Floated - we know: 13 myths about bathing, in which it is time to stop believing
swimming pools and ponds are a great place for rest and training,it does not matter whether you are moving away from heat or strengthening your back muscles. But the more often you find yourself in the water, the more obsessive the idea that something can go wrong. It happens and vice versa: in the aquatic environment so comfortable that you do not want to notice the danger. We collected popular myths about swimming and Dispelling them together with the experts: the chief doctor of "Lab Hemotest" Olga Dehtyarovoy, expert of the Center for Molecular Diagnostics (CMD) Central Research Institute of Epidemiology Timur Pestereva, clinic therapist "Medicine", the highest category doctor Iraida Belyaeva, an obstetrician-gynecologist Beauty Clinic Boris Nemanov and champion in open water swimming, the founder of the SwimRocket swimming school Nikita Kislov.
Despite the fact that salty sea water has a high density and it is easier to stay afloat, the sea is a natural reservoir, and learning to swim in it is often complicated by waves, undercurrents, marine life that can bite, sting or scare. Therefore, the pool - the best place to solve this problem. According to Nikita Kislov, a record holder in open-water swimming, there is no equal sign between swimming in a pool with sea water and in the sea: the concentration of salt in the sea is hundreds of times higher. But the difference between swimming in pools with sea and fresh water will not be noticeable.
Splashes in the respiratory tract, loss of consciousness or heart problems can lead to sad consequences, even where water is knee-deep. It is known about cases when children drowned at a depth of five centimeters - that is why, bathing a child in the bath, you can not be distracted for a second, and it is better to ignore the ringing phone.
Nikita Kislov notes that for those who are just learning to swim, it is important to first overcome the fear of water. To do this, you need to create around yourself the most secure conditions that will not distract from training. It is best to start practicing in a shallow water pool (if necessary, hold on to a side or a ladder) under the guidance of a trainer. A professional will talk about the safety rules in the water, explain how to keep his body afloat, and adjust the technique of movement.
In American comedies, you can see the scene: the hero is swimming in the pool - and suddenly a bright spot appears around him. After that, it is supposed to laugh or twist the face, because almost every American knows that water begins to get colored when a special reagent interacts with urine.
This method of water purification was used at one time in public pools in America and Europe, but was quickly canceled due to the high cost of living and the infringement of human dignity. However, sometimes in our country near the pool you can find a sign informing about the presence of the coloring matter in the water. The purpose of such a warning is to scare swimmers so that they do not have the thought of peeing in the water while swimming. In most modern pools, water is purified with ozone, but always with the addition of chlorine, because the latter is the best means of disinfecting water.
If there is no allergy to chlorine-containing disinfectants (skin redness and itching), swimming in the pool will only bring benefits. In addition, if ozone water treatment is used in the pool, the chlorine concentration will be reduced. Chlorinated water can really dry out the skin - especially dry or sensitive. This effect is caused by other factors: washing with soap and dry air due to the air conditioner or heater. Therefore, special care for problem skin is necessary in any case. If the skin is normal, after swimming in the pool, it is enough to take a shower and apply a moisturizer or lotion.
According to the doctor Olga Dekhtyareva, the concentration of sexually transmitted infections (HIV, syphilis, gonorrhea, chlamydia and others) is so small in the pool and in water bodies that the risk of infection during bathing is close to zero: when released into the external environment, microorganisms die quickly , and bleach kills them even faster. In this case, the probability of catching the human papillomavirus (HPV), for example, using someone else's towel exists.
It is also impossible to get pregnant in the pool: spermatozoa in the external environment quickly die, unless special conditions are created (as in sperm banks); moreover, even with theoretical penetration from the pool into the vagina, they are not able to reach the fallopian tubes, where conception occurs.
Unlike viral and bacterial infections, infection with a fungus in the pool is not uncommon. It only happens not in the water itself, but in the space surrounding the pool, even if all sanitary standards are observed there. Warm and moist alkaline environment promotes the reproduction of fungi, which often live on the sides of the pool and handrails, in showers, on rubber slippers, towels and bath robes. The risk of infection is especially high if the skin has microtrauma or reduced immunity, as well as in people with diabetes or thrombophlebitis and in adulthood.
To protect against fungal infections (mycoses), Olga Dekhtyaryova advises not to go barefoot outside the swimming area and not to sit on the side, after visiting the pool take a shower with soap or gel, use only your own towel and your slippers, treating them with chlorhexidine solution, and dry your feet and the space between your toes after a shower. It does not hurt to also apply antifungal cream or varnish for prevention.
Clean fresh water helps not only to clear the skin of bacteria, fungi and eliminate the smell of bleach, but also to wash away the sea salt. This avoids skin irritation and does not burn in the sun; ideally, after each swim in the sea, you need to wash the salt under the shower, wipe the body dry with a towel and re-apply sunscreen.
