Healthy Water Tips To Keep You In The Swim (NAPSA)—Whetheryou’re heading out for the beach or taking a dip in the backyard swimmingpool, these do’s and don’ts from experts on water health and safety will help you and your family get the jump on healthy waterfun. * Don’t swallow water that you swim in. Dirty or polluted water that gets into the mouthor is swallowed can cause gastrointestinalillness. While chlorine does kill germs, it can take some time to do so. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that people actually clean up—with soap and water— before jumpingin. * Do dry ears thoroughly. After any water exposure, dry ears thoroughly with a towel to prevent swimmer’s ear—a very common and extremely painful infection of the outer ear canal that affects about eight million people each year. When watergets into the ear, it can become trapped in the ear canal, turning the area moist and spongy and allowing bacteria to grow. Earplugs can help keep ears dry while they are immersed in water, but if you or your child experience itching in the ear and/or pain in the ear that gets worse when the earlobe is touched or moved, speak to your doctor. One unique eardrop is available to treat swimmer’s ear. Called CIPRODEX OTIC SUSPENSION, it combines two medications—oneis an anti-inflammatory medication to reduce the pain and swelling of swimmer’s ear, and the other is a potent antibiotic that eliminates the infection. While most other antibiotic eardrops need to be used Swimming may be fun but swim- mer’s ear isn’t. Dry ears thoroughly with a towel after a dip. for 10 days, CIPRODEX is administered just twice a day for only seven days, and it can be used in children as young as six months. Side effects associated with this new eardrop, such as itching and ear residue, are minimal. Don’T swim when you have diarrhea. This is especially important for kids in diapers. You can spread germs in the water and makeother people sick. Do remember to watch children around any water environment (pool, stream, lake, tub, toi- let, bucket of water), no matter what skills your child has acquired and no matter how shallow the water. Finally, apply sunscreen liberally—and always before and after swimming—to prevent sunburn and longer-term skin damage. Many dermatologists suggest using a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher.
