Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers | April 15, 2025 | Personal Injury
Dry drowning is a rare but serious condition that can happen after someone inhales water. Compared with traditional drowning, dry drowning takes more time to happen. Symptoms can appear hours after leaving the water, making it both unexpected and alarming.
So how does dry drowning happen? Typically, water goes into the airway and triggers a spasm that forces the airway to close. It can make it difficult or impossible to breathe and often leads to severe respiratory distress. It’s important to remember, though, that while it sounds dangerous (and can be), dry drowning does not always cause death.
Dry drowning is sometimes confused with secondary drowning, but they’re not the same. In dry drowning, the lungs don’t actually fill with water (like they do with secondary drowning). Instead, the body’s reaction to inhaling water causes the airway itself to shut down. This response would happen quickly but may worsen over time, so it’s important to know the silent drowning signs.
Silent Drowning: Why It’s So Dangerous
The scariest part of dry drowning is its subtlety. Unlike what most of us imagine, it doesn’t always involve dramatic splashing or gasping. In fact, it can look like nothing at all until symptoms suddenly appear.
A sign of dry drowning may include coughing or trouble breathing, but it often seems minor at first. Many people mistake it for just needing to catch their breath. That’s why it’s important to know the warning signs and understand how symptoms can progress.
Recognizing the Signs of Dry Drowning
If someone has been out on a boat or went swimming in the pool recently, pay attention to their behavior afterward if they’ve inhaled any water. The most common symptoms to watch for include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Persistent coughing
- Chest pain
- Extreme fatigue
- Confusion
- Irritability
- Mood swings
- Vomiting
If any of these appear, you need to act fast. A dry drowning can progress quickly, so closely watching those symptoms can make a crucial difference.
Why Is Dry Drowning Often Missed?
One of the main reasons dry drowning often goes unnoticed is because it doesn’t happen right away. After a day at the pool or the beach, people are more focused on drying off, eating, or resting. They might not connect a sudden cough or tiredness with time spent in the water hours earlier.
Dry drowning is especially sneaky in kids, so it’s easy for parents and guardians to overlook the early signs. Often, the affected person doesn’t even realize something’s wrong and dismisses their discomfort.
How Does Dry Drowning Differ From Other Respiratory Issues?
Respiratory distress after swimming can happen for plenty of reasons, but dry drowning has specific characteristics that set it apart. Unlike asthma attacks or allergic reactions, which can also cause trouble breathing, dry drowning has a clear link to recent water exposure.
While it can look similar to other breathing issues, the telltale sign is the timing. If someone shows respiratory distress symptoms a few hours after being in the water, it’s important to consider the possibility of dry drowning. Doctors can perform tests to look at lung function and rule out other causes, but knowing the context helps them move toward the right approach.
Stay Informed and Vigilant
Should you notice any of the signs of dry drowning, don’t brush them off. It’s better to consider the possibility than to ignore the problem and hope it’s something less serious. If your dry drowning was caused by an accident due to someone’s negligence, a skilled personal injury attorney can help you through the legal process of filing a claim.
Contact the Personal Injury Lawyers at Alpert Schreyer Personal Injury Lawyers in Maryland for Help Today
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