Neurological Respiratory Skin Wound Infections Gastrointestinal Ear Neurological Respiratory Skin Wound Infections Gastrointestinal Ear Recreational Water Illness Can Cause a Wide Variety of Symptoms Eye

Swimmer’s Ear

Where Are RWIs Found?

Swimming Pools Oceans, Lakes, and Rivers Decorative Water Fountains Hot Tubs Spray Features Water Parks

Spray Parks

Swimming Pools

Hot Tubs

Lakes, Rivers, and Oceans

Who Is Most Likely to Get Ill From RWI?

Children

Pregnant Women

People With Compromised Immune Systems

How Are RWIs Spread?

You wouldn’t drink the water you bathe in… Water Quality Why would you drink the water you swim in?

Culprit

All right, Who Peed in the Pool?!

Contributors

Waste

Fishing for Brown Trout

Releases

The Unexpected

Why Doesn't Chlorine Kill RWI Germs? ChlorineChlorine kills most germs that cause RWIs in < an hour CryptoCrypto ( short for cryptosporidium ) survives for days in a properly disinfected pool

Chlorine vs. Pasteurization

How Can We Prevent RWIs

For Swimmers: Take a shower before swimming. Don’t swim when you have diarrhea.

For Parents:  Take kids on bathroom breaks.  Change diapers in bathroom, not poolside.  Wash baby bottoms thoroughly.

 “Buddy up!”  Get skilled.  Know your limits.  Swim in safe areas only. Swimming Smarts  Watch the sun.  Getting too cool.  Alcohol and water never mix.

Swim Safety Tip "Buddy up!" Always swim with a partner.

“Buddy Up!”  Experienced swimmers can become tired or get muscle cramps, which might make it difficult to get out of the water.  When people swim together, they can help each other or go for help in case of an emergency.

Get Skilled Learn life-saving techniques, such as CPR and rescue techniques.

Get Skilled Take a Class Save a Life

Wear Proper Gear

Know Your Limits Don’t go in water that's so deep you can't touch the bottom. Don't try to keep up with skilled swimmers.

Unsafe for Swimming

Swim in Safe Areas Only

Be Careful Diving

Cannon Ball

Watch the Sun

Getting Too Cool

Icy Cold

Alcohol and Water Never Mix Alcohol is involved in numerous water- related injuries and up to half of all water-related deaths.Alcohol

Alcohol and Water Never Mix The statistics for teenage guys are particularly scary: One-half of all adolescent male drownings are tied to alcohol use.

To Hot to Handle Long exposure may result in nausea, dizziness or fainting.

Ahhh!

Recreational Water Illness’s in summary: RWI’s are preventable. We can protect ourselves & the environment, if we become more aware of our surroundings. There will always be a minimal amount of contamination that will coincide in nature. We need to protect ourselves from ourselves.

Enjoy Recreating

This Children's Environmental Health presentation was made possible through a grant from The Dow Chemical Company Foundation

Credits Charles Lichon, R.S., M.P.H., Creator of Children’s EH Program, Midland County Health Department (CHD) Michigan Nancy Atwood, M.S., Midland CHD (MI) Sanitarian Christine Rogers, Meth Response Coordinator, Kalamazoo CHD, MI Robert Wolfe, R.S., Midland CHD (MI) Sanitarian John Demerjian and Linda Van Orden, Wayne CHD, MI, Body Art National Environmental Health Association (NEHA.org) for website storage and oversight. NOTE: Permission to use this and all Children’s EH Power Point presentations is granted thru NEHA, however, all grant and credit notices and informational slides must be used during each presentation.

Other presentations include:  Body Art  Careers in Environmental Health  Food Safe Issues  Household Hazardous Waste  Meth and Teens  Recreational Water  Sun Wise Contact NEHA.org for more information