Remember being a kid and getting mad when the mean ol’ grown ups would kick you out of the swimming pool during a thunderstorm? Well, in Orlando, it was an every day occurrence. Turns out, those grown ups knew what they were talking about.

When you see lightning, you need to get your butt out of the pool – no questions asked.

That didn’t sell you on it? Well, five people learned that lesson that hard way at Discovery Cove in Orlando today when lightning struck not IN the pool, but nearby. According to clickorlando.com, “The Orange County Fire Department said the victims were not struck directly by lightning, but their injuries occurred after a nearby lightning strike.”

Please don’t mess around when a storm rolls in. Just get out of the pool and find something to do for 10 minutes – that’s usually all it takes for the storm to bow past.

With the recent news of a 16-year-old girl dying after she was infected by an amoeba in Brevard County, we have received a ton of calls from all over Orlando asking about the threat of amoebas in local swimming pools.

The simple answer is, there is almost no threat of being infected by an amoeba in a properly maintained swimming pool.

Nash, the 16-year-old girl who died from the infection, had been swimming in the St. John’s River, not a swimming pool. She was apparently suffering from some of the symptoms of an amoeba infection, ranging from fever, nausea and headaches to confusion and delirium. Nash was taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando. The State Health Department said she had a case of primary amoebic meningoencephalitis.

The Orange County Health Department is warning families in Central Florida about a recent probable case of Primary Amoebic Meningoencephalitis (PAM) and to be aware of the risks associated with swimming in fresh water. PAM is caused by a microscopic amoeba (mostly Naegleria fowleri species) commonly found in the upper layer of sediment in the bottom of lakes and ponds with mud floors. They also can be present in poorly maintained swimming pools and hot tubs. This infection cannot be spread from person to person or contracted from a properly maintained swimming pool.

The key here is to keep your swimming pool properly maintained. Pools found at distressed or foreclosed properties look very similar to ponds, and without proper circulation and chemicals, natural sediment is able to form along the bottom, making a perfect home for the amoeba.

We only found one case of someone becoming infected from the amoeba virus in a swimming pool, but the pool was lake fed, meaning the same water that was in the lake, was the same water found in the swimming pool.

Prevention is the key. CDC and Health Department recommends the following:

• Don’t swim or jump into warm, stagnant, fresh water, such as ponds or warm water discharge pools, or unchlorinated swimming pools
• Don’t swim in polluted water
• Don’t swim in areas posted as “No Swimming”
• Hold your nose, or use nose plugs when jumping or diving into water

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us, or just ask in the comments section below.

Here’s a quick-and-easy run down of the posts from this week….you know, in case you missed them.

‘Foot Stickers’: Water Safety in Hiding – An entirely new type of shoe to wear around a pool – if you dare.

7 Interesting Swimming Pools – Technically, there are only 6 pools here, but there’s a 7th picture that couldn’t be missed.

Water Safety With a Twist – of Lime – Beverageware with water safety in mind.

Pool Safely – The Online Game – A game for kids – to teach pool safety…sort of.

Hey, guess what….it’s still Water Safety month!

Today we’re sharing a “game” (we use that term very loosely) based on water safety that your kids can play. The National Drowning Prevention Alliance has created the game with the goal of having your kids help you, the parent, find and correct the unsafe situations at the pool.

This isn’t Mario Brothers, but it is a fun way to get your kids involved, and raise their awareness of some of the dangers lurking around a swimming pool. So make sure you head over and have your kids give it a try. The Pool Safely Game

Yep, it’s still Water Safety month, and we’re still talking water safety here – though today is arguably one of the most hypocritical posts you’ll ever see here.

Let me clarify…

Most hotels or resorts have a rule of No Glassware near the swimming pool. Broken glass on a pool deck is a huge safety concern, and broken glass IN a pool is a million times worse! Glass is invisible in a swimming pool, making it impossible to see, and just as difficult to clean out.

With that in mind, Strahl has created “luxuriously elegant yet durable alternatives to traditional beverageware, serveware and tableware.” Strahl is manufactured in New Zealand from the highest quality polycarbonate ensuring both pristine clarity and reliable durability. Only polycarbonate provides the glass-like look and weight expected in an alternative glassware solution – unique properties which mean it is used for bulletproof glass and aircraft windows.

Now back to the water safety stuff. We do NOT condone drinking alcoholic beverages around a pool. We know you’re adults, but too many beverages around a pool can lead to far more serious hazards than a cut on your foot. If you decide to use Strahl’s products, just make sure you’re using them responsibly.

Think these would come in handy at your next party? Let us know in the comments.

Speaking from experience, swimming pool decks can get very slippery when they get wet. As we continue our Water Safety theme this month, we want to share with you a new shoe with a minimalistic design..that just might save your butt (literally) while on the pool deck.

The Footsticker is a flexible plastic membrane that sticks to your skin like a, well, like a second-skin. There are three designs, each conceived for a different activity. The cream-colored yoga skins, for example, offer high-grip protection for the heel, big-toe and the pad immediately behind the big toe.

