HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- Dry and secondary drowning are potentially tragic medical emergencies that can occur even after a swimmer has left the water.
While symptoms of dry drowning typically occur right after a water incident, secondary drowning symptoms can appear hours after a near-drowning experience.
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If your child has recently had a near-drowning experience, or inhaled a large amount of water, doctors suggest watching them for the following signs:
- Trouble breathing
- Coughing
- Sleepiness or a drop in energy level
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- Irritability
- Chest pain
- Vomiting
Be attentive to changes in behavior, which in some cases may appear is if the child is tired from a long day of swimming.