Surely all of us have been warned at some point that it is not advisable to bathe after eating, and we have been taught to wait about two hours before taking a bath to avoid what is known as “digestion interruption.”
But in reality what is called “digestion cut” most of the time has nothing to do with any digestive process, and the accidents that occur in the water and which can sometimes be serious, are caused by a shock from cold water. The medical word to define this type of accident is hydrocution.
What is digestion cut
Cardiorespiratory arrest due to skin contact with cold water. The name hydrocution was given because fatal accidents caused by water and electricity (electrocution) had clinical analogies.
Hydrocution is the nervous contraction of the solar plexus, which occurs when coming into contact with cold water, caused by the difference in temperature of the water with respect to the skin. With the sudden change in temperature, the vessels dilated by prolonged exposure to the sun contract violently and cause shock or syncope.
Main causes of hydrocution syncope
The explanation is that skin exposed to the sun reaches very high temperatures that cause the network of peripheral arteries and veins to be very dilated and accumulate a significant volume of blood. If we suddenly enter cold water, an immediate constriction occurs that pushes that mass of blood with high pressure into the deep circulatory network and shock or cardiorespiratory arrest occurs.
In cases where the shock occurs when entering cold water after having eaten a lot, the blood is accumulated in the digestive area and cannot respond quickly by moving to raise the temperature in the areas of the body that need it.
Thus, although hydrocution can occur when entering cold water after having eaten, most of the time this is not the case and it occurs for other reasons, including sudden entry into cold water after having drunk for a long time. the sun, or after having done intense exercise, especially if you are sweating, or also when you are in cold water for a long time, which would be the case of shipwrecks.
It can also occur if you exercise in water that leads to the limit of physical exhaustion, when you fall into the water, causing a strong blow to the solar plexus area, at the height of the chest and up to the navel, or also after eating of alcohol.
Symptoms of digestion interruption
The main symptoms that can warn us that you are suffering from hydrocution are the following:
- Persistent chills or tremors, accompanied by red skin
- Feeling of fatigue or abnormal tiredness
- Headache or pain in the neck
- Itching in the belly, arms or legs
- Feelings of vertigo, dizziness, or whistling in the ears
- Blurred vision or sensation of seeing little lights
- Muscle cramps or joint pain
- Feeling of anguish
- A sudden cut off in breathing and oxygen delivery to the brain, which can end in fainting
- Blood pressure drop
How long does a digestion cut last?
If it is not serious, the affected person will recover in a period of approximately one to two hours. In the extreme case of cardiorespiratory arrest, resuscitation maneuvers must begin and the emergency services must be urgently notified.
Prevention measures for hydrocution syncope
To avoid and prevent hydrocution we must take a series of measures:
- Shower before entering the water to reduce the temperature difference between our skin and the water, or we can also choose to gradually enter the water, especially when it is cold and we have been exposed to the sun for a while.
- Wet the neck and body before entering the water.
- Drink water regularly and avoid too long exposure to the sun before returning to the water, especially if it has a temperature below 19 degrees.
- Do not spend more than 15 minutes in water after prolonged exposure to the sun.
- Wait 2 or 3 hours after drinking alcohol or eating a lot.
- Avoid diving into water after long exposure to the sun.
- Avoid practicing intense sports before bathing and always bathe in supervised areas.
- Avoid heights when jumping into the water, the impact against the surface could be negative.
- Do not drink cold liquids after having performed intense physical exercise.
- Do not eat large meals before a bath.
