Illnesses You Can Catch When You Swim
Dec 20, 2022
In addition to providing welcome relief from the sweltering heat of summer, swimming is also an excellent aquatic exercise. It burns fantastic calories, tones up your muscles, and maintains your heart operating effectively. But, before anything, you need to check that the water you will take a dip in is clean. It's a common misconception that chlorinated pool water kills all bacteria and other microorganisms. Here are four infectious illnesses to watch out for before diving in.
Swimming in a public or private pool, hot tub, lake, ocean, or river might expose you to potentially infectious organisms. The CDC reports that you may become ill from mist if you ingest it, touch it, or breathe it in (CDC). Using chlorine or bromine to disinfect swimming pools and hot tubs is essential to limit disease spread. More than 10% of public pools were closed immediately due to a violation, according to CDC inspections.
If you are reading this, you are probably rethinking your plan to de-stress at the end of the day by going to a sauna or a heated pool, even if they are the most effective methods. Some bacteria that thrive in hot springs and swimming pools might trigger a severe rash in sensitive individuals. Since the microorganisms grow more active in warm water, this condition is sometimes called a hot-tub rash. The bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa causes this illness, and it spreads most often in poorly maintained or polluted swimming pools. The longer you remain in the chlorinated pool, the higher your exposure duration will be. Blisters loaded with pus are another possible symptom of these rashes, lasting anywhere from 5-10 days to clear up.
Water gets into our ears and noses all the time while we swim. While that is just transitory and goes away independently, a more serious problem may develop if water becomes trapped in the ear canal or nasal tube. This provides ideal conditions for the growth of bacteria and some types of fungi. Even though these bacterial infections often clear up on their own, they may be quite uncomfortable and sometimes downright painful. This condition is also more prevalent in children than in adults. Therefore, it is essential to use care when swimming. Toweling off or using a blow dryer to a low heat setting is another option for post-swim ear hygiene.
Diarrhea is more than simply an upset stomach from eating something toxic. You risk becoming sick with diarrhea each time you go near the water, even when you're just going for a swim. The pool may get contaminated with the same bacteria that cause cholera and diarrhea. Here's a piece of writing you should read if you're in the mood for a fright. You'll become sick if you drink just a little pool water. When a person who has had diarrhea (even within the last two weeks) enters the pool, the water may get contaminated with harmful bacteria and viruses such as E. coli, Shigella, Cryptosporidium, and norovirus. The bacteria may survive for up to five days! This has the potential to become contagious, linger for two to three weeks, and ultimately be fatal.
Naturally, ensuring the swimming pool's safety and cleanliness is of the highest significance for persons with respiratory diseases and pulmonary concerns. Certain bacteria, such as the bacterium Legionella, may infest or accumulate in the nooks and crannies of the pool and then disseminate along with the steam or mist, even if the pool is only mildly polluted. It's simple to swallow this, which may cause respiratory distress accidentally. It's especially important for those over 50, pregnant women, young children, and anyone with compromised immune systems or chronic illnesses to exercise extra caution around this since these potentially deadly diseases may affect anybody. If you may have been exposed, see a doctor right once. READ MORE
If the water in something like a swimming pool, hot tub, spa, splash pad, or the ocean, lake, as well as river is polluted in any way, a person swimming or playing in the water runs the risk of contracting a disease. Diarrhea, itchy skin, earache, cough, and eye pain are typical signs of illness. A swimmer may get a swimming-related sickness if they ingest, come into contact with, or breathe in mists or aerosols from water infected with bacteria. They may also be contracted by exposure to the chemicals found in water or evaporated from water to become gaseous airborne particles.