New York, NY
A 40-year-old female asked:

3 yo was drinking water and spitting some out as a water play, he coughed & some water went up his nose. he coughed once and is not coughing anymore but he was already having a cold so his nose seems blocked. is it a risk for dry /secondary drowning?

1 doctor answer1 doctor weighed in
Dr. Yvette Kratzberg
Pediatrics 26 years experience
Not dry drowning: With so-called dry drowning, water never reaches the lungs. Instead, breathing in water causes your child's vocal cords to spasm and close up. That shuts off his airways, making it hard to breathe. You would start to notice those signs right away. Symptoms to watch for after a water incident include: increasing difficulty breathing or speaking, irritability or change in behavior.
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Last updated Jul 31, 2020

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