Bacteria in Hot Tub May Hurt Lungs
Patients who suffer from cough and breathlessness may be victims of what doctors call hot tub lung, Minnesota researchers report.
Main Culprit: Poorly Maintained Hot Tubs continued...
"While the disease isn't transmittable, the whole family can get it by sitting in the hot tub. People need to be really careful with hot tub maintenance," he says.
According to the CDC, water temperatures above 84 degrees make chlorine lose most of its disinfectant properties.
The problem often is compounded when the patients get ill, are extremely tired, and are coughing, he says. "They get back in the hot tub thinking the mist will help their cough. This only makes the problem worse. This is even more likely to happen if the hot tub is inside."
In the early stages, all you have to do is tell patients to drain the hot tub and stay away from it, Hanak advises. However, some patients must be placed on anti-inflammatory steroids and antibiotics.
With this treatment nearly 44% of the patients had their symptoms clear up during a follow-up of almost 10 months; the others had improvement, he notes. "Sometimes this takes about a year to completely clear up."