How To Keep Your Family Healthy In Montana Pools

• Pool water can be toxic
• There are 4 main ways to get sick from the pool

Pools Can Be Cesspools Of Disease

Despite all the best intentions, pools can make you very ill. This year, a member of my immediate family quite literally came within minutes of dying from Legionnaires' disease. It was picked up on their recent visit to Florida from sitting in a hot tub at their highly rated hotel.

I've been thinking of this as the pools open all over the state for the summer. So, I thought it was time for a reminder on how to safely use pools this summer.

What Kinds Of Illnesses Are Found In Pools?

According to Health:

Diarrhea: This is the most common illness caught by using a pool. Users with diarrhea can pass it along for 2 weeks after the event. Those using the pool can catch diarrhea by swallowing a very small amount of water. It's suggested that you don't use a pool that aren't monitored for safety, and that animals swim in freely. They can also pass along diarrhea.

Hot Tub Rash: Chlorine and other chemicals lose their effectiveness faster in hot water. Hot Tub Rash happens when the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa is in the water. The best defense is rinsing off well after you use the hot tub.

Swimmer's Ear: More common in children than adults, Swimmer's Ear is when water gets trapped in the outer canal and fungus or bacteria grow. Best defense against Swimmer's Ear is thoroughly drying ears after swimming.

Legionnaires' Disease: Swimmers can get Legionnaire's Disease from breathing in bacteria from improperly treated hot tubs and pools. I can NOT stress enough that this stuff will KILL YOU. Because we live in Montana, if you've travelled and become ill, make sure you mention this to the doctor. It took them longer to diagnose my family member because its so uncommon here.

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 What's The Best Way To Avoid Getting Sick From The Pool?

It's almost crazy how easy it is. It's suggested to keep your mouth closed and dry out your ears each time you swim. Also, please, if you've had diarrhea, wait 2 weeks to go to the pool. You will unknowingly make lots of people sick.

Source: KVVR, Health

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