Do not ignore the sign "Swimming is prohibited" next to the pond, even if there are a lot of tourists around. It means that the water from this reservoir, as well as such characteristics as current, relief and bottom, have been checked - and swimming here is not safe. Olga Dekhtyareva points out that in the summer ponds, quarries and lakes can become breeding grounds for pathogens of intestinal, eye and ear infections, as well as parasites and hepatitis A. Plants, factories, farms, sewage near the reservoir - "stop signal" for bathing . Water pollution with mineral fertilizers and their decay products can trigger allergies, and poison in the body can cause skin problems and diseases of internal organs.
“Blooming” water with an unpleasant odor is another reason to abandon the idea of entering the water: such a body of water is oversaturated with organic garbage and biogenic substances. According to Timur Pesterev, an expert at the Central Research Institute of Epidemiology at Rospotrebnadzor, in hot weather, fresh water bodies become the ideal breeding ground for many bacteria, and in standing water where ducks live, it is easy to catch the so-called broomstick itch. In fact, it is severe dermatitis caused by the larvae of parasites living in the circulatory system of waterfowl: falling on human skin, they provoke severe itching, rash, fever.
In order to protect oneself from possible health problems, one should bathe only in water bodies checked by the CPS (if it concerns Russia) and try not to swallow the water. If you plan to travel to hot countries, it is worthwhile to collect information in advance about infections that you may encounter there. The best method of preventing some of them is vaccination. In addition, in the southern countries, infections are often encountered that are not familiar to residents of the middle zone, which means that one should not count heavily on strong immunity.
According to the therapist Iraida Belyaeva, it is difficult for a person with healthy immunity to catch a cold after bathing - in any case, the common cold is associated with a viral infection, and not being in cool water. A mild runny nose or cough without fever is not a contraindication to going to the pool; so that the condition does not worsen, it is enough to change clothes into dry clothes in a timely manner and dry the wet head. By itself, swimming in the sea, by the way, does not cure a cold - but washing the nasal passages with seawater can alleviate the condition. As for meningitis, even severe hypothermia is not the cause of this disease — it is caused by a viral or bacterial infection.
If it's hot outside, the water temperature in the reservoir plays an important role. If bathing is already a load for the whole body, then bathing in cold water is an additional stress for the cardiovascular system. With a sharp immersion in ice water, especially if a person is warmed up lying on the beach, there may be a feeling of lack of air, rapid heartbeat; It happens that exacerbated chronic heart disease. When bathing in cold water, cramps can develop - and this is simply life threatening.
With regard to the possible benefits for the immune system - swimming in cold water really contributes to the production of T-lymphocytes, immune cells. But it only works for those who have been tempered for a long time and correctly. Otherwise, the opposite effect occurs: a sharp temperature drop (diving into cold water) becomes a great stress for an unprepared organism.
According to Boris Nemanov, an obstetrician-gynecologist, the risk of getting inflammation of the reproductive organs (salpingitis, vaginitis, inflammation of the ovaries) or kidneys occurs only if an infection has been registered in advance. The reason may be the flora of the reservoir with stagnant fresh water, which becomes active if the body's defenses are weakened. It turns out that everything depends on several factors at once: temperature and purity of water, the presence of infections in the body and the state of immunity. Those who have chronic diseases of the kidneys or ovaries, after getting out of the water, it is better to take off the wet swimsuit and wear dry clothes.
Despite the fact that sex coaches advise to “freshen up” the relationship with a partner in this way, from a medical point of view it is not safe. According to Boris Nemanov, during sexual contact in the water in the vagina can get harmful microorganisms or chemicals (such as chlorine, if you have sex in the pool), which is fraught with gynecological diseases (vaginitis, bacterial vaginosis), and the process often causes discomfort, especially for women: the natural lubrication of the vagina is quickly washed out. In addition, it is impossible to use a condom in the water normally.
Sea urchins are not only afraid of divers, but also swimming - it is easy to step on an animal with a foot. However, most often their needles do not contain a strong poison, although the injection itself causes pain. As a result, the leg swells and inflammation begins. Of course, this is not very pleasant, and recovery can be delayed for weeks, but there is an advantage - such an injury does not threaten life, unlike damage that other inhabitants of the seas and oceans can cause: jellyfish and clams.
Although most of them are practically harmless, poisonous species are found. For example, touching a Cuban jellyfish or a "Portuguese ship" jellyfish causes severe burns, allergies, pulmonary edema, and heart failure. Timur Pesterev also notes that the poisons of jellyfish, sea snakes and stingrays can be deadly for people. Among the mollusks, the most dangerous ones are with a beautiful cone-shaped shell, which causes a desire to take it in hand. Such cones have a poisonous thorn - "dart", which can shoot at a distance of more than a meter. The injection causes numbness, nausea and paralysis of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems for half an hour.
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