What to do if your baby chokes on water while swimming

When we swim, we often choke on water. Not to mention a baby. Many times, because babies cannot fully master the swimming technique when swimming, and because they are too eager to play, they are easily choked by water. Generally speaking, babies who choke on water while swimming need timely treatment. However, many people don’t know what to pay attention to when a baby chokes on water while swimming.

Don’t clean your ears if they get water in them!

The structure of the human ear consists of three parts: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. There is an eardrum blocking the deep part of the ear, which means that the external auditory canal is actually like a tube with one end closed. In other words, under normal circumstances, for people with intact eardrums, there is no need to be too nervous if some water gets into the ears. In most cases, the water that enters the ears can still be discharged by itself.

If a lot of water enters the ear, or there is a lot of cerumen (commonly known as "earwax") in the ear, the earwax will swell after soaking in water, pressing on the eardrum, causing unbalanced pressure on both sides of the eardrum. This pressure is transmitted to the vestibule of the inner ear, causing a feeling of stuffiness and swelling in the ears. At this time, you need to deal with it simply: after getting ashore, turn your head to the side of the ear where water has entered, so that the ear that has water is facing the ground, and then jump on one foot, using gravity to let the water flow out of the ear canal, or use a clean cotton swab to absorb the water in the external auditory canal, so as to prevent the humid environment in the ear from creating favorable conditions for the reproduction of bacteria. But be careful not to use your hands or sharp objects to pick your ears, so as to avoid the ear canal being ruptured due to improper force and causing infection.

Avoid blowing your nose hard after choking on water

Some people feel uncomfortable after choking on water, so they blow their noses hard. In fact, this is also not good, because there is a connecting tube cavity between the ear, nose, pharynx and throat organs - the Eustachian tube, which has a very important function of guiding the nasopharyngeal gas into the tympanic cavity. The Eustachian tube is closed at normal times and only opens when swallowing or yawning to maintain the pressure balance on both sides of the eardrum, thereby ensuring the normal vibration of the eardrum. However, if you use too much force and pinch both nostrils when blowing your nose, the air will flow into the middle ear cavity through the Eustachian tube, causing a stuffy feeling in the ear and tinnitus. In severe cases, bacteria in the water will enter the middle ear through the Eustachian tube and cause otitis media.

The correct way to do it is: when you choke on water, press one nostril with your fingers, gently blow out the water you drink from the other side, and then blow the other side using the same method. Do not press both nostrils at the same time.

In addition, for some patients with colds, sinusitis, chronic otitis media or after some ear surgeries, it is recommended not to swim temporarily. Be careful to avoid choking on water while swimming. If you feel your ears are stuffy, go ashore first to deal with the water in your ears. If you experience ear swelling, pain, buzzing or other discomfort afterwards, you should go to the hospital for treatment in time.