Good Lifestyle

As summer rolls in and the weather heats up, many of us are looking to forward to indulging in our favorite pastime—going to the pool. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), swimming is the fifth-most popular activity in the U.S. That's hardly surprising, as there are 10.4 million residential and 309,000 public swimming pools in the country, Insider reports. But while a pool may seem safer than the ocean and the unknown creatures that roam it, swimming pools can also be hiding potential dangers of their own. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) just released a new report, highlighting one clear problem in pools. Read on to find out what you should look out for before diving in.

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While swimming in a pool might seem like a fun way to relax in the summer, the CDC warns that are several potential risks involved with this activity. This includes the potential for drowning, swimming-related illnesses, and pool chemical-associated injuries. According to the CDC, drowning is the leading cause of unintentional injury death among children under 4 years old, and more than 60 percent of fatal drownings for this age group occur in swimming pools.AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

But while you are surely aware of drowning risks, a new report highlights dangers that you may not even be thinking about.

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The CDC issued a new report on May 20, chronicling a recent bacteria outbreak from a swimming community pool. According to the report, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (PADOH) received multiple complaints of gastrointestinal illness on June 7, 2021, from patrons who had visited and swam at a community pool on May 31 that year. The agency identified 15 cases of E. coli infection among children ages 4 to 14, with nine of the cases confirmed and six probable cases.

"These are pathogens that can cause pretty significant gastrointestinal distress in all ages, but particularly in children," Molly Nace, an epidemiology research associate at the Pennsylvania Department of Health in Greensburg, told HealthDay. "Some of the children who tested positive for E. coli also tested positive for C. difficile."

According to Nace, all of the infected children got sick after swallowing the contaminated pool water. She said bacteria like E. coli danC. difficile usually make their way into pool water because someone swims while having diarrhea. "Persons experiencing diarrhea should abstain from swimming," the CDC advised in its report.

The agency also reported that the infected children started experiencing symptoms two to four days after exposure to the bacteria. Symptoms of E. coli infeksi can include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, vomiting, and fever. Some infections can even be severe of life-threatening. In the Pennsylvania pool case, 13 patients sought medical evaluation and six were hospitalized.

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The CDC report says that initial findings suggested there was an "unusual association" between being in a chlorinated swimming pool and infections caused by two bacteria that are normally killed by chlorine. But upon further review, the agency said a "pool inspection revealed an automatic chlorinator malfunction," which allowed the bacteria to thrive.

"Record-keeping was inconsistent with local requirements, and the few available records demonstrated at least one instance of no detectable chlorine," the CDC explained. "The pool reopened following chlorinator repair, after which no additional cases were identified."

According to the experts at San Diego Pools, chlorine sanitizes and kills bacteria, oxidizes to help overall water quality and clarity, kills algae and prevents it from growing or expanding, and stabilizes pool water. Without this, a pool could contain "all sorts of unseen dangers."

"Secara statistik, kolam tanpa klorin lebih cenderung membuat Anda sakit karena kemungkinan terpapar hal -hal yang tidak terkandung atau dibunuh oleh klorin. Ingat, kulit Anda berpori, sehingga pengotor mikroskopis dapat melewati," kolam San Diego menjelaskan kolam renang San Diego jelas di situs webnya. "Sebuah kolam tanpa klorin mirip dengan genangan air keruh besar. Dan karena pertumbuhan ganggang yang tidak terkendali, kolam tidak akan menjadi yang menarik secara visual. Agar adil, Anda bisa berenang di kolam tanpa klorin dan mungkin baik -baik saja , tetapi risiko kesehatan dan keselamatan akan jauh lebih besar. "

Tentu saja, tidak semua kolam tanpa klorin akan memiliki pertumbuhan ganggang yang cukup untuk diperhatikan. CDC menyarankanmenggunakan strip pengujian, yang harus Anda miliki untuk kolam renang di rumah. Intinya adalah, jika Anda tidak yakin kolam diklorinasi dengan benar, tidak ada gunanya mengambil risiko.

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