A moment of carelessness while swimming in the pool and sea on vacation can cause permanent disability. Injuries resulting from diving into waters of unknown depth can make a person dependent on a bed for life.
Fractures in the vertebrae can cause paralysis
Fishing jumps into pools, seas or shallow waters without considering the depth factor can cause fractures in the neck vertebrae. The respiratory center, located near the spinal cord, can be affected by swellings caused by the fracture. Apart from this situation, which can cause suffocation, fractures in the vertebrae put the person at risk of paralysis. These types of accidents, which are generally seen in men between the ages of 15-25, affect approximately 500 people every year.
Traumas are usually experienced as a result of hitting the head on the hard floor while diving into the water. Damage to the spinal cord occurs when the neck spine is forced back suddenly and severely. Damage to the spinal cord nerve bundle can cause the death of millions of nerve cells. When the entire spinal cord is damaged as a result of an accident, loss of sensation and movement may occur. Since it is almost impossible to repair the nerve cells in the spinal cord, the person may be confined to a wheelchair for life. In case of partial damage, movement losses may occur depending on the degree of damage. Besides these; Functional disorders in internal organs such as intestines, lungs, kidneys, urinary tract infections and pressure sores on the skin may occur.
The nailing technique is extremely risky
In addition to jumping headfirst into shallow waters, the act of jumping on the feet, called “nailing”, can also lead to risky results. As a result of uncontrolled crashing into the ground, fractures may occur in the heel, hip, waist, back and neck vertebrae. Diving into water as a nailing, as in a fish jump, can cause damage to the vertebrae and permanent disability.
Wrong intervention increases the risk of stroke
The first rule to be followed in such accidents is to transport the person to the hospital under appropriate conditions. If there is algae and similar foreign materials that prevent breathing in the mouth of the injured person who is taken out of the water, it should be cleaned. The method of removing water by shaking the person upside down should never be applied. The casualty should be moved as little as possible. The neck area can be fixed with a neck collar. The possibility that the injured may have hidden fractures should not be forgotten. During the transport, the head-neck-body axis should not be distorted and a hard stretcher should be used. An incorrect operation to be applied to the injured person during the first response may cause permanent paralysis.
Appropriate treatment at the right time saves lives
In accidents that occur as a result of unconscious pool and sea jumps, diagnosis and treatment should be done in centers with adequate equipment. Various radiological examinations are performed in order to diagnose the injured person, who is examined by a specialist doctor. As a result, if a situation that requires surgical intervention is detected, the most accurate surgical intervention is planned. With surgery, the bones pressing on the spinal cord and nerve roots are cleaned. When necessary, fixation is made with materials such as titanium alloy screws, plates, rods, and the patient is enabled to move in a short time.
The depth of the water to be jumped should be at least 2 meters
It is important to research the depth of the waters in which you want to swim beforehand. If a jump is to be made, care should be taken to ensure that the water depth is at least 2 meters. Apart from this, the precautions to be taken are listed as follows:
· Avoid places where there are no warning signs showing shallow waters.
· It should not be forgotten that the depth may vary according to the wavelength in rough waters.
· No jumping should be made into turbid and invisible waters
· Collapsed piers should not be climbed.
· Professional lifeguards should be available in risky areas where similar incidents are common or may occur.
· Considering that such accidents occur mostly among young people, necessary information and training studies should be carried out.
