Talk about a cesspool.
As temperatures rise, the siren sound of the swimming pool amplifies. While chemicals like chlorine and bromine do their darndest to kill off bacteria and viruses, some germs stay afloat.
Enjoy your Fourth of July festivities, but beware of illnesses that can be contracted from contaminated pool water or breathing in chemicals that have evaporated and turned into gas.
Poo-related pool pathogens
As HuffPost reports, diarrhea is the most common culprit for swimming-related sicknesses.
When there’s poo in the pool, millions of germs are released into the water, and people can get sick by swallowing even a tiny amount.
Worse yet, and more common still, a full-blown fecal incident is not the only way people get sick. Small particles of poop can easily come off people’s bodies when they swim, meaning you won’t see the danger.
Cryptosporidium, norovirus, giardia, shigella and E. coli are common poo-related germs. Depending on the offending pathogen, symptoms can include fever, cramping, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
If swimming with kiddos or babies, ensure diapers are changed far from the pool to prevent contamination and/or make sure to take frequent bathroom breaks.
Why doesn’t chlorine kill off these germs?
Sometimes the chlorine, bromine and pH ratio is not exactly right, allowing germs to spread. Other times, people are exposed to germs in the time it takes for chlorine to eliminate them.
Dr. Clare Rock, an associate professor at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, explained to HuffPost, “This is one of the reasons why, if there is a fecal accident in a pool, there is protocol the lifeguards and pool operators follow before allowing people back into the water.”
Cryptosporidium, also known as crypto, has proven particularly resistant to chlorine. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, from 2015 to 2019, crypto caused 49% of infectious outbreaks in aquatic places like pools, hot tubs and water parks.
While chlorine or bromine can kill most germs within minutes, crypto can survive in a water source for a week or more.
Those with compromised immune systems are more vulnerable to severe crypto infection. If you’ve been sick with diarrhea or diagnosed with crypto, the CDC recommends waiting at least two weeks after symptoms cease before swimming.
Swimmer’s ear
Swimmer’s ear is a bacterial infection caused by pool water in the outer ear canal. When water stagnates in the ear, it breaks down its protective wax, providing a prime environment for bacteria to proliferate.
Symptoms of swimmer’s ear include pain, redness, swelling, itchiness and ear drainage. It’s most common in children, and it’s not contagious.
Rock explained that to prevent and combat swimmer’s ear, “You can use a towel, but also pull the earlobe in different directions to drain out any water … consider using earplugs or a bathing cap to prevent pool water getting into the ear.”
Irritants
Skin, eye or throat irritation is a common consequence of dipping into a swimming pool.
Rock explained: “Chlorine in the pool turns into chemical irritants when combined with sweat, urine and dirt. When you smell ‘chlorine’ at the pool, you are probably actually smelling these chemical irritants as they turn into gas in the surrounding air.”
Called chloramines, these irritants cause rashes, itching, red eyes, coughing, wheezing and nasal irritation. Improper pH levels in a swimming pool can lead to skin and eye irritation.
Why you should never pee in the pool
It is imperative to shower before swimming. A one-minute pre-swim rinse is enough to remove most of the dirt or other substances that use up the chlorine or bromine needed to kill germs.
Experts agree that everyone should abstain from peeing in the pool, not only because it is rude AF but also because chloramines form when urine, sweat and/or makeup combine with chlorine. These substances also decrease the amount of chlorine that can kill other germs.
Safety first
To gauge the safety of a swimming pool or water park, consider examining records of the health department’s inspection of the venue.
HuffPost also recommends making sure you can see the drain in the deep end of the pool, that lifeguards are watching swimmers and, in the absence of a lifeguard, that a rescue ring is present.
The No. 1 precaution swimmers can take is to avoid swallowing pool water and to stay on dry land if healing from an open wound or cut. If you must swim, use a waterproof bandage and fully cover the wound.
Illness aside, New Yorkers may have trouble finding a safe place to swim this summer.
An ongoing lifeguard shortage has threatened access to NYC public pools and beaches.
For those with a yard and a little disposable income, The Post recommends a variety of inflatable swimming pools, including the granddaddy of them all, the Inflatable Water Park.
