Hot Tub Health Issues - Hot Tub Health Risk

If your intentions are to use your hot tub or Jacuzzi for therapeutic purposes, it is advisable to consult with your doctor first in case there are any health concerns.

Hot Tub when Pregnant

If you are pregnant, you may find that your doctor advises against using a bath that is too warm during pregnancy. The reason for this is that when the temperature of the mother's body core becomes too elevated, it is quite possible that the unborn child will be injured or maybe worse. There is also an additional danger of waterborne pathogens. It is therefore good advice that pregnant women forgo the pleasures of the hot tub until they have fully healed following childbirth.

Heart Disease and Hot Tubs

If you suffer from any diagnosed heart disease, you may have been prescribed anticoagulant drugs. These are used to thin the blood but they can also make you susceptible to temperature extremes. The heat of the hot tub can combine with the medications causing you to become dizzy, nauseated or even faint. Your doctor may agree for you to taking a brief immersion but you should only go into the hot tub for the duration and temperature prescribed. If you feel any undesirable effects, you should Immediately leave the hot tub, slowly and carefully. Take a cool, but not too cold shower and drink additional water.

Blood Pressure and Hot Tubs

If you have diagnosed high blood pressure, the relaxing effects of a hot tub may work wonders for you, reducing stress and improving the condition. However, if you have also been prescribed blood pressure medications, these may cause an undesirable reaction. As always, check with your doctor first.

Alcohol, Drugs and Hot Tubs

Drinking alcohol while in the hot tub presents the same dangers akin to drinking while driving. Alcohol thins the blood and also dehydrates and when combined with the heat of the water, you may become dizzy or faint. It can also make you drowsy enough to fall asleep, slide under the water, which could result in drowning. Many over the counter medications such as those for coughs, colds or sinus can cause drowsiness and should also be avoided. The same effects can occur with the use of illegal substances. However, if you are doing that, you probably do not care anyway. It is advisable not to go in the hot tub if you are currently using any of these.

Time in Hot Tubs

As a rule of thumb, twenty minutes is generally the maximum time that should be spent in a hot tub in one sitting. Hot tubs are not designed for prolonged usage as it quite easy for your body to become overheated and/or dehydrated. So, if you are sitting in your hot tub, talking to friends or family, you should also keep an eye on the time and don't get carried away in the steaming water.

Water borne Infections and Hot Tubs

A combination of inadequately sanitized water coupled with the water temperature can provide the ideal breeding ground for bacteria. This in turn can lead to several serious water borne infections and diseases.

• Hot Tub Folliculitis or Pseudomonas Folliculitis - The symptoms of this infection include redness and pus-filled blisters which will require medical treatment.
• Legionnaires' Disease - This a very serious condition that can also prove to be potentially fatal. It is a form of pneumonia which is easily transmitted through the spray as it is inhaled.
• Upper respiratory tract and middle ear infections - These infections are normally caused as a result of ducking the head underwater.

If your hot tub is properly maintained and used, you will benefit from many enhancements to your health in addition to relaxation and tension relief. However, even with the best of supervision, there are certain instances when you should not even enter the waters.

At other times, cautions must be observed. As with all of life, the thorn comes with the rose. Be informed and wise and you will reap the wonderful benefits of hot tub or spa ownership.