Author: Wuhan First Hospital, pharmacist Wang Yuanyuan
As the summer vacation approaching, all kinds of swimming pools and water amusement facilities will soon usher in the peak of crowds again, but if everyone has insufficient understanding of the potential risk of infection in public pools and is not fully prepared, it may be a happy and sad situation! Here's a closer look at swimming-related diseases.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="4" > sexually transmitted diseases are transmitted through pools? </h1>
Sexually transmitted diseases are more commonly known as gonorrhea, syphilis, and genital warts (mainly verrucous lesions such as genital warts). The causative agent of genital warts is human papillomavirus (HPV), which is transmitted mainly through sexual, maternal-infant and life-to-life contact. Sharing personal items such as towels and razors in public baths or pools can cause infection, but there have been no reports of infections in pools. Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Treponema pallidum are sensitive to dryness, cold, heat, and common disinfectants, so swimming pools and water are generally not subject to fear of swimming transmission as long as they are recycled.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="48" > skin diseases spread through pools? </h1>
When swimming, attention should be paid to the prevention of skin diseases, such as abscesses caused by bacterial infections, ulceration will form a honey-yellow scab, which is easy to spread in the water, and will be infected once it is contacted; and fungal infections in the superficial layer of the skin include tinea fungus, athlete's foot, nail fungus, etc., through slippers, towels are also very easy to infect, swimming may pass the disease to others; scabies mites, pubic lice and other parasites generally do not spread in the pool water, but are easy to be transmitted through common items.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="49" Does swimming > cause inflammation of the ear canal? </h1>
Disinfection of unqualified pool water will become a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi, swimming will inevitably swallow a little pool water, beginners and children will swallow more pool water, plus children's Eustachian tube position is closer to the level than adults, after swallowing the pool water bacteria are easy to enter the ear through the Eustachian tube, causing otitis media.
In addition, when swimming, it is also easy to enter the water in the ear, the original ear feces or people with ear disease, dirty water staying in the ear will soften the ear feces, make the ear blockage, pus, etc., triggering inflammation of the external auditory canal and middle ear, such as purulent otitis media, acute otitis media, acute otitis externa, etc., and serious will also cause perforation of the eardrum. In order to prevent this from happening, the water in the ear should be discharged after swimming, and the simpler and more effective method is to jump on one leg, with the side of the ear crooked to the side, with one leg to jump in place, even jump a few times can shake the water out.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="50" Does swimming > cause digestive tract diseases? </h1>
When the number of pathogenic bacteria in the pool water is large, swallowing the pool water may also cause gastrointestinal diseases, which are manifested by diarrhea and other symptoms. Cryptosporidium and Giardia lannis are common gastrointestinal parasites, this type of parasite is a type of pathogenic protozoa that parasitizes the gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals, which can be transmitted by the water-based route to cause population infection, which will cause diarrhea, vomiting, low-grade fever, and even endanger life, bringing great hidden dangers to public health safety.
According to medical journals, in the eight years from 1995 to 2002, there were 42 outbreaks of Cryptosporidium infection caused by swimming in the United States, with a total of 11918 people. The onset of the disease is concentrated in June to September of each year, mainly caused by fecal pollution of swimming pools. From 1996 to 2002, there were three outbreaks of giardiasis caused by swimming in the United States, with a total of 97 people affecting the disease. There is still a gap between domestic swimming pool hygiene and foreign countries, so it should be paid more attention to. In addition, diarrhea caused by "swallowing" bacteria such as E. coli and dysentery bacteria in swimming pools is more common.
Cryptosporidium oocytes in human feces
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="51" > can eye infections spread through pools? </h1>
After swimming, the eyes are red and itchy, and there will be symptoms such as fear of light, tears, and increased eye secretions, which is acute conjunctivitis. According to statistics, pink eye, which is medically called "acute conjunctivitis", has twice the infection rate from June to August every year as in January, and the majority of the patients are people who swim regularly, and the reason is that the swimming pool that has not been fully disinfected is an important way of transmission. Pink eye can be transmitted through contact, is highly contagious, spreads rapidly, and infected hands, towels, water, etc. can become vectors. In addition, Chlamydia trachomatis can be killed in heavily disinfected pool water, but if the pool water is contaminated, it is possible to infect healthy people with trachoma.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="52" > swimming cause gynecological diseases? </h1>
Pool bathing rooms can also be a source of pollution. Almost everyone who has swum will take a bath inside, because the sanitary conditions and equipment are not perfect, and toiletries such as towels are often randomly placed on railings and taps. This makes it easy to transmit diseases, especially for people with weaker resistance. At the same time, it also brings the hidden danger of infectious gynecological diseases, unclean paper towels, toiletries, sanitary ware, etc. may infect gynecological diseases.