Other shapes stick on to protect your feet during dancing or “combat cardio”, stopping injury to the most used spots of the feet but letting the muscles and bones move over each other without restriction, one of the attractions of doing sports barefoot.

I’ve never tried these, so I can’t speak for how well they work around a pool, but looking at them, I’d say they’re perfect. If you have tried them, we’d love to hear about your experience in the comments!

Footstickers – Independent graduation at Nike EMEA [Behance]

May is National Water Safety Month, so all month we’ll be discussing this topic. We’re starting off the month featuring an article written by Catherine Lamprecht, M.D. She’s a doctor with Nemours in Lake Nona, and has great information to share.

Playing it Safe in Florida’s Waters
The health risks of water activities.
By Catherine Lamprecht, M.D.

Florida’s warm weather and endless sunshine makes water activities a popular pastime. What
many parents forget to think about is the health risks that can stem from water exposure. To
ensure your child remains healthy throughout the swimming season, take the proper precautions
when playing in the water.

Swimmer’s Ear

Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the ear canal, the tubular opening that carries sounds from the
outside of the body to the eardrum, and is caused by different types of bacteria or fungi getting
into the canal. The infection commonly occurs in children who spend a lot of time in the water.
Too much moisture in the ear can irritate and break down the skin in the canal, allowing bacteria
or fungi to penetrate and cause your child to complain of pain.

But children don’t have to swim to get swimmer’s ear. Anything that causes a break in the skin of
the ear canal can lead to an infection. Dry skin or eczema, scratching the ear canal, vigorous ear
cleaning with cotton-tipped applicators, or inserting foreign objects like bobby pins or paper clips
into the ear can all increase the risk of developing swimmer’s ear.

How to Recognize Swimmer’s Ear

• Increasing ear pain
• Pain while chewing
• Itching
• Swelling of the ear canal
• Irritation & swelling of the outer ear
• Swollen/tender lymph nodes around the ear
• Drainage from the ear canal
• Hearing trouble
• Fever is possible but not common

Prevention

Using over-the-counter drops of a dilute solution of acetic acid or alcohol in the ears after
swimming can help prevent swimmer’s ear. These drops are available at pharmacies and should
only be used for children who do not have ear tubes or a hole in the eardrum. After time in the
water, children should gently dry their ears with a towel and help water run out of their ears
by turning their heads to the side. Never put objects into a child’s ear, including cotton-tipped
applicators.

Treatment

Swimmer’s ear should be treated by a doctor. If left untreated, the ear pain will get worse and the
infection may spread. To help relieve the pain until your child sees the doctor, you can place a
warm washcloth or heating pad against the affected ear. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may also
ease discomfort. For most cases, your doctor may prescribe eardrops that contain antibiotics to
fight the infection and eardrops are usually given several times a day for seven to 10 days.

The Amoeba in Our Water

Florida’s waters are home to a deadly amoeba known as Naegleria fowleri or N. fowleri. The
amoeba causes a rare brain infection that has killed 30 people in Florida including three Central
Florida boys in 2007. Amoebas thrive in warm, fresh water around the world, particularly water
heated to 80 degrees Fahrenheit in temperature. Common places in Florida for the amoeba to be
present are in the waters of lakes, ponds and poorly maintained pools.

When infected water makes its way into the nose, the amoeba finds its entry way into the human
body. The nasal passage permits access to the olfactory nerve, which it follows until reaching
the brain. It is in the brain that the deadly infection begins and spreads at a severely rapid pace.
Victims typically die seven to 10 days after infection although symptoms may not appear for
up to 14 days. Initial symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, vomiting and a stiff neck.

As the infection progresses, symptoms include confusion, inability to pay attention to people
and surroundings, loss of balance, seizures and hallucinations. Death usually follows the first
symptoms by three to seven days. If you or someone you know has any of these symptoms and
has recently participated in water activities, seek immediate medical attention.

Prevention

When you can, try to avoid swimming in warm, fresh water. If you can’t, here are a few tips to
help you and your child prevent infection from these deadly amoebas:

• Minimize entry of water into the nose by using nose plugs
• Avoid digging or stirring up sediment while in warm waters
• Avoid thermally polluted water, such as water near power plants
• Learn as much about the species as you can

For more information on water safety, visit KidsHealth.org.

Catherine Lamprecht, M.D., is a board certified pediatric infectious disease physician at
Nemours Children’s Clinic and provides services to diagnose and treat children of all ages
with chronic or recurrent infections as well as unusual bacterial, fungal or viral infections.

As the weather warms up in Orlando, many are starting to feel the itch to get back in their swimming pool. And as swim season approaches, there’s a new batch of kids ready to learn to swim.

Swim lessons are not only fun for children, they are also crucial when it comes to general swimming pool safety. There’s no better time than now to learn how to swim, and luckily, we have tons of options here in Orlando.

