How can I avoid getting sick from bacteria while swimming?

To keep from getting sick from bacteria while swimming, don't drink the water, says emergency medicine specialist Leigh Vinocur, MD. Learn more about staying healthy around water.

Transcript

00:00

[MUSIC PLAYING] So obviously, if you're ill, you shouldn't go to the ocean and swim. And you shouldn't go to a pool if you're sick with some kind of stomach virus or flu or diarrhea

00:08

illness.

00:16

You really shouldn't-- you try not to swallow too much pool water or sea water. Don't eat really close to the pool

00:23

because even though there's chlorine in the pool, you never know if the chlorine load is high enough for any other problems that might be going on.

00:30

People that might be sick with diarrhea illnesses that are swimming. And the ocean, depending on where it's near,

00:36

if it's near a sewage plant or an industrial area, it's possible it could have bacteria. And you shouldn't swim with an open wound, either.

00:44

So obviously, if you're ill, you shouldn't go to the ocean and swim. And you shouldn't go to a pool if you're sick with some kind of stomach virus or flu or diarrhea

00:53

illness. If you have an open wound, you should consider maybe not swimming or making sure that it

00:59

has a clean, sterile dressing that's completely waterproof. If you're immune compromised at all

01:06

and you might have some open wounds, you should really reconsider swimming or going to the ocean. Another thing to keep in mind when you're at the beach

01:13

is if you're going to eat at the beach, try not to get a lot of sand in your food. Be careful. Wash your hands a lot if you're playing in the sand.

01:21

And likewise, once you go home from the beach because there is bacteria in the sand, you need to take a good shower with soap and water.