Can you get infected in a swimming pool? You can “bring” these diseases from the pool. What diseases can you catch in the pool?

Many diseases lie in wait for a person in water, both in a lake, river, and in a swimming pool. Each person comes to the pool with his own set of microbes and viruses that he can transmit to others, or diseases that quickly spread through water, towels, handrails, tiles. No matter how hard workers at a public bathing area try to clean and disinfect everything that could potentially serve as a carrier of disease, there are other factors that affect infection. Before signing up for the pool, carefully study the rules of behavior and the necessary precautions so as not to contract an infection and, instead of possible benefits, receive significant harm from swimming in the pool. In this article we will look at what you can get infected with in the pool and what to do to prevent this from happening.

Risk group for possible infection

Everyone must first start with themselves and analyze their trip to the pool from two sides: what can I catch and can I be a carrier of the disease. In the first case, it is difficult to predict the consequences of an hour's swimming in the pool, because you do not know who swam in the water before you. In the second case, think about whether you have hidden diseases that you can pass on to another person, for example, warts or fungus. Be responsible for your health and the well-being of other people.

Who is at risk and may immediately become a victim of infection:

• children of any age, especially under 7 years old, who do not yet know how to swim and swallow water from the pool;
• a person at any age after a recent illness of any nature - with a weakened immune system, the chances of developing an infection in the body increase;
• people who have wounds, cracks, cuts, calluses, scratches - the fungus quickly penetrates through them and the person becomes infected.

What can you get infected from in the pool?

In water, through contact with a sick person, objects (shoes, towels), tiles or handrails in the pool, you can become infected with the following diseases:

• deprive;
• giardiasis;
• dysentery;
• fungal infection;
• molluscum contagiosum.

What can you get infected with in the pool, besides the diseases listed? Warts may also appear on your fingers or toes after swimming. Moreover, a person may have an allergic reaction after swimming in the pool, most likely to chlorine in the water. Infection with molluscum contagiosum in adults is rare; children are most susceptible. Therefore, parents should examine the child’s body every time after swimming in the pool.

Important! It is impossible to catch urogenital infections such as trichomoniasis, mycoplasmosis or chlamydia in the pool. The causative agents of these diseases die in chlorinated water and are not transmitted through water or contact with objects.

How to protect yourself from the risk of infection in the pool?

If the water in the pool is frequently changed, cleaned and disinfected, the risk of getting an infection is reduced to 1 case out of 10. Such a small, but still chance of getting sick is due to the fact that infection can occur not through the fault of the pool administration, but due to the fact that even a healthy person a person can be a carrier of the disease without even knowing it. If you remember about safety precautions in the pool, swimming will bring enormous benefits: weight loss, strengthening of the spine and muscle corset, and training of the cardiovascular system. After swimming, your mood improves and your performance increases.

Follow the rules of swimming and behavior in the pool:

• carefully select the pool based on reviews and reputation;
• swim in a pool cap;
• do not visit the establishment if calluses, wounds or scratches appear;
• do not walk barefoot on the tiles in the pool, wear slippers;
• do not use public towels, use only your own washing items;
• take a shower before and after going into the pool;
• shower with antifungal agents;
• Never swallow pool water.

Nowadays, everyone knows more or less precisely what sexually transmitted infections are. But there are so many myths associated with “shameful diseases” that it is sometimes quite difficult to figure out what is the truth and what is the lie. The site, with the help of a dermatovenerologist, debunks the most common myths about STIs.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs)/sexually transmitted diseases (STDs)/sexually transmitted diseases are a hot topic in health columns.

It is not so easy to understand the huge flow of information, and most importantly, to find reliable and easiest-to-understand information for a person who has not been trained in the art of healing.

When visiting a doctor, especially one dealing with issues "intimate" diseases, Every patient experiences stress in one way or another.

Waiting for test results is a period accompanied by anxiety, even if you are completely confident in yourself and your sexual partner.

And, finally, a doctor’s report with unfamiliar words in the “diagnosis” line - almost every person has experienced all this.

It’s great if the doctor tries to explain the patient’s condition and answers all the questions, but quite often doctors do not waste time on what they consider to be empty explanations.

In addition, relationships with loved ones can deteriorate due to a lack of information and myths that still exist today.

In this article, we have collected the most common misconceptions about STIs, which are often heard from patients or seen on the pages of the global Internet.

Can you get this from a swimming pool?

Myth 1.
STIs include: gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes, anogenital warts (human papillomavirus), chancroid, lymphogranuloma venereum, donovanosis, gardnerellosis (bacterial vaginosis), mycoplasmosis, ureaplasmosis, candidiasis, HIV, hepatitis B and C.

