water parks........toddlers.......and illness

[JackSpratsMom]

On my last visit to Blizzard Beach one of the teenagers came away with conjunctivitis.....the other with an ear infection.
I know the Disney water parks have a thorough cleaning mechanism for the water, but I can't help wondering if my 2yr old is going to escape illness free from our trip next week.
I wonder if we should at least leave the water parks until the end of the stay...just in case. After all a whole trip with a sick child will be miserable for everyone.

Were we just unlucky last time or do you think water parks and bugs go hand in hand???

 

[safetymom]

We have gone many times to the water parks and never had anyone get sick.

 

[phamton]

In our case, it hasn't been the quality of the water at the pools but too much swimming. My teen tends to get swimmers ear when he swims everyday at Disney. We've learned to use vinegar and alcohol to dry his ears. My other son has allergies and his eyes get irritated and red from the chemicals that are in all pools. His eye can get infected if we don't use antihistimines and eyedrops. I seriously doubt that an eye infection could be caught from swimming only as the chemicals in the water would take care of that, but sharing towels might do it.

A little preventitive care will take care of most of those problems. You didn't say if the ear infection was inner ear or not. Inner ear infections are rarely contagious but rather a secondary infection from a cold, sinus infection, etc. If it is swimmers ear, put in a few drops of alcohol/vinegar solution and also use a hairdryer to dry the ears. Eye drops (saline solution type, not the "get the red out" kind) will sooth the irritation. When eyes get irritated, they are more prone to infections.

 

[ducklite]

How do you know this came from the waterparks? Conjuctivitus could have come from touching the button in the elevator at your resort. The ear infection could have been coming on before you even left home. Now I'm not saying they didn't get the illnesses at the water parks, but I urge you to look at other possiilities before unilaterally deciding the water parks were at fault.

Anne