However, although public pools have the potential to spread various diseases, we do not have to choke on food, and careful action can help us avoid risks. Here are a few tips on how to maximize swimming hygiene:
1. Choose a swimming pool with good reputation and standardized management, its disinfection measures are relatively strict, and the health situation is relatively guaranteed. We can find the ideal pool through the "four looks".
(1) Look at the pool water. Whether it is clear, whether there is floating debris on the water surface, whether there is sediment at the bottom of the pool, and whether the foam of the pool water can dissipate within 15 seconds.
(2) Look at the documents. See if the health permit, employee health certificate, health knowledge training certificate and other information are publicized next to the swimming pool, and whether the water quality of the day is publicized, including water temperature, PH value, residual chlorine concentration, disinfectant release, number of circulating water or new injected water.
(3) Look at the bottom of the pool. Look at the bottom of the pool, or the outlet next to the pool, to see if there is a steady stream of water coming in and out. If so, it means that its water circulation disinfection device is operating normally.
(4) Look at the facilities. Regular swimming pools must be accessed through mandatory showers and foot-soaking disinfection pools containing higher residual chlorine after changing.
2, do not go swimming when there are many people. The fewer people swimming, the fewer potential sources of infection.
3, before and after swimming should be showered and rinse mouth. Before swimming, take a shower, rinse off the sweat on the body, so as not to pollute the pool water with a large amount of urea in the sweat, and enter the pool through the soaked foot disinfection pool, and move appropriately before entering the pool. Do not spit or defecate in the pool. Swimming time is generally not more than two hours, after swimming to shower in time, because the pool water contains more chlorine, there is a certain corrosiveness to the hair, skin, bathe immediately after swimming, the chlorine on the body and the adhesion pathogens washed away. In addition, because the chlorine-containing disinfectants in the water have an erosive effect on the tooth enamel, it is necessary to brush or rinse your teeth immediately after swimming to reduce the damage of hypochlorous acid and perchlorous acid in the mouth to the teeth. To prevent pink eye, antibiotic eye drops can be used after swimming if necessary, children over 1 year old are recommended to use 0.3% tobramycin eye drops, and ofloxacin eye drops can be used in adults.
4. Bring your own swimming equipment. Bring your own clothing storage bag and swimsuit, swim cap, swim towel, slippers and toiletries, and do not share it with others at any time. The changed clothes should also be packed in a clean bag, especially underwear, preferably wrapped in outerwear.
5. Consciously maintain the hygiene of swimming venues. When swimming in public swimming venues, swimmers should consciously carry out physical examinations, such as patients with hepatitis, heart disease, skin ringworm (including athlete's foot), acute conjunctivitis (pink eye), otitis media, intestinal infectious diseases, mental illness and other patients and alcoholics, should not enter the public swimming pool.
6. Avoid contact with the source of infection. Be cautious about contact, do not swim with people with obvious eye diseases, and wear swimming goggles when swimming. It is best to use swimming earplugs when swimming to prevent inflamation of the ears. Touch taps and doorknobs as little as possible, and wash them with soap after touching utilities with your hands. Do not rest in a chair where someone else has just laid or sat down, which has not yet dried, and do not sit on the floor by the pool.
7. The swimming gear should be properly stored after cleaning. Wash and dry the swim gear when you return home and store it in a clean, dry place.
The above is the original work of the volunteers of the "Drug Safety Cooperation Alliance", if you reprint, please indicate the author and source!
【Medicine Shield Public Welfare】PSM Pharmaceutical Shield Public Welfare (public number: PSMChina), a public welfare organization jointly initiated and established by the China Over-the-Counter Drug Association, the Chinese Pharmaceutical Association, etc., gathers resources, gathers strength, and promotes the safety of public medication.