from US News & World Report HEALTH  June 8, 2015. 

Wanna stay healthy in a swimming pool this summer?  Here are some hints.

Test the water. Do a quick test of the chlorine levels in the water, When the pH or chlorine in the water is too low, bacteria, germs and viruses can proliferate. If there's too much chlorine in the pool, swimmers can experience coughing, nausea, burning eyes and throat, and other unpleasant symptoms.

To test, just  buy some test strips – most are available at home improvement stores – that measure the pH and free chlorine level in the water. "These are the most important parameters; to make sure you have disinfectant in the water, and to make sure the disinfectant is working properly."  Test strips are typically inexpensive, accurate and easy to use.

Don't pee in the pool or go swimming with diarrhea. It sounds like a no-brainer – don't pee in the pool. But in a recent survey by the Water Quality & Health Council, 55 percent of respondents admitted to urinating in the water at least once.

Don't drink the water. It seems obvious, but here's this season's reminder: Don't drink or swallow pool water to your chance of becoming infected with a disease.

Refrain from swimming with wounds. There are many myths suggesting that swimming in chlorine or salt water can help "disinfect" or clean a wound. In fact, an open wound is an entry point for germs. Don't go swimming with a major cut or injury.

I learned this trick a number of years ago from a customer of mine.  On the years when I remember to do it, I’m fine through the spring allergy season.  On the years I forget to do it, I suffer.

Here’s the trick… start eating bee pollen before the season starts. Buy fresh local pollen, if  possible. If not local, at least refrigerated and if you can’t find that, buy the canned pollen. Start off with one or two pieces a day and work your way up to a teaspoon or more a day.

How it works.

When you start eating it, your body will recognize pollen as a food.  When the season starts and you breath it in, your body won’t reject it as a foreign substance anymore (because it knows that the pollen is a food)  and you won’t have the allergic reaction that make you miserable for so long.

It’s simple, effective and inexpensive.

If you’re already suffering this year, it’s too late for this trick to work for you, but try it next year.

Don’t try this without your doctor’s approval. We are not doctors and are not giving advice. We are just telling you what works for us.

On November 18th, 2010 I published a post on this blog with a theory about preventing disease.


We all know that germs enter your system primarily through your nose and eyes. We are taught to wash our hands all throughout the day and keep your hands off your face. And that is excellent advice.


One night as I was going to bed, it occurred to me that although I had thoroughly washed my hands – as I slept, my forearms, elbows and upper arms were all over my pillow and my face. Yet those body parts had been resting on tables and chair arms all day and had been exposed to a mass of germs.


So I began a routine of thoroughly washing my entire arms, elbows, forearms, hands and face just before I climb in bed.  I started to feel secure that any germs that touched and stayed on my arms and hands were washed off and my nose and eyes were not exposed to them.


Did it work. You bet.  This was the first winter that I can remember where I had no flu, no colds, no sore throats and no sickness at all, despite everyone around me being sick.


UPDATE 8/14/11.  It’s been 10 months and not a cold or sniffle.  I think I’m on to something.
 
UPDATE 11/01/11.  It’s been almost a year and still very healthy.


UPDATE 3/2/12. It’s been over a year and still very healthy. I’ve been exposed to people coughing and sneezing all over me but the simple washing routine before I go to bed seems to be working. I also have to constantly be aware of not touching my face. It’s hard because we’re always itching something on our face. It takes a lot of self discipline to let the itch exist and know that it will pass. By not touching your face, you aren’t putting germs into your nose and especially your eyes.
 
IT WORKS.  TRY IT.

UPDATE 2/4/13. I finally picked up a slight cold. It's because I was forced, a few days ago, into a situaion where someone with a cold was breathing all over me. I should have walked away, but I didn't.