Boy Hospitalized From Over Chlorinated Pool

A young Orlando boy was hospitalized after swimming in an over-chlorinated pool in his apartment complex earlier this week. Four others, whom he was swimming with, are also sick.

The child’s current condition is not known; however, all of the kids, aged four to 11, first showed signs of illness through repeated coughing and vomiting. When emergency crews responded to the call for help at Waterford East Apartments, they found the pool had too much chlorine.

With Florida’s temperatures reminding residents of summer but the waves still sending cold chills down the spine, the state’s starting to see an increase in visitors at public pools. As countless articles begin to resurface on the importance of fencing in pools and swimming with lifeguards present, over-chlorinated pools are often overlooked or left to the professionals. But this young child’s hospitalization was preventable, so it’s important all swimmers, parents and non-parents, be aware of the delicate balance in pool chlorination systems.

Pool-Chlorine Poisoning

Amid splishing and splashing, every child is likely to leave the pool with a few drops of water in their system. And that’s okay; what parents need to be able to recognize, however, are symptoms of over ingesting pool water which can lead to chlorine poisoning or so-called recreational water illness.

Chlorine is the chemical used in pools to rid water of E.Coli, parasites, and other harmful bacteria, and it is necessary for safe swimming, especially in public pools. Serious risks don’t present themselves until pools become over chlorinated.

Chlorine poisoning symptoms that may develop within the first 72 hours after swimming include: upset stomach and vomiting, persistent cough, trouble breathing, and fatigue.

Sound familiar? These symptoms are easily mistaken for the flu or food poisoning, especially to the non-medically trained parent. Chlorine poisoning may also lead to diarrhea and abdominal cramping, further mimicking the more common illnesses.

However, as the recreational water illness progresses, the nervous and respiratory systems are also affected, including trouble with vision and swelling and burning of the eyes, throat, nose, and ears. Children with any of these symptoms should go to the emergency room for immediate treatment.

Daytona Beach injury lawyer Corey Bundza says his firm receives many claims involving pool-related injuries. And with Florida among the highest in the country for drowning deaths each year, that’s no surprise. However, his firm is working to make the symptoms of chlorine poisoning “common knowledge” to bring more awareness to at least one preventable pool injury or death.

The earliest way to check for possible poisoning is to examine your child’s eyes, nose, mouth, and ears for redness and irritation when they’re done swimming. Such irritation is usually from high chlorine levels in the water.

It’s important to at least check for such early symptoms as you won’t find a non-chlorinated public pool nor should you choose to forego the chemical in a private pool, unless it’s salt water. Swimming in under chlorinated pools leaves people at serious risk of infections from water inhabited bacteria, which often begins with symptoms similar to over-chlorinated pools.

For more information on overall swimming pool safety and pool quality measures, check out the CDC’s guidelines.