So, you have been looking forward to your family gathering at the local swimming pool and already prepared your swimwear. The night before, however, you had an accident and injured yourself while getting ready for bed. Now you have a wound, and you’re wondering if you can still go on that swim you had planned.
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Can You Go In Swim Pool with Open Wound? Generally speaking, it depends on how bad your wound is. If it is an open wound or a wound that requires stitching, you should not be swimming as that could lead to an infection. It is safe to swim, however, if your wound is just a small cut or scrape. Whether public or private, Swimming pools contain a lot of bacteria and harmful substances no matter how much they are cleaned. This can agitate and infect your wounds if they are bad and puts your entire body at risk.
This article will provide you the information that you need to know if your wound is safe for the swimming pool. While it is not recommended, the choice is ultimately yours if you want to proceed with your swimming plans. Keep reading and learn why it is not recommended and how to protect your wound from harm.
Why You Shouldn’t Swim With an Open Wound
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While your wound is open, it is at its most vulnerable and susceptible to diseases and infections. As your injury heals, it begins protecting itself through scabbing and other healing processes. An open wound has no protection from outside elements and is at high risk for contamination. These are the reasons why it is not advised to go swimming while your injury is still healing.
Dangers Living in the Pool
Although they are cleaned both physically and chemically frequently, Pools are high in bacteria and other contaminants. It is reported that parasites resistant to chlorine claim pools as their home. If they were to get into your open wound, they could cause a substantial amount of damage. Chlorine itself is also bad for your wound, and the chemical can agitate it even more.
Bodily Waste in the Pool
You may not know this, but pool water has been found to contain high amounts of bodily waste. Without people even realizing it, swimmers who soak in the pool can leave fecal matter that is undetectable to human senses. It is especially bad if the people swimming are unhygienic as there is an even higher chance of them leaving harmful bacteria. If you are swimming with unruly children, they may even bring dirt or relieve themselves inside the pool! If these bodily wastes get inside of your open wound, there is no telling how sick and infected you could get!
Outside Contaminants in the Pool
When you go to a swimming pool, you have probably noticed how there are showers by the pool or somewhere nearby. They are there because pool-goers are meant to shower first before they hop inside. It is done to remove any outside contaminants they may have brought along with them. However, not everyone follows this or washes themselves properly. Outside contaminants add a whole number of new risks that can complicate your wound’s healing process.
Soaking Your Open Wound
In the first place, soaking your open wound in water for an extensive amount of time is not recommended by health professionals. When you soak your skin in water, the surface gets weakened and damaged more easily. It is the same for the inside of your wound and even worse, depending on how deep it is. Moist, damp, and warm places are hotspots for bacteria and insects to gather. After a session at the pool, your wound becomes moist, damp, and warm. You may not even notice that bacteria is building up inside of your flesh. Even worse, all it takes is one fly to lay eggs in your wound for an outbreak of maggots to occur.
Rules of the Pool
One major reason you shouldn’t swim in a pool while you have an open wound is that it’s not allowed in most cases. Most swimming pools prohibit swimming with an open wound. While there is the risk of your injury getting contaminated, your open wound can pollute the pool as well! If your injury were to begin bleeding or the tissue started breaking off, the entire pool would have to be shut down while they clean it. Blood can contain a number of diseases that are serious and even incurable.
You Never Really Know Who or What Goes in There
Whether it’s public or private, you never really have full knowledge of what has been inside of that pool. In public pools, you don’t know who you are swimming with. They could have come from a highly contaminated place or have a transferrable disease. Even in private pools, you do not watch over it all the time. Birds can fly in and leave highly infectious viruses inside. Overall, your open wound presents too much of a risk for you not to consider these factors. It is best to wait until it is healed.
Can You Go In A Hot Tub with Open Wound
Ok, so pools are out of the question because of how dangerous they are for your open wound. If you can’t go in the pool, can you go inside of a hot tub instead? Well, the answer to that is, unfortunately, that it is also not recommended. Unless you can ensure that the hot tub has been cleaned regularly and the chlorine levels have been frequently checked, you should not be going in a hot tub with an open wound. Hot tubs are not nearly as large as pools are, but they are subjected to the same amount of contaminants. There is a higher chance of infection here. Also, there is a well-known bacterium called the “hot tub virus” that loves to breed here.
Can You Go In Open Water with Open Wound
Before anything else is said, the answer is no. You may be thinking that large open bodies of water will be safer. Maybe you’re thinking that the bigger space makes the contaminants in the water not as congested and a lower risk of infecting your wound. The truth is, open water is not subjected to the same cleaning processes that pools go through. As such, they possess even more dangerous and deadly bacteria and parasites.
In some cases, the bacteria found in open water can cause necrosis and sepsis in your open wound. When this happens, there is little that doctors can do to save that area of the wound, and it will result in amputation. It is best to avoid doing this while your wound is healing, no matter how much fun it may be.
What If You Can’t Avoid It
Again, it is highly not recommended to swim while you have an open wound. However, it is understandable if you can’t avoid the situation and want to be prepared for it. Maybe you can’t get out of your swimming plans, or perhaps you’re going somewhere by the water, and you fear it may get wet. Luckily, there are things you can do to protect your wound from bacteria and prevent any infections.
How to Waterproof a Wound for Swimming
Luckily for you, waterproof plasters and bandages are now available to keep your wound protected from water. These will cover your injury and prevent any water from coming inside. Just remember that while these are effective, water pressure can still force water inside of the bandage, so be careful. You can also cover the bandaged wound in cling wrap for an added layer of protection.
Preparing Your Wound For The Bandage
Before bandaging your open wound with a waterproof plaster, make sure that you disinfect it thoroughly. Wash the wound with soap and water, then let it dry. Afterward, spray it with an antibacterial spray or wipe it down with an antibacterial wipe. Lastly, apply your medicine or ointment onto the open wound and let it dry. Once your wound is dry and disinfected, apply your waterproof bandage and make sure not to leave any holes or bubbles of air.
Stay Healthy
If you’re patient and take care of your wound well, you will be healed in no time. To help the healing process, it is advised that you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Make sure you get the proper amounts of sleep and don’t stress your body out too much. Eat healthily, and it will reflect on your body’s health and ability to heal. Also, do not forget to wash it regularly and keep your wound clean.
Final Words
While swimming with an open wound won’t mean your death, you can not ignore that it puts your wound at risk. There will always be opportunities for you to swim once your wound has finished healing up. Please think of the risks you take by going into that pool before you commit to doing it. Nobody likes having wounds, especially open ones. Take care of your wound, and you will be back to full health in no time.
