A soak in a hot tub might relax your body after a long tiring day. The warm bubbly water also helps your body heal aches and pains from conditions such as fibromyalgia, lower back pain, and arthritis. However, there are some reasons that you should avoid using hot tubs, especially when you have health conditions like heart disease or if you are pregnant. Using a safe and clean hot tub will allow you to enjoy your soaking session to the fullest. Here are some health and safety tips which you should maintain before and after using your hot tub.
Health Concerns of Using A Hot Tub
A dirty hot tub gives the chance for bacteria to grow. Using an unclean hot tub can make you become sick with a disease or infection. This includes Legionnaire’s disease, which is caused by legionella bacteria and can be very dangerous.
Pseudomonas bacteria can also cause various skin rashes and infections such as ear and eye infections. Other diseases spread by vomit or feces can be spread through hot tub usage. All these diseases can be prevented by maintaining the cleanliness and disinfectant level of the hot tub water.
How to Make Water Safe to Use?
If you even doubt for a single time that the water quality is not good, then you should not enter the hot tub. However, to make your hot tub session more enjoyable and safer, you will have to consider some precautions.
- Disinfection and Cleanliness: Maintaining the water quality of your hot tub is your responsibility. You should always check whether the hot tub is cleaned properly. It’s highly crucial for maintaining the cleanliness and proper disinfectant level. Bromine and chlorine can be used as disinfectants for maintaining safe water. The hotter the tub is used, the faster your disinfectant will be used up.
- Water Temperature: The water temperature in a hot tub should not be more than 40 degrees Celsius, and if anyone pregnant is using it, it shouldn’t be more than 38 degrees Celsius. If you sit in hot water for an extended period, it might cause serious heart problems, fainting, dizziness, or nausea. You should avoid soaking in a hot tub for longer than ten minutes. Make sure that you track the time you are using it for.
Safety Tips for Users
- Pregnant Women: A long soaking session and excessive heat must be avoided in the time of pregnancy. As a woman, there is a higher risk of hyperthermia. In addition, soaking in hot water can be dangerous for the developing baby, especially in the early days when the body parts are developing.
- Don’t Overcrowd: Every hot tub has been designed for a specific number of people at a single time. So you should be aware of that maximum capacity and stick to it.
- Keep Your Children Under Supervision: You should always keep your children under control. Most hot tub accidents involve children when they are not being supervised. If you get distracted for a moment, they could start mischief, and something dangerous can happen. So keep your eye on them for their safety.
- Drugs and Alcohol: Consuming drugs and alcohol is a risk in itself. A lot of hot tub accidents caused by adults are due to consuming drugs or alcohol. Drinking alcoholic beverages could cause drowsiness. It can also make the lower body senseless to resist the overheating effects.
- Do Not Run Around the Edges: Hot tubs are a very slippery place, so you should not allow your children to run around the edges. It can cause accidents.
The Last Line
Hot tubs are more enjoyable when they are clean and safe to use. You should always maintain the safety and cleanliness of the water to avoid severe diseases from spreading. While enjoying any hot tub session, you should always keep these safety tips in mind to prevent unwanted accidents.
