Don’t let infections spoil your sea and pool fun.

Claiming that the most and widely used disinfectant for hygiene in swimming pools is chlorine, Assoc. Dr Nafiz Koçak said: “There should be free chlorine in the range of 1-2 ppm in the pool water and the water circulation should be adequate. One of the main reasons for pool infections to occur is insufficient pool agitation and/or excessive use of chlorine for disinfection. Urinary tract infections, called ‘cystitis’, are seen in women because the urinary tract is short and the infectious agents reach the bladder quickly. said.

Stating that the cause must be established first in the treatment, Assoc. Dr. Koçak said that the main point is to start the treatment in the early period and continued as follows: “If the treatment of this type of infection is delayed, it can cause more serious infections. In addition to genital infections, respiratory symptoms such as nasal irritation, itching and dry skin, redness of the eyes and coughing and shortness of breath can occur in those who stay in the pool for a long time; Asthma attacks of asthma patients can be triggered.”

associate. Nafiz Koçak said: “Salmonella, shigella and E.coli bacteria can be counted among the bacterial agents. In addition, unicellular agents such as cyriptosporidium, amoeba and giardia, and intestinal market worms such as pinworms can be counted.

Assoc. Dr Koçak said: “As a result of prolonged contact, the barrier system in the skin of the outer ear canal is disrupted. Due to the deterioration or removal of the ‘cerumen’ secretion (clot), the natural defense system that protects the ear canal against infection and prevents irritation of the ear, non-infectious microorganisms naturally occurring in the flora of the external ear canal skin or being in the water and settling in the external ear multiplies here; then it penetrates the skin and causes an infection in this area. The disease, which manifests with ear pain, swelling in the external auditory canal, ear discharge and hearing loss, is more common, especially in children. To prevent ear infections after the pool, the ears should be dried after leaving the pool. Earplugs can be used in the pool. However, it is not correct to insert any object into the ear to clean the water that has escaped into the ear.

What precautions can be taken against swimming pool infections?

associate. Dr. Nafiz Koçak provided the following information about the precautions that can be taken against possible pool infections:
“You should definitely take a shower before entering the pool. After leaving the pool, you must shower again to purify the body of chlorinated water. After the pool, wet areas of the body, especially the vagina, should be thoroughly dried and swimsuits or bikinis should be changed. Tight clothing should be avoided and cotton clothing is preferred. Children and adults with hepatitis or hepatitis disease are not allowed to enter the pool. Do not enter the pool if you have a fever or diarrhea. No eating or smoking by the pool. Do not enter the pool with shoes or slippers worn outdoors. Feet must be disinfected. Be careful not to swallow any water in the pool. Underwater goggles or mask should be used to prevent eye infection. A cap should be worn to protect hair from the damage of chlorine and prevent it from entering the pool.

What can you do with stomach and intestinal infections

Noting that in addition to the infections that can be picked up from the pool, the number of gastrointestinal infections increases especially in the summer months, Koçak said: “Gastrointestinal infections, which are transmitted from pools that have not been properly disinfected, usually start with nausea, vomiting and mild fever, and continue with diarrhea and abdominal pain.At this stage, most diseases can be controlled with symptomatic treatment, symptomatic treatment and diet.Loss of fluid and electrolytes through vomiting and diarrhea in gastrointestinal infections is the main health-threatening condition. Antidiarrheal medicines and antibiotics will not help at this stage and may have side effects.For this reason, dietary practices to provide fluid and electrolyte balance are much more important.Patients whose diarrhea does not improve with diet should definitely apply to the hospital In addition, if the fever exceeds 38.3 degrees, if it lasts more than 2 days, if the stool is bloody and mucous, if the diarrhea lasts more than 5 days, if the amount of urine decreases, dry mouth, collapse of the eyeballs (compression of the fontanel in infants), decreased tension of the skin, change in consciousness A specialist should be consulted as soon as possible in cases such as convulsions, drowsiness and rapid breathing.

Claiming that the rapid spoilage of foods, open buffet meals, ice cream and dairy products are not produced and stored under proper conditions, and the increase in the consumption of ready-to-eat foods are some of the reasons for the increase the incidence of these infections, Koçak said, “it gets better throughout the day,” he said.

“Microbes have a high tolerance for chlorine”

Underlining that stomach and intestinal infections can develop as a result of insufficiently clean pool water, Koçak said: “Some microbes that cause diarrhea can live in the pool water for minutes or days and cause diarrhea for a long time. Ingesting even a small amount of contaminated pool water can cause diarrhoea. Some microbes have a high tolerance to chlorine and can survive for a while in chlorinated water. If the diarrhea is bloody and does not pass within a short time, it is necessary to consult a specialist doctor. Pinworms can rarely be removed from the pool. The chlorine content of the pool may not be high enough to kill pinworm eggs. In the case of diarrhea, in the diet; Foods such as potatoes, rice, whole wheat, rice porridge should be included. Contrary to popular belief, is it not correct to consume vegetables during this period as they contain a lot of fiber. It is important to provide a meal without tomato paste with foods such as lean meats, macaroni, cheese, yogurt and ayran. He concluded his words by saying, “While milk consumption is interrupted, fluid support should be increased.”