Can you get something if you cut yourself in the pool?

[Helpme86]

I was at my friends apt. in the hot tub and I slid, not jumped, but slid back in. The jets were on so I did not see the sharp steps that were there, so as my knees came down they mashed into the steps. I had this really sharp pain and I felt my knee. I felt a rather large flap of skin haning off, and a deep gash there, on my other knee is just a small cut. I had blood just pooring out, but it stopped now and I have it all bandaged up with some neosporin on both knees. I'm preety sure I don't need to see a doc. No pain+no blood=good.

 

My question is...

Can you get sick or a disease or something from the pool water if it got into a cut? I don't think it would cause you sometimes swallow the pool water and nothing happens then. I'm just asking anyways.

[c00kie]

um unless it was dirty untreated(no chlorine or whatever) water there shouldnt be anything to worry about. but it it swells up and start leaking puss not blood, then get it check out. possible infection.

[I_love_rain_hugs_and_you]

HOt tubs are often infested with bacteria (because bacteria love hot environments) so I would keep a good eye on it!!!!!

[Helpme86]

Yea the water had chlorine you in it so it was fine.

 

I_love_rain_hugs_and_you, chlorine kills the bacteria.

[QTpie87]

just cause the pool didn't cause somethign doesn't mean it wont get infectied, keep an eye on it. If ithe area starts to get red and warmer then the rest of your body then go to the dr right away cause that would be an infection for sure. trust me I know a lot about these things

[spaggle]

dude if its a deep gash you should go to the doctors anyway!!! its the more logical thing to do

[QTpie87]

yeah you could have needed stitches.

[Helpme86]

There is no blood, and no pain now. Doctor would just tell me to keep it clean and cover it and apply neosporin. I'll save myself some money and not go. I will go if it gets infected though.

[MetallicAguy]

Yeah well a while ago my mom had pneumonia, she said she'd stay home drink fluids and rest in bed. Well, now that she went to the doctor's she learned not only did she have pneumonia, but with FLUID in her lungs.

 

Yeah, don't do the stupid thing, go get it checked up, borrow $ from your parents, I don't think much people in college can afford much of anything.

[Helpme86]

Ever hear of 'Swimmers Ear'? It's caused by bacteria and fungus that lives in pools and hot tubs that chlorine does not kill.

Sorry to correct you but....

Swimmers ear is caused by the water that washes away the wax on the inner ear. The wax is there to protect the "organs" and membranes aroud the ear and in the entire canal. Once the wax is washed away by the water left in the ear an infection should be there by morning. Yes the bateria my come from the water, but there bacteria is already present in the ear, but it is hopeless while the wax is there protecting the ear canal.

 

MetallicAguy, pneumonia is not something to play around with and let it take its time in your body. One reason for the fluid in the lungs, ie, mucus(snot) was found in your moms lungs was becuase of the virus in the lungs. Mucus is produced double time when you are sick to trap the infection and let the person cough it up, sneeze it out, or blow it out your nose. Mucus is always present in your lungs but the production was sped up by the water. It acted like a catalyst for the mucus producing glands(well, I think they are glands anyways).

 

That is why water is so immportant when you are sick. It also keep the white blood cells from becoming flacid(unless thats the word for plant a cell??), or dehydrated. Bad white blood cells, means the infection will thrive. The white blood cell is the cause of your soar throats too. The white blood cell kill any cell around, a viral cell, bacteria cell, or the red blood cell. Your throat is usaully the first place a virus or bacteria makes home. When the millions of red blood cells are killed in your throat it gives you the oh so horrible pain.

 

Sorry for the scinece class lesson. I like scinece too much.

 

I will see how the cuts are in the morning. I will let you all know if it looks infected or not, but as of right now I'm not too concernd about a possible infection. I was more worried about a virus like HIV getting in and possibly getting aids. But I dont think that will happen.

 

I have hosted a picture of the larger cut, if you care to check it out that. Please, PLEASE do not check this out if you just want to look at it or can not stomach a bit of blood. Its not too bad, I just dont want anyone getting sick over the picture. I have further looked and my cut and I see that it is more of a horizantal cut along the lower part of my knee. Its not as deep as I thought it was becase I got some of the blood away from it. The cut looks more like this(_) rather than like this (/) as I thought it did. It is also not nearly as deep as I thought.

 

link removed

 

Mods, if you deem this bad, please just delete the link, not the whole post as usual....

One more thing, thanks for the replys and concerns. 8)

[Helpme86]

Sorry, I knew what your point was, I'm just typing I guess. I washed it out plenty and have two antibiotics on it right now. I also bandaged it rather well and sprayed a layer of liquid bandage on it to seal it just a bit more.

[annie24]

Erm... that looks like a really serious wound. I'm a microbiologist, and I have to say, there are TONS of crazy bacteria living in hot tubs, despite the chlorine! Go get yourself to the student health center on campus. Because even if you didn't pick up any bacteria in the tub, you could be picking something else up right now. It looks deep you may want to get stiches. At least get it checked out.

 

HIV - you're not going to get it from a gash in a hot tub, but trust me, there are plenty of other nasty things you can get!

 

And if you start getting a fever, go to the emergency room ASAP!!!

[Hope75]

HOt tubs are often infested with bacteria (because bacteria love hot environments) so I would keep a good eye on it!!!!!

 

I love is right, Hot tubs are loading with heat loving bacteria, (thermophilic, or, literally "heat loving") As long as you washed the cuts out with some sort of antibacterial soap or agent (Bactine Wash is a good one, anything with Chlorhxadine in it is good) and applied the Neosporin, you should be fine. Keep and eye on them, if you see alot of swelling, pus like yellow discharge in large amounts, run a fever, etc, call your doctor.

