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. Kids can also inhale water into their lungs which can lead to a serious condition called secondary drowning.
What should I do if my baby swallows water? Most babies swallow some water when they're having a bath or going for a swim. They're generally fine, as long as the water goes into their stomach and not their lungs. It's important for parents to limit the amount of water they swallow.
Germs in swimming pools can cause illnesses like infections of the ear, eye, skin and chest, as well as gastroenteritis. Also, strong chemicals in pool water can sometimes cause eye and skin irritations.
Chlorine poisoning is a medical emergency. If a person swallows or inhales a chlorine-based product and shows symptoms of poisoning, contact the emergency services or go to the hospital immediately. In the United States, a person can also contact the National Poison Control helpline on 1-800-222-1222 for advice.
Respiratory Problems: Chlorine exposure can tighten airways and cause breathing difficulties. It is also related to an increased risk of developing asthma and lower respiratory tract infections in infants. Skin Problems: Bathing babies and young child in tap water can cause skin irritation.
Most harmful chlorine exposures are the result of inhalation. Health effects typically begin within seconds to minutes. Following chlorine exposure, the most common symptoms are: Airway irritation.
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.
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.
Pool chlorine does more harm than good to our children by causing skin irritation, an increased risk of bronchiolitis, and a heightened chance of having allergic sensitization and asthma throughout their lives. Take preventative action with a non toxic, chlorine alternative pool treatment system.
Acute exposure at high levels causes dyspnea, violent cough, nausea, vomiting, lightheadedness, headache, chest pain, abdominal discomfort, and corneal burns, in addition to the same symptoms of low-level acute exposure. Chronic exposure to chlorine gas can lead to chest pain, cough, sore throat, and hemoptysis.
For example, both a drowning event and swallowing pool water can make a kid vomit. Vomiting alone does not mean a drowning occurred. Kids can cough and get runny noses the days after leaving the pool. This does not mean a drowning occurred.
Recent studies suggest that swimming in chlorinated pools during infancy may increase the risks of lower respiratory tract infection.
You can get swimming-related illnesses if you swallow, have contact with, or breathe in mists or aerosols from water contaminated with germs. You can also get them by having contact with chemicals that are in the water or that evaporate from the water and turn into gas in the air.
Swallowing pool water can cause you to get sick, and the symptoms of infection will usually appear within a few hours or up to 72 hours after swimming. If you experience these symptoms, it's important to call your doctor immediately.
After acute exposure, pulmonary function usually returns toward baseline within 7 to 14 days. Although complete recovery generally occurs, symptoms and prolonged pulmonary impairment may persist. Exposure to chlorine can lead to reactive airways dysfunction syndrome (RADS), a chemical irritant-induced type of asthma.
Stomachaches, vomiting, and diarrhea can all be effects of ingesting chlorine, and it can also cause dry, itchy skin. Severe chlorine poisoning can be far worse – a significant dose of liquid chlorine can be extremely toxic and even fatal to humans.
Toxicity to chlorine gas depends on the dose and duration of exposure. At concentrations of 1 to 3 ppm, chlorine gas acts as an eye and oral mucous membrane irritant; at 15 ppm, there is an onset of pulmonary symptoms, and it can be fatal at 430 ppm within 30 minutes.
Chlorine reacts with water in and out of the body to form hydrochloric acid and hypochlorous acid. Both are extremely poisonous.
You can get sick with diarrhea if you swallow contaminated recreational water—water in pools, hot tubs, water playgrounds, or oceans, lakes, and rivers. In fact, diarrhea is the most common illness reported for outbreaks linked to recreational water.
Therefore, swimmers – and especially parents of children who enjoy swimming – should be aware of the warning signs of chlorine poisoning. Symptoms may include digestive distress similar to a stomach bug, vomiting, difficulty breathing, and prolonged coughing.
For example, it is possible for a child to inhale water and develop an infection, such as pneumonia, which can become very serious and cause breathing problems. If a child has breathing problems at any time, the parent should take him or her to the emergency department.
People often vomit in pools from accidentally swallowing pool water while swimming. If a person swallows pool water and throws it up, it is unlikely to spread illness. However, if they throw up more than just pool water—like previously eaten food—into the pool, aquatic staff should act immediately to clean it up.
It can happen up to 48 hours after a water accident or near-drowning occurs. (Secondary drowning symptoms) may include lethargy, coughing, vomiting, fever, diarrhea, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. (Secondary drowning symptoms in babies) include irritability and mood changes.