FAQ: hot tub safety

Whether you're lucky enough to take that stress-busting, muscle-relaxing soak in a spa, a luxury hotel or your own backyard, 10 minutes in a hot tub can be divine indeed. Surely such a blissful, soothing experience couldn't pose any dangers? As these guidelines will show you, it can.

A hot, bubbly soak can be safe, however, as long as you know the water is clean and you take some precautions.

Germs can breed if warm water remains unchanged for too long — or stews too many bodies between changes. Both are common problems. If the heated water isn't kept clean and frequently treated with a disinfectant such as chlorine, it can harbour bacteria that may cause skin rashes and infections, or worse.

The most common culprit is the Pseudomonas bacterium, a bug that can cause folliculitis, or red, itchy bumps around hair follicles. The more people who use a hot tub, the faster the disinfectant is depleted and the likelier it is to contain dangerous levels of bacteria. The Pseudomonas bacterium is the most common germ to lurk in hot tubs, but more dangerous villains such as Mycobacterium (which causes lung infections) and Legionella (which causes Legionnaire's disease, a form of pneumonia) have been known to visit them, too.

If you have a hot tub at home, follow the maintenance directions religiously.

• Make sure you add disinfectant regularly (usually every three days) and change the water at least every two months.
• Before sitting in a hotel, gym or spa hot tub, give it the nose-and-eye test: take a sniff while standing near the tub; you should smell chlorine.
• Second, dip a clear plastic cup into the water and hold it up to the light. The water should be clear.

While bacteria exposure from dirty water is the number one risk hot tubs carry, it's not the only one. Unsupervised children can become trapped in the powerful suction of a drain. Before using a hot tub — with or without a child — make sure the drain cover is intact, and replace a drain cover that's more than 20 years old.

Burns and scalds are another risk, especially when broken temperature regulators or thermometers or other faulty parts allow the water temperature to exceed 40°C (104°F).

• Sitting in hot water raises your body temperature, and that can be risky for pregnant women and people with diabetes or high or low blood pressure.
• Soaking for longer than 10 minutes can be dangerous for people with certain health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, or high or low blood pressure; they should get clearance from a doctor first.
• Doctors also advise pregnant women to avoid hot tubs, as the prolonged heat may harm an unborn baby.
• While they may be romantic, hot tubs are not the perfect aphrodisiac for couples looking to conceive.
• Fertility doctors have speculated for years that the heat from hot tubs can lower sperm count in men, though no studies have proven this absolutely.

Following these guidelines will help you stay safe while enjoying the luxuries of a hot tub.