Self Health Loops

Keeping a first aid kit or first aid kits by the swimming pool is not enough to protect people from the dangers of swimming. There are about 3,600 unintentional fatal drownings in the United States every year. That’s more than 10 deaths by drowning or drowning related causes every day. More than one in four of those people were children younger than 14. More than four times that number had to be taken to the hospital for injuries related to swimming accidents. Even when people don’t die from drowning, they canreceive serious long term brain damage including learning disabilities, memory issues, and permanent vegetative state.

Thankfully, there are factors that make someone more likely to drown. Identifying these risk factors will help prevention. Supervision and barriers are the most important aspects. The youngest children who drown usually drown in bathtubs, toilets, or buckets. Leaving kids alone for five minutes can be dangerous. Barriers are good even during supervision. Natural bodies of water are dangerous for older people. Boating and drowning are often linked too. Use of alcohol is one of the reasons for more than half of adult and adolescent deaths due to drowning and water related incidents, because alcohol influences coordination and balance as well as judgment. Seizures are the highest risk factor for drowning related incidents in bathtubs.

Preventing these injuries and deaths can be quite easy. Having a responsible adult designated to watch younger children, whether those children are in the swimming pool, in the bathtub, or around any body of water. Swimming with a swimming buddy can save your life. Avoiding alcohol before or during water related activities like swimming, water skiing, or boating and avoiding consumption of alcohol consumption while supervising young children can prevent many deaths related to drowning or water. Learning to swim, as obvious as it seems, can be a lifesaver, but it is not recommended as a primary means for drowning prevention for younger children. Learning CPR can safe people’s lives, because most people drown and die before paramedics reach the scene. Use PFD’s instead of toys which are not designed to keep you safe.