 

I doubt it's anything to be concerned with, it sounds like you cleaned them out and put the antibiotic ointment on pretty quickly.

[spaggle]

hey again, that really needs to be looked at. it needs stitches by the looks of things. there is no harm tht can be done going to the doctors. if its the money thts an issue then i suggest u seriously think what is more important to you. money or health

[Hope75]

MetallicAguy, pneumonia is not something to play around with and let it take its time in your body. One reason for the fluid in the lungs, ie, mucus(snot) was found in your moms lungs was becuase of the virus in the lungs. Mucus is produced double time when you are sick to trap the infection and let the person cough it up, sneeze it out, or blow it out your nose. Mucus is always present in your lungs but the production was sped up by the water. It acted like a catalyst for the mucus producing glands(well, I think they are glands anyways).

 

This is mostly correct. Drinking excess water helps loosen and liquify thick secretions of mucus in the lungs that are present when viral or bacterial pnemococcus is present in the lungs, causing pneumonia. The mucus in the lungs tends to thicken, become sticky and provides an excellent breeding ground for more bacteria. Loosening it as Help Me said, helps the person cough it up more easily, and makes it a less desirable environment for the bacteria to breed in.

 

 

That is why water is so immportant when you are sick. It also keep the white blood cells from becoming flacid(unless thats the word for plant a cell??), or dehydrated. Bad white blood cells, means the infection will thrive. The white blood cell is the cause of your soar throats too. The white blood cell kill any cell around, a viral cell, bacteria cell, or the red blood cell. Your throat is usaully the first place a virus or bacteria makes home. When the millions of red blood cells are killed in your throat it gives you the oh so horrible pain.

 

Drinking more water when you are ill is because your metabolism speeds up when your body is fighting an infection, and so you burn more calories and water just resting or sitting around. Your body needs the extra water to meet it's energy needs and fight off the infection.

 

The respiratory tract is the first place an airborne or droplet transmisson place bacteria or viruses may find it's home, (nasal passages and throat) but they can also enter through your eyes, or any open area on your body. WBC's don't usually kill your own RBC's unless you have an autoimmune disorder going on, meaning your body doesn't recognize it's own cells and attacks them, thinking they are foreign, and a threat to the body.

 

A sore throat is usually caused more by tissue damage due to excessive coughing or clearing of the throat, or by the streptococcus bacteria that breeds in your throat, releasing toxins as a by-product of their metabolism. This is what causes strep throat.

 

 

Sorry for the scinece class lesson. I like scinece too much.

 

Me too, that's why I am in Nursing school.

 

[Helpme86]

WBC's don't usually kill your own RBC's unless you have an autoimmune disorder going on, meaning your body doesn't recognize it's own cells and attacks them, thinking they are foreign, and a threat to the body.

 

A sore throat is usually caused more by tissue damage due to excessive coughing or clearing of the throat, or by the streptococcus bacteria that breeds in your throat, releasing toxins as a by-product of their metabolism. This is what causes strep throat.

Really, hrm... I never cough when I first start to get a sore throat yet it still hurts like a MF.

 

Does it help if I had soap in the ot tub too. I'll fess up... I grabbed the soap dispenser from the bathroom them and got back in the hot tub with it and put it up to the jets. It made a huge mess and the bubbles were almost going over our heads. I was basically sitting in a soap water at the time of my idiot accident.

 

UPDATE

link removed

 

I cleaned it out a bit and took a new pic^. Ok, its not deep at all. It goes horizantaly accross my knee. It is just shy of an inch long and ~1/2 wide and

[Hope75]

 

Does it help if I had soap in the ot tub too. I'll fess up... I grabbed the soap dispenser from the bathroom them and got back in the hot tub with it and put it up to the jets. It made a huge mess and the bubbles were almost going over our heads. I was basically sitting in a soap water at the time of my idiot accident.

 

Umm....nooooo it doesn't really do anything except make a big mess, as you unfortunately found out!

[Helpme86]

LOL, yea we know.

BTW, I updated my previous post with a pic and stuff.....

[spaggle]

just one thing u may not be able to feel pain because its damaged ur nerves

[Helpme86]

just one thing u may not be able to feel pain because its damaged ur nerves

If I damaged a nerve I'd be in some serious serious pain right now. Nerves are there to let you know hey, that hurts and its bad for you don't do it. I cut it along the fatty tissue right below my knee cap. Nothing too important there anyways. Thanks for caring though.

[spaggle]

in things like burns and cuts u can damage the nerves if its deep anough, thereforeeee u cud have done some serious damage. honestly it looks dep, get ur friends mum to look at it like u sed, yeah?

[Helpme86]

I'll have have her look at it.

[c00kie]

im sure hes a big boy. if it isnt deep get rid of that loose skin. otherwise if its still on whenit heals, itll leave a ugly ridge. grated my thumb when was bout 7 and left the loose skin on an i still got the lump

o yea and nerves dont always have to send pain signals. again during a rugby game i got a boot to the mouth, created a 3 cm gash (6 stiches) accross my lip but didnt hurt, just numb for afew days. no pain (apart from the 2cm ulcer inside my mouth!!!)

get it covered and clean and itll be all good!

[Helpme86]

I change the dressing and clean it at least twice a day. I wish I could get rid of the flap of skin but I'm not sure how.

[c00kie]

grab it, close eyes, and just rip it off!