10 myths about sexually transmitted infections

This statement contains both reliable and unreliable information.

STIs do include: gonorrhea, syphilis, chlamydia, trichomoniasis, genital herpes, anogenital warts (human papillomavirus), chancroid, lymphogranuloma venereum, donovanosis.

As for “gardnerellosis,” such a diagnosis does not exist at all.

The condition (and not the disease) of a violation of the vaginal microflora (dysbacteriosis) is called bacterial vaginosis, and can be provoked by many reasons.

This condition is not an STI and can occur even in girls who are not sexually active.

The vaginal biocenosis includes a huge number of microorganisms, and microflora disturbance can be associated not only with a microorganism called Gardnerella vaginalis.

Mycoplasmosis and ureaplasmosis are not STIs and still remain a topic of discussion among doctors.

Both myco- and ureaplasmas are classified as opportunistic microorganisms and require treatment under certain conditions.

It is worth noting that both myco- and ureaplasmas can be transmitted through unprotected sexual contact, and then, entering the body of a healthy person, they can:

after some time, be forced out (that is, disappear) under the influence of normal microflora;

remain in the body in small quantities without causing disease;

remain in the body in small quantities, but at the same time cause clinical manifestations of inflammatory diseases - discharge from the urethra, genital tract, discomfort when urinating, etc.;

Detected in large quantities with or without clinical manifestations.

On practice, Treatment is most often prescribed in cases 3 and 4, as well as before a planned pregnancy.

Candidiasis (or thrush), in fact, is a type of disorder of the vaginal microflora, but is not called bacterial vaginosis. Candidiasis is not an STI.

HIV, viral hepatitis B and C are infectious diseases.

The risk of transmission through sexual contact is not so significant; the main route of transmission is hematogenous (through blood).

However, since there is a danger of transmitting these diseases through sexual contact, it is recommended to include them in a comprehensive examination for STIs.

Sexually transmitted infections do not always have clear symptoms!

You can get STIs in swimming pools, baths, baths

10 myths about sexually transmitted infections

This is also a very common misconception. All STI pathogens are unstable in the external environment and quickly die outside the human body.

In addition, infection requires that a certain number of pathogens enter the body, as well as conditions of close contact, which is achieved only during sexual intercourse.

STIs are only transmitted through vaginal intercourse

This is one of the most common misconceptions. Almost all STIs, with the exception of trichomoniasis, are transmitted through all types of unprotected sexual contact - vaginal, oral and anal.

The causative agents of STIs, in addition to affecting the genitourinary system, can cause proctitis, pharyngitis, conjunctivitis.

Urinating and washing the genitals immediately after sexual intercourse significantly reduces the risk of contracting an STI.

To what extent do these procedures reduce the risk? STI infection,- They do not reduce the risk of infection. _

Even when using local antiseptics, the possibility of infection exists, and clean running water does not have antiseptic properties.

Douching immediately after intercourse reduces the risk of contracting STIs

Douching should only be used as prescribed by a doctor. At first glance, this is a harmless procedure, but it can harm your health.

This method not only does not reduce the risk of infection, but in some cases facilitates the penetration of pathogens higher up the genitourinary system and may provoke a complicated course of infection.

The use of oral contraceptives and topical spermicides protects not only from pregnancy, but also from STIs

It has now been proven that The most effective means of protection against STIs is a condom.

Neither combined oral contraceptives nor topical spermicides can provide reliable protection against STIs.

You cannot get an STI if you have interrupted sexual intercourse

10 myths about sexually transmitted infections

Coitus interruptus occupies one of the leading places among methods of protection against pregnancy and STIs, according to a survey of patients who come to the appointment. This all happens due to the same lack of information.

Many women believe that pregnancy can only occur if, at the peak of arousal, ejaculation occurs (the release of sperm) into the vagina.

However, from the very beginning of sexual intercourse, along with the lubrication of the urethra, single sperm can enter the vagina, which can also fertilize the egg and, accordingly, pregnancy will occur.

In recent years, swimming pools have caused several hundred outbreaks of various diseases. If you love swimming, you should definitely study this information as carefully as possible!

You may get sick after visiting the pool

If you've ever gotten sick after swimming, it may have been due to contaminated pool water. According to statistics, every year thousands of people experience discomfort due to bacteria filling the water in their swimming pool or hot tub. Luckily, there are precautions you can take to avoid getting infected.

Most pools are safe

Of course, there could definitely be something in the water and the threat of disease is real, however, most likely, your pool is safe. If the water maintains normal acid-base balance and chlorine levels, most of the dangerous bacteria will die. You can look for information about what inspections the pool has had to make sure it is truly safe.

