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Relaxing in a hot tub was always one of my favorite little vacation luxuries up until a few years ago. Anytime I was at a nice hotel or on a cruise ship and there was a hot tub, I'd always end the evening off with a soak. Even now, I'm not 100% opposed to a hot tub dip... but only if I'm very, very confident that it's been properly cleaned and maintained.
The problem with hot tubs is that if they're not cleaned properly, they can become boiling soup pots full of dangerous bacteria, including the ones that cause the infamous Legionnaire's disease. However, there's tons of other nasty hot tub-dwelling bacteria that fewer people know about, including one that nurse practitioner Annie Zav learned of the hard way!
Poor Annie! The beleaguered nurse (posting as @anniezavnp on TikTok), flashed a sore-covered arm to the camera- and according to her, that's the one that "looks good." "And my butt and my legs are, like, a thousand times worse," Annie mourned. I shuddered...
Related: 'Cannibal Hot Tub' Attraction in Washington State Has People Buzzing
Annie looks like the victim of a witch's curse or some obscure Biblical plague, but at least she knows the culprit: Pseudomonas, a nasty little bacteria responsible for a condition called "hot tub folliculitis," which unfortunately, Annie is now all too familiar with.
Hot Tub Folliculitis
I think the name speaks for itself: it's a bacterial infection of the skin's hair follicules, usually transmitted via hot tubs . However, the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology [AOCD] notes that the Pseudomonas bacteria just needs a wet, warm environment to thrive, so it can live in spaces like whirlpools and water slides as well. Is nothing sacred anymore?
According to the AOCD, the infection can begin anywhere from a few hours to a few days after exposure to contaminated water, showing up as itchy rashes and bumps that can develop into pus-filled nodules- yuck. Worse still, the rash tends to be more severe in areas covered by bathing suits , meaning people who wear one-piece suits are more susceptible to infection. The bathing suit thing also implies that certain sensitive areas are more likely to get severe rashes in cases of infection... owwww...
The good news is that, unlike staph infections , hot tub folliculitis is rarely dangerous and usually clears up on its own within a week or two. The Cleveland Clinic advises using topical steroids and antibacterial ointments to manage itchiness and prevent infection. However, you should talk to a doctor if you begin experiencing more serious symptoms (ie, fever, abscesses, or rashes that worsen or don't improve by the two-week point).
Of course, the ideal scenario would be to simply avoid getting hot tub folliculitis in the first place. You could just avoid potentially problematic water, but if you've just gotta have some hot tub time to yourself, the CDC recommends removing and washing your swim suit immediately after use and showering with soap after exiting the water. If you really want to be thorough, though, the CDC advises bringing test strips to check the water levels yourself. Ideally, the water levels should read either 3-10 ppm (or mg/L) for chlorine or 4-8 ppm for bromine, with a pH level of 7.0-7.8. If levels aren't within those ranges, tell the hot tub's owner immediately, and don't get in the water! Above all else, don't ignore your gut if you feel like something's off. When in doubt, stay out!
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