Happy Summer! 
With vacations and summer gatherings starting, we would like to share with you a few safety tips from the CDC:

– Do not submerge your head in a hot tub
– Remove your swimsuit and shower with soap after after getting out of the water
– Wash your swimsuit after using it 
–  Do not get in a hot tub if you see a green film or water discoloration 
–  Use test strips to check the water in the hot tub/spa or pool yourself for adequate disinfectant level and pH

If contaminated water stays on someone’s skin for a long time, it can cause a rash known as “hot tub rash” (pseudomonas folliculitis). The rash usually appears a few days after you sat in a poorly maintained hot tub/spa, but it can also appear a few days after you swam in a lake or poorly maintained pool.

Hot tub rash can affect people of all ages.  

Patients can experience:
– An itchy, red, and bumpy rash
– Pus-filled blisters on chest, underarms, groin, or around hair follicles
– Red bumps or pain in ears if the head was submerged in contaminated water

Mild rashes may clear up in a few days without medical treatment.  You may seek evaluation by a healthcare provider for proper diagnosis, evaluation, and treatment.  Proper evaluation and treatment by a health care provider is especially recommended with rashes that look like they are getting worse.

Please use the below reference from the CDC for more information:  

Author:
Dina Elnaggar MD, MS, CAQSM
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