Health Concerns Around the Water

Few activities are as much fun as being in, on, and around the water. To keep your fun from being compromised, you need to safeguard yourself and your family from the following environmental conditions that represent health concerns and can lead to illness or injury:

  • Sun safety
  • Recreational water illnesses

Sun Safety

It is good to get a little sun. Being outdoors, especially around the trees, the grass, the blue sky, and water, takes us momentarily away from our concrete jungle and connects us back to the planet. Sunlight also provides us with vitamin D, which helps our bones to stay strong. Repeated unprotected exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light, however, can cause skin damage, eye damage, immune system compromise, and skin cancer. Review the following links to learn more:

Recreational Water Illnesses

According to the Centers of Disease Control (CDC), recreational water illnesses (RWIs) are infections caused by pathogens spread by swallowing, inhaling mists of, or having contact with contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs, water parks, water play areas, fountains, lakes, rivers, and oceans. Although these infections include gastrointestinal, skin, ear, eye, respiratory, neurologic, and wound infections, the most commonly reported RWI is diarrhea. For more information about RWIs, follow the links below: