A visit to the pool is an excellent opportunity to invigorate and tone the body, regardless of the time of year. Swimming helps to heal the body and put in order the important vital systems of the body. In addition, this is an excellent solution for those who want to maintain a good level of fitness. Precisely because any water procedures have a beneficial effect on the entire body. Another aspect of the popularity of such establishments is interesting leisure time.
Often the lanes in the pool can be rented by a group of friends or colleagues spending their leisure time together. The pools receive thousands of visitors every day. Being next to friends and other people in the pool and locker rooms in conditions of high humidity involuntarily makes you wonder whether the pool is as useful as it is safe. What can a man and a woman become infected with when visiting a swimming pool? Let's try to figure it out.
It is worth considering that all swimming pools that receive visitors are required to carry out water purification in a certain way in order to prevent contamination directly in the aquatic environment. But the depths of the pool are not the only place to be wary of. Locker rooms and other pre- and post-pool areas with high humidity levels can be much more dangerous.
Diseases that can be contracted in the pool
Unfortunately, the medical certificates required of visitors to enter the pool do not guarantee safety. In addition, somewhere in a spa complex or fitness center such certificates are not required at all, and you have to rely only on luck. Therefore, there is always a chance of catching an infectious disease in the pool. Moreover, you can become infected not only by being in the water with people, but also from contact with other people’s things (washcloth, towel, slippers) or when walking barefoot around the complex (in the shower, locker room, pool).
It is important to understand that the pool is a public place. Although the water is constantly disinfected, goes through a stage of filtration and renewal, the risk of developing one or another disease still remains. Infections that a visitor may have spread in water instantly. Although some experts insist that the concentration of pathogenic bacteria in water is extremely low to infect someone else. But it’s easy to pick up a “sore” while sitting on the side of the pool or in the shower.
It is believed that the most common disease in water complexes is nail fungus. However, according to SanPin, fungal diseases are far from being in first place on the list of pathologies. In terms of the frequency of infections, they are surpassed by pharyngoconjunctival fever and a disease popularly called “swimmers’ scabies.”
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Pharyngoconjunctival fever
This is an infectious disease that affects the respiratory tract and conjunctiva. The incubation period is about a week. Fever begins to manifest itself with an increase in body temperature, inflammation of the mucous membranes of the nasal and oral cavities. Then there is an increase in the lymph nodes under the jaw, and the appearance of conjunctivitis in both eyes. The conjunctivae of the eyelids swell, turn red and become rough. There is a slight discharge of mucus from the eyes. Inflammation even affects the eyeball.
Swimmer's scabies or athlete's foot
This disease is a fungal disease and is characterized by damage to the skin and nails by epidermophytons (a genus of fungi). Men are more susceptible to athlete's foot, but women also suffer from this disease. The disease is divided into two types: epidermophytosis of the groin area and feet.
Pseudomonas sepsis
Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which has chosen wet rooms, can cause a variety of diseases: infections of the ear, nose and throat, infections of the urinary and digestive system, diseases of the skin and soft tissues, and so on. The organism multiplies quickly and is especially dangerous for young children, the elderly and those who have recently suffered from an illness.
Giardiasis
An infection that provokes an allergic reaction and affects the small intestine. Giardiasis spreads through dirty water. The risk of contracting a disease in the pool increases if it is not cleaned.
Foot and nail fungus
It is infected mainly in public places during contact with the things of a sick person (flip-flops, towels). You can also become infected through water and the floor if you walk on it barefoot. Ideally, such people should not be in the pool, because the fungus is very contagious, but in reality things are different.
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Salmonellosis
This is a rather dangerous disease, as it leads to damage to the nervous system, blood vessels and dehydration of the body. If a patient with salmonellosis gets into the pool, it will be quite possible to infect other people through water and hygiene items.
Warts
You can become infected with them only through direct contact with a person or through objects he has touched. Even if you stand on the spot on the floor where an infected person just stood, you can catch warts. But there is one caveat. They are transmitted from an infected person to a healthy person only if the latter has lesions on the skin (wounds).
Bacterial dysentery
It is transmitted through direct contact with an infected person or through untreated water. Dysentery is characterized by high fever, stool upset, nausea and vomiting, and convulsions.
Vulvovaginitis
Inflammation of the vaginal mucosa is dangerous for girls and older women. It is quite rare in women of childbearing age. In the pool, vulvovaginitis is transmitted through contact and household contact.
Hepatitis A
The hepatitis A virus damages the liver. It can be transmitted through water to other people or through direct contact with a sick person. The risk of infection is reduced to almost zero if all sanitary standards are observed in the water complex.
