Allergies, inflammation, skin diseases… Can we still take our children to the water park when it’s so “dirty”?

In the hot summer, the best way to cool off is to swim and play in the water. Many parents will enroll their children in swimming classes during the summer vacation, or check in at "Internet celebrity" water parks.

However, recently, the topic "suddenly lost interest in water parks" became a hot search on Weibo, and many netizens complained: "It's too dirty" and "I never want to go there again."

Some people complained that the water quality in public water places was poor, the water change frequency was low, and the disinfection work was not in place.

Some people said that there was garbage floating on the water and a strong smell, and they even posted photos directly. Floating objects such as fallen leaves, moss, toy snakes, etc. could be seen everywhere, and even animals such as spiders and frogs could be seen.

Many people also said that they suffered from allergies and inflammation and various diseases after visiting the water park.

Recently, some media reported that the water pollution in a hotel swimming pool in Jiaxing city caused dozens of children to develop dermatitis, some of which were accompanied by eczema, allergic rashes, etc.

Are these summer water-playing “holy places” really so dirty and messy?

I just bought tickets for my child to the water park and signed him up for a summer swimming class. Should he go or not?

What's in the pool?

The water in public swimming pools is often not as clean as we see. According to the National Health Commission, the common problems in water parks and swimming pools are:

1. The pool water emits a pungent odor

2. Urea exceeds the limit

3. The pool water is turbid

4. The residual chlorine content is too high or insufficient

The main sources of pollutants in water fall into two categories:

One is brought in by the human body, including sweat, urine, feces, dandruff, dirt, hair, cosmetics , etc.

According to a survey of 1,436 people conducted by China Youth Daily, the most common uncivilized behaviors include:

Not showering before entering the pool (59.3%);

urinating in the swimming pool (57.1%);

Swimming without a swimming cap (55.6%);

Not soaking feet before entering the pool (55.4%).

In addition, other uncivilized behaviors that respondents encountered in swimming pools include:

spitting in a swimming pool (46.9%);

Scrub in the swimming pool (39.9%);

Entering the pool with infectious diseases (27.8%)…

The second is brought in by water treatment, including trihalomethanes, cyanuric acid, haloacetic acid, and other disinfection by-products or impurities .

In order to prevent the growth of microorganisms and make the water look clearer, swimming pools are usually disinfected with chlorine. When chlorine comes into contact with water, it forms hypochlorous acid, which reacts with organic matter in the swimming pool to form chloramines.

The chemical smell of chloramines, also known as "pool smell," can irritate the eyes, lungs, and skin. So, a strong pool smell is a sign of poor quality water and high levels of impurities.

How much urine does a swimming pool actually contain? In 2017, Professor Xingfang Li's team at the University of Alberta in Canada tested water samples from 87 swimming pools and came to a clear conclusion: the average amount of urine in a swimming pool is about 75 liters, which is about the amount of 140 bottles of mineral water.

It can be seen from this that the health risks in public water places should not be underestimated, and the accompanying health problems deserve our high attention.

The human body's ears, eyes, skin, etc. are susceptible to invasion, leading to infection and a series of related diseases, commonly known as "swimming pool disease."

Going to play in the water = all kinds of diseases?

From the moment they enter the water, children may be playing with bacteria. If they do not take proper hygiene precautions, they are likely to be infected with diseases.

As parents, we need to understand and prevent the following diseases in advance!

Conjunctivitis

The bleach used to disinfect the swimming pool will make the pool water alkaline. The normal conjunctiva is more adapted to the acidic environment, so after contact with alkaline pool water, the conjunctiva will feel sour and astringent. When the acid-base balance of the conjunctiva is destroyed, the disease resistance will decrease, and the bacteria in the pool water will take the opportunity to enter the eyes and cause eye inflammation .

How to deal with it

① When your child wears swimming goggles, if the sealing strip of the goggles is loose or damaged, replace it in time.

② Bring your own towels and other personal items to the water park. Children’s towels, clothes, etc. should not come into contact with shared areas.

③ Educate children to wash their hands frequently, clean their eyes in time, and not rub their eyes with dirty hands.

Skin infections

Skin diseases contracted in water are caused by intolerance to the irritating chemical components of disinfectants in the water, which trigger skin symptoms such as allergies and itching .

