The Mom Column

The joy of relaxing in a warm tub of bubbling water is heaven.  That is until you think about the risks associated with hot tubs.  Below are a few of the infections you can acquire from that heavenly tub of water:

• Hot Tub Folliculitis (Hot Tub Rash) - Red itchy bumps and blisters.  Skin infections and open sores can increase your risk of this rash.
• Genital Herpes - Genital Herpes can live up to 4.5 hours on a plastic seat.
• Hot Tub Lung - Bacteria rises into the air as the bubbles come to the surface and burst.  Breathing this in can cause an infection or allergic reaction resulting in cough, fever and chills, shortness of breath, fatigue, and tightness in your chest.  This can be serious and even fatal.
• Legionnaires' Disease - Similar to Hot Tub Lung but much more serious causing death in 5-30 percent of cases.