The problem of cryptosporidiosis

Unfortunately, the bacterium that causes cryptosporidiosis tolerates chemicals quite well. This is a common cause of diarrhea. The bacteria are found in fecal particles from infected people and can survive in water for several hours. This is a very serious problem - diarrhea can last up to two weeks. To reduce your risk, try not to swallow even minimal amounts of pool water. Do not swim in a pool where children in diapers are splashing. Do not visit if you have diarrhea - it will be dangerous for you and others.

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.

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.

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 definitely looks clean.

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.

Legionnaires' disease

Legionella bacteria causes this disease, which is a severe form of pneumonia. A mild respiratory infection may also develop. According to statistics, tens of thousands of people face this problem after visiting the pool. Nine times out of ten, the problem could have been prevented if pools had been hygienic. Symptoms of Legionnaires' disease appear within two weeks of infection and include headache, muscle pain, fever, and fever.

Chance of getting hepatitis A

Liver problems after visiting the pool? This happens rarely, but sometimes it does happen. The hepatitis A virus, which causes liver disease, can be found in water or food contaminated by feces. If you accidentally swallow some water, it will enter your body. When epidemics occur, they are rarely associated with public swimming pools - it happens once every ten years around the world. Symptoms of hepatitis take several weeks to appear and include pain in the side, sudden nausea and vomiting, and fatigue.

Two more stomach diseases

When feces get into the water, swimmers can experience a number of illnesses that cause diarrhea. They are primarily associated with Shigella bacteria and norovirus. Shigella causes bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramps and fever, but recovery occurs without treatment. Norovirus causes intense vomiting and diarrhea for several days, so patients should stay hydrated.

Beware of the hotel pool

Hotel pools often attract less attention. Because of this, epidemics are most often associated with them. Try to be more careful - look at the bottom of the pool and feel the sides. They shouldn't be sticky. Smell the air: if the chlorine smell is too strong, you should not swim.

Always start with a shower

You've probably seen signs reminding you to take a shower before swimming. Yet fifty-two percent of adults do not. A huge number of bacteria live on the skin. To deal with pathogens, you need to wash. Even one minute is enough to significantly reduce the risk of infection. This may be a convenient solution to the problem.

Cold, slush, first snow, all that’s left of a vacation by the sea are memories... It’s time to go to the pool! The main thing is to remember to insure yourself against unpleasant surprises.

Some people avoid the pool altogether, for fear of catching some kind of disease; others are absolutely sure that nothing will happen to them... Both extremes are wrong. Precautionary measures in the pool are not at all superfluous, but if you follow them, you can swim without fear and to your heart’s content.

DRY WATER
Purified pool water (chlorinated, ozonated or treated with ultraviolet rays) can dry out even healthy normal skin. And for dry, sensitive and allergy-prone people, it is certainly not a gift. In autumn and winter, the problem worsens: during the cold season, the activity of the sweat and sebaceous glands decreases, which means the skin is deprived of its natural protective barrier. Add the drying effect of soap, as well as dry heated indoor air.
Even sea water and the burning southern sun do not destroy the natural protection of the skin as intensely as purified pool water.
The solution is simple : Let a moisturizing shower gel and nourishing body lotion take up residence in your gym bag. Don't forget to use them not only after training, but also every time you take a shower.

3 INFECTIONS
Pool sides, handrails, shower stalls are the habitats of our invisible enemies.
* Skin fungus is transmitted by contact or through clothing and shoes. Many people do not even suspect that they suffer from a latent fungal infection: the pathogen lives in their body, but there is no clear picture of the disease, only occasionally a slight peeling is felt between the fingers and armpits. Of course, the doctor will not give such a friend a certificate for the swimming pool, but those who like to buy medical certificates will never cease...
* After visiting the pool, warts may appear on the skin of the feet and hands. They become infected not only through contact with a sick person, but even by stepping on the place where he was standing - say, at the edge or at the bottom of the pool.
* Molluscum contagiosum is a viral skin disease; Children from 1 to 10 years old are especially vulnerable to it. The virus can be contracted through contact with inflatable rings or “noodles” for water aerobics that were used by the patient. Dense pinkish nodules, similar to pimples, appear on the skin. They are harmless in themselves and can be easily removed by a dermatologist.

3 MYTHS
* Water purified by ozone is not as harmful to the skin as water treated with chlorine.
Although ozone is considered more gentle than chlorine, nevertheless, both of these elements loosen the skin, making it easier for various microorganisms to access it.