Below is a list of 10 of the most popular locations for swimming lessons – a few of them are even IN the Lake Nona area:

1. Lake Nona YMCA

I learned to swim at a YMCA when I was a child, and have great memories of being a guppy! The Y offers Preschool Swim Lessons, as well as Youth Swim Lessons.

2. Sharks and Minnows Swim School

With tons of swim lesson classes, Sharks and Minnows Swim School might be the most versatile option in this list.

3. Infant Swim

For the toddlers and infants in the group, Infant Swim comes with very positive reviews across the web. There’s even an swim lesson instructor in NorthLake Park by the name of Kelly Israel.

If you know of any other locations for Swim Lessons in Orlando, please tell us about them in the comments.

We’re bringing back a feature we introduced last year where we answer questions we’re asked in our email.We were recently asked, “What happens if someone vomits in a swimming pool?”

And here’s the answer: Vomiting in a pool is actually very common, and it’s usually a result of swallowing too much pool water. If the vomit is a result of the pool water, it’s usually not contaminated, but if the contents of the stomach come up, you have bigger issues to deal with.

The germs found in vomit are usually noroviruses, and responding to a vomit incident is handled the same way you handle a fecal incident (the time and chlorination levels are very similar for both).

Have a swimming pool related question you’d like answered? Ask us!

Swimming is considered a low-impact sport that doesn’t present as many acute injuries as the strains and sprains common among football and basketball players. But swimmers are by no means immune to injury. Dara Torres has undergone three shoulder surgeries and a hernia repair, and has knee surgery scheduled for later this year. Early in her career, superstar Natalie Coughlin suffered through a torn labrum in her left shoulder that resulted in 1.5 years of physical therapy.

Avoiding injury isn’t always possible, but swimmers of any age can take steps to keep the body healthy. For preventive advice, Swimnetwork spoke with Ryan Dean, athletic trainer for the women’s and men’s swim teams at the University of Wisconsin. A graduate of the University of Wyoming, Dean is not only a sports training expert but also a swimmer himself, competing in his first meet at age six. He offered these seven steps to injury prevention.

1) Avoid too much, too soon. Dean warns that more injuries occur at the start of the season vs. the end.

“As some athletes return to practice, their bodies are not physically prepared for the rigors of intense daily workouts,” he says. In response to this sudden stress, injuries can develop. So start up slowly, avoiding rapid increases in training distances or frequency of training. And if that isn’t possible, make sure your off-season training is up to par.

2) Correct improper body mechanics. Another cause of early season injury can be improper form, says Dean. If a swimmer has just returned from a long break, their form may have become sloppy or even ineffective. Improper mechanics can result in a variety of injuries.

“Several times athletes have come to me complaining of elbow or shoulder pain. Before these evolve into full blown injuries, I ask the coaching staff to correct any flaws in their mechanics. On most occasions, the coaches are able to identify and fix the problem, which leads to a resolution of their symptoms,” says Dean.

3) Tweak the small stuff. Trainers estimate that swimmers complete as many as 16,000 shoulder revolutions in a one-week period. So it’s no surprise that swimmers are at risk for repetitive stress injuries. Dean notes that tendonitis (inflammation of tendons), neuritis (inflammation/aggravation of nerves) and shoulder impingement (similar to tendonitis) are the most common, and swimmers are particularly vulnerable to bicep tendonitis and ulnar neuritis.

Minor changes to technique, however, can be effective. Deans notes that a freestyle swimmer whose elbows enter the water before their hands will most likely suffer from elbow and/or ulnar nerve pain. But by correcting this small error in form, the swimmer will find their stroke much more comfortable and efficient over the long term.

4) Focus on flexibility. While a runner can tape an ankle to prevent an ankle sprain, injury prevention in swimming is a little more difficult, due to the high number of muscle groups incorporated in swimming. One of the best strategies for injury prevention is to increase flexibility, recommends Dean. “The more elasticity that a muscle or tendon has, the easier it is for that structure to avoid injury.”

Do land exercises to keep the body strong. While flexibility is a plus, exercises such as yoga and pilates can increase strength and help prevent injury. “Flexibility is important, but flexibility with strength and body awareness is even better,” says Dean.

5) Don’t skip the warm up. Avoid starting your practice too hard or too fast. Doing a proper, relaxed warm up in swimming – as in any sport – is critical to preventing injury.

6) Proper hydration can prevent muscle cramps. The two main causes of cramps are dehydration and/or electrolyte depletion. Because of that, diet – or more specifically hydration – is vital to performance in swimming. “Many athletes neglect the role that electrolytes, primarily sodium, potassium and chloride, play in the body,” says Dean. These salts are all found within the cells of the muscle and are vital to its proper function. So while drinking plenty of water is great, don’t forget to replenish your electrolytes with electrolyte tablets or a sports drink.

7) Ownership. Finally, Dean recommends that avoiding injury is easier if an athlete takes ownership of their own health and well-being. “Develop your own mind and beliefs instead of relying on those of others.”