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Toxoplasma
Disease:
toxoplasmosis
Main symptoms:
most often occurs in a latent form. In some cases, an acute infection may develop. The symptoms during it are quite pronounced. These are high fever, severe exhaustion, headache, vomiting. Possible enlargement of the liver and spleen. Sometimes toxoplasmosis goes away with eye damage and a rash.
In its chronic form, toxoplasmosis leads to an increase in temperature to low-grade fever, muscle pain, and an enlarged liver and spleen.
Flow:
The acute form usually lasts about a week.
Who is susceptible:
usually people with reduced immunity. It is especially dangerous for pregnant women, since transmission of infection from mother to fetus is possible. In infants, toxoplasmosis occurs with very serious symptoms and complications, sometimes incompatible with life.
Risk of infection:
Scientific studies have confirmed the ineffectiveness of chlorination or ozonation of water to completely purify it from Toxoplasma oocysts (3). So any pool can potentially become a source of infection.
Is it possible to catch an STD in the pool?
It is impossible to pick up sexually transmitted infections and diseases in the pool through water if all sanitary measures are taken in the pool. Infectious viruses die quite quickly in a prepared aquatic environment. But if you use a towel from a person who has gonorrhea or syphilis, you can certainly become infected. Therefore, it is not recommended to share personal belongings and hygiene items with another person, even if it is your old friend.
How to protect yourself from diseases?
There is no point in refusing to go to the pool because you are afraid of getting infected with something. Doctors recommend simply maintaining healthy disgust and following some rules to reduce the risk of infection:
- it is better to visit swimming pools that monitor their reputation and comply with all requirements for the care of premises and water purification;
- You should not move around the complex barefoot;
- Men must wear tight swimming trunks to the pool, women must wear one-piece swimsuits. All visitors are required to wear a hair cap;
- You are required to shower before and after entering the pool;
- You need to swim so that water does not get into your mouth. If this happens, then it should not be swallowed under any circumstances;
- contact with other people's things should be avoided;
- Things you need to use the pool must be personal, including flip-flops and a towel.
Of course, even careful compliance with all the rules does not guarantee against potential infection. Therefore, at the first symptoms of illness, it is better to immediately consult a doctor to get quick and qualified help.
Tell us in the comments if you like going to the pool and why? Did you know what dangers await visitors there?
Main photo: 1000sovetov.ru.
Danger to the genitals
When visiting a sports complex, no one is protected from the risk of uroplasma, chlamydia, human papillomavirus, and gardnerella entering through the genital tract. They can cause inflammatory lesions of the genital organs. Also, it is banal vaginitis and urethritis of coccal etiology that can also be obtained here. And in this case, you should not blame your sexual partner.
That's how many different troubles a seemingly health procedure can bring.
Skin rash
While soaking in a hot tub can be a pleasant experience, you may end up with a skin infection as a result. Hot water contains bacteria that can cause a severe rash, sometimes even leading to the formation of ulcers. The rash goes away on its own. The best way to avoid infection is to wash thoroughly after using the hot tub and rinse your swimsuit, and only dive into water that clearly looks clean.
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Ear problems
Itching, redness, swelling and discomfort are signs of an ear canal infection. The problem occurs when water containing bacteria gets into the ear and stays there. Prevent it with earplugs. You can also simply try to dry your ears as thoroughly as possible after bathing. If you get an infection, your doctor will recommend ear drops that stop the growth of bacteria.
Eye irritation
While it's easiest to assume that eye irritation is caused by chlorine, it is caused by a mixture of chemicals in water and urine, sweat and dirt. The process by which chlorine breaks down contaminants creates the strong odor that many people are so familiar with. If you feel that the smell is simply unbearable, this indicates that there are serious problems with the composition of the water. It should be checked and the balance of chemicals corrected so that irritation does not occur.
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Bacterial infection
Another annoying problem associated with fecal contamination is the bacterium E. coli. Studies have shown that it is present in sixty percent of public swimming pools. In most cases, bacteria are harmless and do not cause any illness. However, there are also varieties that can cause painful stomach cramps as well as diarrhea. If you feel sick within a day or two after swimming, the pool is most likely making you sick.
Legionella
Disease:
legionellosis
Main symptoms:
There are two forms of the disease - non-pulmonary and pulmonary. In the first case, patients usually complain of fever, chills, headache and muscle pain. In the second, the list of symptoms is supplemented by pneumonia, which is manifested by a cough with sputum or blood. In the future, symptoms may worsen to the point of pulmonary failure, failure of a number of vital body systems, and death.
Flow:
The incubation period of the non-pulmonary form ranges from several hours to two days, and the disease itself lasts about 5 days. The incubation period of the pulmonary form is 2-10 days.
Who is susceptible:
All. People at risk include people with weakened immune systems and the elderly.
Risk of infection:
According to research, Legionella can develop resistance to chlorine (5), so getting to know it in the pool is not difficult.
