Play It Safe at Pools and Lakes
Swimming is healthy and fun. Still, it pays to play it safe, so you can keep enjoying yourself and not be knocked out by a potential waterborne illness. Here’s what you can do to reduce your risk of catching something.
Keep Your Mouth Closed
“Don’t ingest any pool water, or untreated water in general, because you don’t know what’s in it,” Galvan says. The best strategy is to not open your mouth. It’s especially important to keep pool or lake water out if you have a weakened immune system; older people, pregnant women, young children, and people with cancer or HIV/AIDS fall into that category.
“If you do happen to swallow pool or lake water, spit it out and rinse your mouth as soon as possible,” Dr. Conroy says.
Shower Before Getting In
Check Public Health Advisories
Before heading to a lake or another body of untreated water, check the local public health department’s website. “If there’s a known issue, public health will be aware of it, and they’ll make sure everyone will know about it,” Galvan says.
Avoid Swinging Off Trees or Jumping Into Lakes and Watering Holes
“These types of activities will increase your risk of potentially ingesting or having water forcibly pushed up your nose or into your mouth,” Galvan says. If you can’t resist jumping into the lake or splashing around in it, consider wearing nose plugs.
Test the Water
It may seem odd, but you can check the water at the community pool before going in. Most superstores, hardware stores, and pool supply stores sell test strips. “The CDC actually recommends buying test strips you can put in the water at public pools to see if it’s actually at the appropriate level of chlorination,” Galvan says.
Test strips will indicate the free chlorine level (amount available to kill germs), which should be at least 1 part per million (ppm) in pools and water playgrounds, and at least 3 ppm in hot tubs. The level of bromine (a disinfectant similar to chlorine) should be at least 3 ppm in pools and water parks and at least 4 ppm in hot tubs. The pH, which affects how germs are killed, should be 7.2 to 7.8.
Take Bathroom Breaks Often
Stay Home if You’re Sick
If you or your kids have an active case of diarrhea, don’t go in the water.
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