Common symptoms if SICK from swimming in polluted water
Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality has declared most beaches fit for tourists, but what happens if you get sick swimming in polluted water?
What are the common symptoms if you’re sick from swimming in polluted water? Following the Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality declaring most of Durban’s beaches open yesterday, we have to wonder how safe the water really is for the public.
Remarkably, we reported on 12 December 2023 on the closure of many Ethekwini beaches due to E. coli levels being ten-times over the safe limit. Then, exactly a week later on 19 December 2023, Durban beaches that were closed were suddenly declared safe and reopened.
SWIMMING IN POLLUTED WATER
However, you only need refer back to a Daily Maverick report from 26 November 2023, in which Durban Mayor Mxolisi Kaunda’s transparency about the quality of the sea water at city beaches was questioned.
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Considering local Durban businesses rely on December holiday traffic and the wants of holidaymakers, we wonder just how much pressure the Ethekwini Metropolitan Municipality has been under to declare the beaches safe for the festive season.
COMMON SYMPTOMS
Nevertheless, if beachgoers are going to take the plunge this December, here’s what you need to know when swimming in polluted water. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these are the most common symptoms of illness caused by polluted water:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomachache
- Diarrhea
- Headache
- Aching joints
- Fever
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The, at times, high levels of E. coli in Durban’s ocean water are caused from pollutant runoff. So, avoid swimming in the ocean right after heavy rains. Water that drains from surrounding rivers feeds untreated sewage (human and animal) into the water and exposes swimmers to harmful microorganisms called pathogens.
AVOID SWALLOWING WATER
Other minor illnesses associated with swimming in polluted water may include ear, eye, nose and throat infections. We know holidaymakers will swim this December no matter what anyone says. But the best way to protect yourself is to not to swallow the water.
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Similarly, if you’re wading out to cool down in the heat, avoid putting your head under water. Don’t expose any open wounds to the water either. If you believe you or a loved one is sick from swimming in polluted water, you should do the following:
- See a doctor or pharmacist as soon as possible.
- Treat with antibiotics.
- Reduce the symptoms of diarrhea and dehydration by drinking a lot of fluids and electrolytes.
- Swimmer’s ear can be treated with antibiotic ear drops or acetic acid ear drops.