“In addition to chlorine, which is found in most pools, swallowing some pool water or getting it up your nose could expose you to E. coli, norovirus and parasites like Giardia, Cryptosporidium and Shigella,” explained Geisinger primary care physician Dr.
“Swallowing a small amount of pool water is usually fairly harmless, but it's important to avoid it as much as possible due to parasites that might be lurking in the water,” explains Dr Daniel Cichi, from Doctor4U. Pool water is treated with chlorine to keep germs and bacteria at bay, making it safe to swim in.
Burns in the airway or gastrointestinal tract can lead to tissue death. This may result in infection, shock, and death, even several months after the substance was swallowed. Scar tissue in the affected areas can lead to long-term problems with breathing, swallowing, and digestion.
You can get sick with diarrhea if you swallow contaminated water in pools, hot tubs, splash pads, oceans, lakes, or rivers. In fact, diarrhea is the most common illness reported for outbreaks linked to water in these places.
Some kids may even take a drink from a pool, despite warnings from their parents. Although swallowing a small amount of pool water is harmless, it's important for parents to realize that ingesting too much can lead to chlorine poisoning or so-called recreational water illness.
Children who swallow or inhale small amounts of water and cough it out usually don't need medical attention. To be safe, monitor your child for 4-6 hours after an incident for signs of breathing difficulty. If your child is struggling to breathe or breathing faster, you need to bring him in,” Fernandez said.
This chlorine concentration can be a problem. “If an indoor pool isn't regulated well, swimmers can begin to see symptoms of tracheobronchitis, such as coughing or maybe some wheezing,” she says. “There might be some burning in your throat.”
Is chlorinated water safe to drink? Yes. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) limits the amount of chlorine in drinking water to levels that are safe for human consumption. The levels of chlorine used for drinking water disinfection are unlikely to cause long-term health effects.
Pools and lakes are full of germs that can make you sick. Some of the common issues you can get from swimming in a lake or pool are diarrhea, skin rashes, respiratory illness and swimmers ear. People typically contract one of these illnesses when they accidentally ingest contaminated water.
Don't worry too much. There is not usually much risk associated with swallowing pool water. It usually just means that a small amount of chlorine and other contaminants were ingested.
While food or drink could become contaminated with chlorine, it is unlikely to be eaten or drunk because chlorine has a very bad odor and taste. Because chlorine gas is heavier than air, it will sink to low-lying areas and increase the risk of exposure there.
Concentrations of about 400 ppm and beyond are generally fatal over 30 minutes, and at 1,000 ppm and above, fatality ensues within only a few minutes. A spectrum of clinical findings may be present in those exposed to high levels of chlorine.
When swimming, your body is placed into a horizontal position and swallowing too much air (big gulps), not fully exhaling underwater prior to taking the next breath, and mouth-only breathing (not using the nose). Rapid/short breathing patterns may trap gas in the stomach, increasing the risk of post-swim stomachaches.
Drinking high levels of chlorine can cause nausea, vomiting, and throat and stomach irritation. Vomit may contain a chlorine smell. It's important to note that this occurs with levels of chlorine that far exceed public drinking water levels or even swimming pool levels.
What are safe levels of chlorine in drinking water? Chlorine levels up to 4 milligrams per liter (mg/L or 4 parts per million (ppm)) are considered safe in drinking water . At this level, harmful health effects are unlikely to occur.
What happens to chlorine in the body? When chlorine enters the body as a result of breathing, swallowing, or skin contact, it reacts with water to produce acids. The acids are corrosive and damage cells in the body on contact.
Bacteria. Campylobacter: Caused by ingesting contaminated recreational water. Symptoms include diarrhea,cramps, abdominal pain fever, nausea, vomiting.
Swimmers cough because of swimming pool disinfection byproducts (DBPs) that go airborne. These airborne DBPs are commonly referred to generally as chloramines, but include other things like trihalomethane and cyanogen chloride.
This causes the heart to slow as the swimmer's blood oxygen level drops. Inhaling pool water can also cause chemical pneumonitis, or inflammation of the lungs due to harmful chemicals.
The child's lungs are unable to carry oxygen to the rest of their body, making it difficult or impossible to breathe. This typically happens within 24 hours or so of being in the water. Unfortunately, both types of delayed drowning can lead to death.
Secondary drowning is relatively rare. Most people will get into a bit of trouble in the pool or get knocked over by a wave and jump right back up. “The problem is, if secondary drowning goes unrecognized, it can be deadly. That's why it's so important to be vigilant,” she said.
Causes of pneumonia
Irritants may include chemicals (like spray from household cleaners), liquids (like swimming pool water or formula and other beverages), objects (like a small peanut or other food), or allergic triggers (like dust).
Exposure to low concentrations of chlorine (1 to 10 ppm) may cause eye and nasal irritation, sore throat, and coughing. Inhalation of higher concentrations of chlorine gas (>15 ppm) can rapidly lead to respiratory distress with airway constriction and accumulation of fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema).
Most people with mild-to-moderate exposure recover fully in 3-5 days, although some develop chronic problems such as reactive airway disease. Smoking and pre-existing lung conditions like asthma increase the risk of long-term complications.