Chances are you’ll be spending some time in a public pool somewhere this summer, especially if you have kids. Although after hearing this info from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), it may an appeal as much to you. For example, it’s the urine and sweat that’s making your kids’ eyes bloodshot and that more of us are getting sick after swimming in public pools because of the feces. Gross!
“Chlorine binds with all the things it’s trying to kill from your bodies, and it forms these chemical irritants,” explained Dr. Michael J. Beach, associate director of the CDC’s Healthy Water program. “That’s what’s stinging your eyes. It’s the chlorine binding to the urine and the sweat.”
He also said there are more disease outbreaks at public pools because of kids and adults swimming while they have diarrhea. “We have a new parasitic germ that has emerged that’s immune to chlorine.”
Bottom line: Don’t swim when you’re sick, never, ever pee in the pool and don’t go in pools when you have open wounds. Other than that, let’s just pretend that chlorine is magic and have a great summer!
