I always make sure that I wear flip flops when I'm in the pool so I don't get athletes foot or toe nail fungus. I was in a pharmacy today and was talking to the pharmacist about the topic because the pharmacy is across the street of the pool of the gym I go to. She mentioned that she goes to that gym too but the water in that pool isn't too clean and she wouldn't swim there because she's afraid to catch something like fungus. I mentioned that I thought that chlorine kills everything but she denied that:confused:
Is it really possible to get fungus while you're swimming?
A two week prescription for Lamisil pills costs around $10 and it kills about everything.
Chlorine is a very good disinfectant for killing most/all pathogenic bacteria and viruses, if it is present in proper amounts and pH. Only ozone is stronger, but also very aggressive and there is no residual to keep killing as is the case with chlorine.
Chlorine kills by oxidizing the cell walls of bacteria and viruses. Chlorine will kill funguses given the opportunity (i'm not sure if there are any resistant fungus types - their cell walls would have to resistant to oxidation, which seems unliekly, but i'm not a microbilogist). It therefore seems unlikely that one would contract a fungus from swimming in water in a properly chlorinated pool unless the number of spores simply overwhelmed the disinfecting system or the system wasn't operating effectively.
However, chlorine levels, penetration, and contact times are not likely sufficient on pool decks, showers, locker room floors, etc. to kiil fungus spores, and thus the spores survive and flourish in these moist environments absent disinfectants. You can where flip-flops (disinfect them periodically), dry your feet thoroughly, and use an additional anti-fungal agent occassionally to help prevent picking up atheletes foot fungus from the deck, showers, locker room floor, etc. An individual's immune system seems to have a lot to do with it too, e.g. some people get warts and others don't.
A two week prescription for Lamisil pills costs around $10 and it kills about everything.
Chlorine is a very good disinfectant for killing most/all pathogenic bacteria and viruses, if it is present in proper amounts and pH. Only ozone is stronger, but also very aggressive and there is no residual to keep killing as is the case with chlorine.
Chlorine kills by oxidizing the cell walls of bacteria and viruses. Chlorine will kill funguses given the opportunity (i'm not sure if there are any resistant fungus types - their cell walls would have to resistant to oxidation, which seems unliekly, but i'm not a microbilogist). It therefore seems unlikely that one would contract a fungus from swimming in water in a properly chlorinated pool unless the number of spores simply overwhelmed the disinfecting system or the system wasn't operating effectively.
However, chlorine levels, penetration, and contact times are not likely sufficient on pool decks, showers, locker room floors, etc. to kiil fungus spores, and thus the spores survive and flourish in these moist environments absent disinfectants. You can where flip-flops (disinfect them periodically), dry your feet thoroughly, and use an additional anti-fungal agent occassionally to help prevent picking up atheletes foot fungus from the deck, showers, locker room floor, etc. An individual's immune system seems to have a lot to do with it too, e.g. some people get warts and others don't.
