Health Problems From Indoor Water Parks

Indoor water parks are some of the fastest growing entertainment options around right now. When it is 100+ degrees outside people are going to flock somewhere. An indoor water park is the perfect option. However, there are a number of health concerns associated with indoor water parks and they deserve to be examined just to be on the safe side.  

While indoor water parks stay at a nice 82 degrees year round there are a few health concerns that have been reported and need to be addressed. The rise in water related illnesses has made many families question the safety of the very parks they were intending to attend.

Eye Irritation

There have been many reports of eye irritation and respiratory problems after visiting some of the leading indoor water parks. Unfortunately, these are not isolated incidents and they are being reported right along with waterborne illnesses such as Cryptosporidiosis.

Water-born Illness

There are many different types of waterborne diseases that seem to thrive in outdoor and indoor water parks. Some of these include E. coli, Cryptosporidiosis and Norovirus.

Researchers from the CDC believe that the sealed atmosphere of the indoor water parks causes dangerous gases known as chloramines. These gases are formed when the chlorine used to treat the pool merge with sweat and urine from the swimmers that use the pools. Once the chlorine, sweat and urine mix with the water in the pool, the chloramines are then spread by swimmers using the pool and the parks spray features.

E. Coli

The effects of waterborne illnesses can be severe and they do vary. E Coli and Cryptosporidiosis can be transmitted through water and the symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, cramping and fever. These symptoms can be anywhere from mild to fatal in some cases. Norovirus is also a gastrointestinal illness and while it is normally found on cruise ships it is said that it can be contracted in any environment where there is close contact. Chloramines can cause irritated eyes and wheezing, coughing and sneezing. There have been no reported deaths from the CDC from chloramines.

Drowning

The biggest health issues with indoor water parks are just like with any body of water. You have to keep an eye on your children and not expect the lifeguards to do all of the work. Drowning is the biggest concern.