Drowning

Drowning is a form of death caused by being suffocated with water or another liquid.
Near drowning is the survival of a drowning event where the person is unconsciousness (passed out) or breathes in a dangerously large amount of water, and can cause serious problems, including death, later on. That means that near drowning also requires help from a doctor. 

Secondary drowning is death caused by chemical or biological changes in the lungs after a near drowning incident.

Drowning happens when a person spends too much time underwater or with their nose and mouth submerged in a liquid to the point where they are unable to breathe and their lungs are filled with liquid.

In many countries, drowning is one of the biggest causes of death for children under 14 years old. Children have drowned in wading pools and even bathtubs. Many people drown in countries where there is a lot of water, especially if they swim in dangerous waters.  For example, in the United Kingdom there are about 450 drownings each year (that is: 1 per 150,000 of people), and in the United States there are about 6,500 drownings (or around 1 per 50,000 of people). Drowning related injuries are the fifth most likely cause of accidental death in the US. In some places, drowning is the second most likely cause of injury and death for children. 

 Prevention 
There are many ways in which drowning can be prevented. Some examples are: 

 Watching - drowning can be silent, so this is why watching the person is very important. It is even more important to watch children and infants. A baby can drown in a bathtub. Many people choose to take their children to swim in areas that have security cameras or lifeguards 
 Learning to swim - this is one of the most important ways to prevent drowning. Children should be taught to swim when they are less than 8 years old
 Pool fencing - Private pools should always be fenced when they are not being used if there are children around so they do not fall inside the pool, and so they don't use the pool without another adult watching them
 Alcohol - a drunk person has a greater chance of drowning that someone who is not
 Lifejackets - people that cannot swim should use a lifejacket so they float on the surface 
 Diving - a person can be knocked out and drown if they dive into a pool and hit their head on the bottom. In some cases, this may cause someone to be paralyzed and die, or have long-term disabilities 
 Avoiding dangerous water - nobody should swim in waters that have large waves and fast currents. The speed of a current can be determined by how quickly items on the surface of the water move. Some currents are underwater and cannot be seen from above 

Category:Water
Category:Drowning
Category:Consequences of external causes
Category:Medical emergencies
Category:Swimming
Category:Causes of death
Category:Suicide by suffocation
Category:Wilderness medical emergencies