Health Issues With Public Hot Tubs

Public hot tubs are full of germs and can cause significant health issues.

Public hot tubs are breeding grounds for germs and other health hazards. The health issues associated with public hot tubs are many and varied. Getting into a public hot tub is like taking a bath with every other person who is in the hot tub with you or has been in the hot tub since the last time it was cleaned. Even though health clubs, gyms and spas take care to maintain the cleanliness of a hot tub, they do not empty it for cleaning and then refill it every time someone goes in and out. As a result, the hot tub's surfaces and water hold all of the germs and pass them from one person to the next.

Public Water

Hot tubs and other public bodies of water can be full of germs. Citing the Medical College of Wisconsin, Glamour magazine columnist Sarah Jio warns that if you accidentally swallow water in a public body of water such as a hot tub or a pool you ingest the germs of the bathers around you. This can cause infection in your eyes, nose and ears as well as in any cuts or scrapes you may have on your body.

Health Complications

If you have a pre-existing medical condition, hot tubs can make that condition worse. The Minnesota Health Department requires that all public hot tub owners and operators post a sign warning pregnant women and people with heart or blood pressure illnesses to stay out of hot tubs unless otherwise directed by a physician.

Skin Infections

The CDC advises that "hot tub rash" and other skin infections are very prevalent after hot tub use. Though hot tubs contain chlorine, the chlorine itself isn't enough to sterilize the water and prevent these infections. This is true for hot tubs even more than swimming pools because the hot water sometimes makes the chlorine evaporate more quickly than it would in cold water.

Bacteria

Hot tubs build up bacteria in the pipes that transport the water jets into the pool of water. If these pipes are cleaned regularly much of the bacteria will be eliminated, but it isn't always 100 percent effective. Glamour.com cites a Texas A&M University survey that found fecal bacteria, fungi and potentially deadly staphylococcus bacteria in the majority of the hot tubs they studied.

Cleaning

Hot tubs in public places must be regularly cleaned, but this does not mean they will be cleaned frequently or thoroughly enough to remove all of the germs and bacteria inside. The Minnesota Department of Health, for instance, requires only weekly cleanings of public hot tubs, advising that, "whirlpools should be completely drained at least once a week to prevent buildup of organic material and permit maintenance of proper water chemistry." Additionally, it requires hot tub owners to post a sign advertising that people who might bring germs into the hot tub are not allowed inside it. "This sign must include showering requirements, persons with infectious or communicable diseases are not permitted in the pool," they advise. However, if someone with a communicable disease wants to get into a hot tub it will take more than a sign to stop them.

Individual Risk

Any individual who wants to use a hot tub in a public place must weigh the benefits against the risks. The health issues with public hot tubs are many and potentially severe.

References

• Minnesota Department of Health: Spa Pools, Whirlpools and Hot Tubs
• Glamour Magazine: The Germy Facts About Public Hot Tubs