery, is suitable for this purpose.
You can clear the lungs of water by causing a gag reflex. To do this, provoke mechanical irritation of the base of the tongue. This is best done with the index finger of the dominant hand wrapped in a small piece of clean cloth.
Lack of response or signs of white drowning indicate the need for resuscitation. First you need to release the air accumulated there from the lungs of the victim. You should press hard enough on the stomach, directing the movement of the hands slightly upward, and then start performing artificial respiration according to the principle of “mouth to nose” or “mouth to mouth”. A more effective second option, but if the jaws are tightly closed, you can try to restore breathing through the nose.
To achieve a positive effect, it is necessary to take at least 15 “breaths” per minute, which should alternate with squeezing air out of the lungs. A positive sign is the restoration of spontaneous breathing of the victim. Even if he is unconscious, the evidence of this will be the movement of the chest.
In the absence of a pulse, indirect heart massage is necessary, which is performed until visible improvements or until the arrival of a medical team.