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Age Restrictions for a Hot Tub

Children younger than 5 should not use hot tubs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A hot tub can prove hazardous to a child. If a child is allowed to get in a hot tub, he needs to be supervised by an adult at all times. Children can get their body parts trapped in hot tubs as well as their hair tangled, which can lead to drowning and death, notes the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Elderly people also need to proceed with caution when using a hot tub.

  1. Children

    • When the hot tub is not in use, a locked safety cover needs to be in place. Hair entanglement, which can lead to death, can occur when a person’s hair is sucked into the suction fitting in the hot tub, pulling the person’s head under water. Hair can also become entangled in the drain cover as the hair and drain are drawn through the drain. Check to see if your drain cover meets safety standards, which prevent this from happening. If your drain cover is missing, do not use the hot tub. Body parts can become trapped in the suction of the drain. This has caused death and disembowelment. A dome-shaped drain outlet and two outlets for each pump are now required.

    Considerations

    • If the water is too hot, this can cause people to fall asleep and drown. In addition, when body temperature is raised it can result in heat stroke and death. The water should not be hotter than 104 degrees F. Older people and children are at risk of overheating, notes the Arthritis Foundation.

    Elderly

    • If you are an elderly person, use hot tubs with care. If you have a weak immune system and are susceptible to bacteria you would be wise to avoid hot tub bathing because there can be high levels of bacteria in a hot tub. Staying in a hot tub too long can cause anyone, but particularly an older person, to overheat and this can lead to death.

    Specifics

    • According to Dr. W. Gifford Jones, the bacterium mycobacterium avium has a special fondness for hot tubs. This bacterium is related to the bacteria that causes tuberculosis. If this germ gets into your lungs, via bubbles that form in the contaminated water then burst when they rise to the surface of the hot tub, dispensing the bacteria into the air, you may suffer from tightness of the chest, chills and fever, fatigue, shortness of breath and a wet cough. If your health is already compromised by age or disease this could be a dangerous situation.

    Risky at Any Age

    • If you have circulatory problems, low or high blood pressure, heart or lung disease, or are pregnant, ask your physician if it is advisable for you to get in a hot tub, regardless of your age.

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