Help Shallow water black-out

[EDSsucks]

Been looking at SWB. I understand that the hyperventilation or the gas (depending on chosen method) serves to induce unconsciousness. But, when you pass out and your face goes under water, why wouldn't the water immediately wake you up? Seems like it would. Certainly, as soon as you breathe in water, it seems like you'd cough and wake up panicking.

 

[meowalyst]

severe brain hypoxia, your brain is shut down

 

[ipmanwc0]

Hi, that's not how it works. Hyperventilation serves to artificially reduce your blood CO2 level below its normal level. When you hold your breath underwater, the CO2 level starts lower, and thus might not reach the point where you feel air hunger before your blood O2 level reaches the point where you blackout. Blacking out underwater = drowning. So the hyperventilation just makes it more comfortable, since it is the O2 level that kills you. This was my chosen method for a bit, and while it can work it's much more reliable for divers and not so much for shallow water. By the way, you have EDS? I got tested for that a couple days ago because of my constant muscle tension, apparently I don't have it but I have many of the symptoms.

 

[EDSsucks]

Hi, that's not how it works. Hyperventilation serves to artificially reduce your blood CO2 level below its normal level. When you hold your breath underwater, the CO2 level starts lower, and thus might not reach the point where you feel air hunger before your blood O2 level reaches the point where you blackout. Blacking out underwater = drowning. So the hyperventilation just makes it more comfortable, since it is the O2 level that kills you. This was my chosen method for a bit, and while it can work it's much more reliable for divers and not so much for shallow water. By the way, you have EDS? I got tested for that a couple days ago because of my constant muscle tension, apparently I don't have it but I have many of the symptoms.

So is the reason it's not reliable in shallow water for the reason i raised, that you become aware and abort the attempt?

Yes, EDS. I have some of the worst comorbidities. Neuro/spinal stuff. Many surgeries. So much pain

 

[Grasp of darkness]

severe brain hypoxia, your brain is shut down

I've heard from a credible source that it doesn't work that well

 

[EDSsucks]

I've heard from a credible source that it doesn't work that well

For the reason I described? That you wake up in time to save yourself?

 

[ipmanwc0]

oh I didn't see that, once you black out I'm pretty sure inhaling water does not restore your consciousness, I think your O2 level is too low for that. I think shallow water is less reliable than diving for the reason that divers sometimes don't make it to the surface in time, thereby overcoming air hunger, as well as interactions with water pressure with depth.

 

[meowalyst]

I've heard from a credible source that it doesn't work that well

shhhhhh

 

[Intoxicated]

But, when you pass out and your face goes under water, why wouldn't the water immediately wake you up? Seems like it would. Certainly, as soon as you breathe in water, it seems like you'd cough and wake up panicking.

Hypoxic unconsciousness is not sleep, you can't just "wake up" from it. Brain neurons require proper supply of oxygen in order to be able to produce consciousness; in case if oxygen is delivered in insufficient amounts, the neurons physically can't function normally, and they are either able to produce only reduced consciousness or unable to produce consciousness at all.

Reddit discussion: When you pass out from hypoxia. What is actually going on that causes loss of consciousness?

In any SWB, the blood oxygen saturation is reduced gradually and so is the level of consciousness. If the blood oxygen saturation has dropped to the point when consciousness is fully lost, a slight increase in oxygen supply to the brain won't be enough for regaining full consciousness - only reduced level of consciousness can be regained. Without increase in the blood oxygen saturation (which could be achieved via inhaling fresh air), an increase in oxygen supply to the brain theoretically could happen due to increased cerebral blood flow in response to hypoxia and decreased affinity of oxygen to hemoglobin produced by accumulation of carbon dioxide. After a typical SWB (with hyperventilation followed by long breath holding), these effects are probably insufficient for regaining even reduced consciousness, because they have enough time to develop to their peak during slowly progressing hypoxia, so their ability to increase oxygen supply to the brain after LOC is very limited. After an enhanced SWB (with gas asphyxiation), the possibility of regaining reduced consciousness from the mentioned effects seems more probable, yet this doesn't mean that you'd necessarily care about drowning much if this happens, especially if the chosen gas is nitrous oxide, which provides additional mechanism of sedation besides hypoxia from asphyxiation.