Symptoms of Pool Parasites and How to Avoid Getting Infected

Millions of people enjoy a visit to the swimming pool as the ideal idea of healthy recreation. Particularly in the summer, you find that kids flock to the swimming pool to pass their time and cool off the heat. Little do they realize that a routine visit to the pool is risky business.
You see, swimming pools, lakes, hot tubs and spas are likely to be infested with the water borne parasite of the genus Cryptosporidium, which causes the disease cryptosporidiosis commonly referred to as just "crypto".

Human parasites

The parasites reside in a person's intestines and are communicated in feces. Because they are so resilient, they survive well outside the host, and so, when an infected person's feces are deposited in the water, the parasites just waits for the next unsuspecting host. They are not totally eliminated by chlorine and other water disinfectants. Anyone who ingests the contaminated water is at risk of getting infected.

How Do You Know that You have Swimming Pool Parasites?

If you are a victim of loose and frequent bowel movements, upset stomach and vomiting, stomach cramps and fever, you may want to look into the possibility of a parasite infection as the cause. It is not easy to diagnose because these symptoms are so common as to be almost universal signs of ill health.

In general, any symptoms last between seven and ten days, and start two to ten days after the time of infection. The symptoms are not immediately apparent fro the actual point of infection. In fact, many people have been known to be infected, yet exhibit no symptoms at all. You can appreciate how risky it is, then, to get pool parasites, since people do not even know that they are contaminating the water. If you have a good immune system, you are likely to get over the illness quickly.

However, if not, particularly for sufferers of immuno-deficiency related diseases like HIV, or persons whose immunity is compromised by chemotherapy, then the recuperation period would be longer
Infection with cryptosporidiosis is confirmed by testing the fecal samples.

How To Avoid Spreading and Contracting Pool Parasites

It is not difficult to reduce the risk of spreading and contracting pool parasites by basic hygiene:
1. Always have a proper bath before you swim. By this, we mean not just rinsing, but use soap to rid the body of the most bacteria possible
2. If you know that you or your babies and children have diarrhea, do not swim.
3. Do not ingest pool, hot tub or lake water.
4. For those with babies, change diapers in designated areas in the bathrooms, not at the poolside. This reduces the risk of getting fecal matter on surfaces near the swimming pool.
5. Make younger kids use the bathroom, to make sure that they do not unwittingly contaminate the water.