* You can catch a sexually transmitted disease in the pool.
Contrary to fears, urogenital infections (chlamydia, trichomonas and others) are not transmitted either through water or through contact with tiles or handrails. All pathogens of sexually transmitted infections die in chlorinated and ozonated water, and if something survives, the amount diluted in the entire volume of pool water is not enough to infect a person.

* Anyone can get fungus in the pool.
This is wrong. A healthy body will always benefit from protective forces. The ability to catch an infection depends on your immunity: the weaker it is, the easier it is for microorganisms to settle on your skin.

6 TIPS FOR SAFETY
At sea, when there is sand under your feet, the risk of catching a fungus, wart, or molluscum contagiosum is minimal. But tiled and especially wooden coverings (sun loungers by the water, shields under the shower and the floor in the dressing room in front of the sauna) are the most suitable environment for the proliferation of skin infections.
You can protect yourself by strictly following the simple rules that are indicated when entering any pool. Oddly enough, they are known, but not everyone follows them. There are other useful little things.
* Having chosen a pool, ask whether they take regular sanitary tests, how often the water is changed, the pool and showers are cleaned - in other words, whether SES standards are observed.
* Bring your own towel: those offered at the pool are usually washed after use without being thoroughly disinfected. Pathogenic fungi not only survive washing, but also settle on other towels.
* From the locker room to the water's edge, wear flip-flops brought from home.
* Remember to rinse off in the shower before entering the pool, even if you washed in your own bathtub.
* Immediately after swimming, take a shower with antifungal gel; Rinse skin folds and interdigital spaces especially thoroughly.
* If there are wounds, pimples, calluses and cracks on the skin, after a shower, apply an antifungal cream or spray to the towel-dried skin of the damaged areas and feet.

Swimming is an excellent way to maintain good physical shape, maintain and improve health; it is indicated for disorders of the musculoskeletal system, to strengthen the cardiovascular system, and to improve immunity in general. In our climate, from September to May, there is only one option for swimmers - a swimming pool, but many people are afraid of diseases that can be contracted in it.

It's no secret that along with the undoubted benefits of visiting a public pool, there is possible harm - infections that you can easily catch.

However, acquired diseases in the pool are not always an inevitable consequence, and its visitors can and should do a lot themselves to ensure the safety of their health.

Who and what diseases are at risk in the pool?

However, ideal care for such a public institution as a swimming pool is not carried out everywhere. In addition, the appearance of even one person - not sick, but a carrier of, for example, a fungal disease - already poses a certain danger to others.

It is easy to become a victim of illness in the pool if:

• Pool condition is not correctmeets sanitary standards;
• your immune system is weakened and is not able to adequately resist infection;
• there are wounds, calluses, scratches on the body, especially on the feet - these are the front gates for the penetration of fungus;
• you are not taking the necessary precautions.

Bacterial and fungal infections, which then manifest themselves on the skin in the form of various rashes, are the most common pool diseases.

With a weakened immune system, those infections, especially fungal infections, that are safe for a person with a strong immune system can easily enter the body. Microscopic enemies of our health live everywhere - on the floor, on handrails and sides, on shared towels, in water.

When coming into contact with water and objects in the pool, you can get diseases such as:

• fungal infection;
• other infections that cause the appearance of warts, nodules on the skin (molluscum contagiosum);
• lichen;
• giardiasis;
• hepatitis A;
• bacterial dysentery.

Contrary to popular belief, urogenital infections (trichomoniasis, chlamydia, mycoplasmosis and others) cannot be contracted in the pool; they are not transmitted through water or contact with objects.

How to avoid getting sick in the pool

A certain risk of getting an infectious disease in the pool may just remain a risk if bathing procedures are properly organized. After all, we don’t refuse to travel on public transport, where we can also become infected with something.

In order for swimming in the pool to bring benefits and not harm, it is not at all difficult to follow a few rules:

• choose an establishment with a good reputation;
• do not visit the pool with wounds, scratches on your body or if you yourself suffer from skin infections - be responsible;
• do not walk barefoot in the shower cabin, from the cabin to the water - wear special shoes for the pool everywhere;
• swim in a special cap;
• Wash before and after swimming, and after - using an antifungal, antibacterial detergent, paying special attention to the feet and the spaces between the toes;
• use your own towel;
• Do not swallow water when swimming - this way you can become infected with giardiasis, dysentery, and hepatitis A.

Let's summarize: you can get infectious diseases in a pool if you do not choose the pool itself responsibly and do not take precautions.

In addition, chlorinated water itself can be harmful to sensitive skin, and in large doses, the chlorine contained in water is even dangerous to health in general. A competent approach to visiting the pool is important, and then the tangible benefits will significantly outweigh the potential harm.