On the other hand, contact with certain bacteria in the water may cause skin diseases such as tinea pedis, eczema, folliculitis and scabies .

How to deal with it

① After the child comes out of the water, be sure to give him a good bath and change into clean clothes.

② Wash your child’s swimsuit and towel carefully after returning home.

③ If your child has any skin discomfort after going into the water, go to the hospital immediately.

Otitis media

Some children use their hands or cotton swabs to pick water out of their ears, which can easily cause ear canal injury and bacterial invasion . In addition, once choking on water while swimming, the bacteria in the water will enter the middle ear mucosa along the Eustachian tube, causing inflammation and inducing otitis media .

How to deal with it

① It is recommended to go to the hospital to clean your ears before going to play in the water.

② Let your children use special earplugs when playing in the water.

③ If the child chokes on water, press one of his nostrils to blow the water out.

④ If water accidentally enters the child's ear, you can tilt the head to one side, with the ear hole facing downward, gently pull the auricle, and jump on one leg at the same time to help the water flow out. Then use a cotton swab to absorb the water from the external auditory canal.

Rhinitis, asthma, etc.

If a child accidentally chokes on water, bacteria and allergens may get into his nose, which may in turn induce allergic rhinitis, asthma and other diseases.

How to deal with it

① Children can wear nose clips when swimming, but they should not be too tight to avoid damaging the nasal mucosa.

② After swimming, let your child wash his nose with light salt water and blow his nose gently several times.

Private Part Diseases

First of all, playing in the water will not cause STDs. However, children with weaker immunity or girls before and after their menstrual period are still vulnerable to bacterial invasion in their private parts.

How to deal with it

① After the child comes out of the water, give him a good bath and change into clean clothes.

② It is recommended that girls do not go into the water during menstruation and three days before and after menstruation, and wash with clean water and gynecological wash after going into the water.

How to swim happily and safely?

This summer, how should we choose water parks and swimming pools so that our children can play in the water with peace of mind?

The editor has a tip for parents - when choosing a public swimming pool, you should do **seven looks and one smell**.

Seven Looks

Check the documents. Check whether the public swimming pool has obtained and publicly displays a valid health license.

Check whether the water quality test reports and self-test results of public swimming pools are complete. The water temperature of indoor swimming pools should be between 23℃ and 30℃, the free residual chlorine concentration of swimming pool water should be maintained at 0.3 to 1.0 mg/L, and the pH (hydrogen ion concentration index) should be 7.0 to 7.8.

Check whether there is a health check-up post at the public swimming pool. There should be a clear sign at the entrance of the swimming pool that reads "No entry for patients with hepatitis, severe trachoma, acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, otitis media, intestinal infectious diseases, mental illness, sexually transmitted diseases, and alcoholics."

Check the facilities of public swimming pools. Check whether the changing rooms, shower rooms, toilets, enclosed trash cans and mechanical ventilation facilities meet the hygiene requirements, whether there are mandatory showers and foot-soaking disinfection pools with high residual chlorine (you can smell the chlorine).

Look at the number of people in public swimming pools. Swimming pools should generally ensure that each person has more than 2.5 square meters of water surface. Too many people in the pool will affect the water quality.

Check whether the water quality of the public swimming pool is clear, whether there are any floating objects in the water, and whether there is any sediment at the bottom of the pool.

Look at the lifeguards in public swimming pools. Swimming pools with a water surface area of ​​250 square meters or less should be equipped with at least three swimming lifeguards; swimming pools with a water surface area of ​​more than 250 square meters should be equipped with one swimming lifeguard for every additional 250 square meters of area.

Smell

Smell the water in a public swimming pool. If the water has a strong, choking smell, it may be due to excessive amounts of chlorine disinfectants, which can cause skin allergies and irritate the respiratory tract.

Finally, parents should be reminded

When taking children to play in the water

You must keep your eyes fixed throughout the whole process

Watching the children

Don't chat or play with your phone

Don't let your children out of your sight!

Source: "Capital Education (ID: bjedunews)"

Some of the materials in this article are compiled from Life Times, Science Popularization China, Xiaoxiang Morning News, Ocean Network, Beijing Youth Daily, Scientific Family Parenting, etc.