The other side of summer: Drowning

CEBU, Philippines - Most people take advantage of the warm weather by hitting the road for some beach outing and swimming escapade. But knowing what troubles soaking up in broad day light can bring, the conscious public now tries to observe measures for guarding themselves against common summer health concerns such as sun burns, skin darkening and dehydration.

However, there are not more threats that lurk during the hot season than most people think about. Among other health hazards that peaks during summer are recreational-water illnesses, food-borne diseases and drowning incidents, the latter having been declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a public health issue during the World Conference on Drowning Prevention in November last year.

The WHO defines drowning as the "process of experiencing respiratory impairment from submersion or immersion in liquid," causing suffocation or breathing interference. Simply put, drowning occurs when the body is deprived of oxygen, further damaging essential organs, like the lungs and brain, in just a few minutes.

Drowning is the third principal cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, according to the WHO. It accounts for seven percent of all injury-related cases of deaths particularly in low- and middle-income countries like the Philippines. In its Global Report on Drowning, titled "Preventing a Leading Killer," the WHO discloses that more than 40 people lose their lives every hour of every day. Year after year, drowning is responsible for claiming the lives of 372,000 people.

In the Philippines, drowning ranks fourth as the leading cause of death from injury, says a United Nations Children's Fund survey. The top five causes are road traffic accidents, gun shots, stabbing, drowning, and electrocution and falls.

Small children are found to be more particularly vulnerable to drowning even around small amounts of water as in toilets, bathtubs, or basin of water. Drowning is said to be the second among the leading causes of death in Filipino children aged 14 and below, according to a news account by verafiles.org.

Recently in northern Cebu, separate cases of drowning were reported to have occurred in the towns of San Remegio and Liloan during the Holy Week break. The major factors associated with the perils of drowning are "lack of swimming ability, lack of barriers to prevent unsupervised water access, lack of close parental supervision while swimming, location, failure to wear life jackets, alcohol use, and seizure disorders," says the website www.cdc.gov.

Timing is crucial in saving a person from near-drowning incident. But drowning does not always seem like drowning to some, thus greatly reducing the chances of saving the helpless person. So to keep a potential tragedy at bay, the website www.rd.com advises to familiarize the following signs:

1. They can't call for help. When a person is drowning, the mouth sinks below and reappears above the surface of the water. The person cannot call out for help since he has to be able to breathe before he can speak. He has no time to exhale, inhale, and flash a mayday signal.

2. They can't wave for help either. A drowning person instinctively extends the arms to the sides and presses down to lift the mouth out of the water. A child may extend arms forward. Note that the person cannot use the arms to move toward a rescuer or reach for rescue equipment.

3. They remain upright in the water. A near-drowning person shows no obvious sign of struggling under water, not even an evidence of kicking. Remember, the person can struggle for only 20 to 60 seconds before going under.

4. Their eyes are glassy. The person's eyes are unable to focus, or at times closed.

5. Their face may be hard to see. Their hair may be over covering the forehead or eyes.

6. Their head is low in the water, with mouth at water level. Or, the head may be tilted back with mouth open. A child's head may fall forward.

7. They are quiet. Children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, it's time to go get to them and find out why.

8. They don't look in distress. Sometimes the most important indicator that someone is drowning is that he doesn't look like he's drowning. The person may just seem to be looking up at the sky, shore, pool deck, or dock. So ask the person if he is alright and if he returns a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to him.

Yes, water is life but it could also be a cause to end life. When having a dip, it's imperative to use common sense and be aware of the weather and water conditions. One must not swim alone. Or, bathe only in areas patrolled by lifeguards.