SAFETY

Drowning

Drowning is the third leading cause of accidental death for children under the age of five. The water depth of a spa or hot tub is sufficient for drowning to occur. Be sure to always cover the hot tub or spa when not in use.


Children

Never allow children to use the spa or hot tub unsupervised. Children enjoy playing in water and may not understand the risk involved in too much exposure. Discretion is advised in allowing children to use spa and hot tubs at all, since their young bodies may not adjust well to the high temperatures. If in doubt, check with your doctor. If young children will be using your spa or hot tub, explain to them that they can not under any circumstances dive or jump into it. While a spa or hot tub may seem large and deep to a child, it is not designed for jumping, diving or underwater swimming.

Elevation In body Temperature

Soaking for extended periods of time at too high of temperatures can elevate the body temperature and the temperature of internal organs past safe limits. Water temperature should never under any circumstance exceed 40 degrees Celsius or 104 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep an accurate thermometer in the spa or hot tub at all times to monitor the water temperature before and while in the spa or hot tub. Soaking too long can make people light-headed or faint. Never soak for more than 15 minutes per hot tub visit. Leave the hot tub or spa, cool your body temperature down and then slowly return for another brief soak.

Health Risks


Soaking in a hot tub or spa can be a most wonderful feeling. Hot water can be rejuvenating and soothing to your soul. Still, there are health risks: -Persons with heart disease, diabetes, high or low blood pressure, any serious illness, ir pregnant women and indeed any persons with any doubt should not enter a spa or hot tub. -Persons with skin, ear, genital, or other body infections should not enter the hot tub or spa because of the possibility of spreading the infection.

Alcohol and Drugs

Never allow anyone who has been drinking alcohol or using any kinds of drugs (prescribed or illegal) enter the hot tub or spa. Alcohol in your blood stream and soaking in the tub create a combined effect that can be damaging. The ultimate danger of combined alcohol consumption and hot water soaking is drowning due to loss of consciousness, heart attack or injury due to passing out or falling. As with alcohol, the combined use of certain drugs and medicines and hot water soaking can be dangerous. Never use a spa or hot tub after using narcotics or other drugs that may cause sleepiness, drowsiness, or raise or lower blood pressure. With any drug or medication, consult your doctor about potential harmful effects from combined drug use and hot water soaking.

Food and Drink

Establish an area away from the hot tub or spa for refreshments to prevent accidental slips or falls caused by spills near the hot tub or on the deck. Bare Feet More than likely you or your guest will be barefoot while near the spa or hot tub. Use only unbreakable dishes, beverage containers, and utensils. Never use glass anywhere near the spa or hot tub. Broken glass is invisible in water and extremely difficult to get out of the support system.

Lighting

When you are using the hot tub or spa at night, provide ample lighting around the hot tub or spa.

Lightning

If your hot tub or spa is outdoors, stay out of it during lightning or rainstorms because of the possibility of electrocution from lightning hitting the water.

Electrical Shock

Water is an excellent conductor of electricity. Electrical shock or electrocution can occur in a spa or hot tub if live electrical current (including current from a telephone) comes into contact with the water. Keep electrical appliances a significant distance from the spa or hot tub. DO NOT USE EXTENSION CORDS. Use a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) on any appliance that must be near the spa or hot tub. Where possible, use battery operated appliances around the spa or hot tub. Electrocution from appliances and telephones in contact with water is a real danger.

Your spa or hot tub can be the focal point for happy entertainment. Plan ahead to prevent accidents and injuries and make your entertainment truly enjoyable. If you know about safety practice and use good judgement, you will find that the benefits of a spa or hot tub can far outweigh the risks. If you have any further questions or concerns about safety and equipment operation, do not hesitate to call OTTAWA HOT TUB RENTALS AT THE HOT LINE (613) 878-9573. 

BENEFITS

The Hydrotherapy Experience

There are three factors at work in a spa: heat, buoyancy and massage. Together, they create an experience that is both relaxing and rejuvinating. Immersion in hot water raises the body temperature and causes the blood vessels to dilate, resulting in increased circulation. The buoyancy of the water reduces body weight by approximately 90%, relieving pressure on joints and muscles and creating the relaxing sensation of weightlessness.

The massaging action of a spa is created by sending a mixture of warm water and air through jet nozzles. This "energized" stream of water relaxes tight muscles and stimulates the release of endorphins, the body's natural pain killers. Of course, a spa offers much more than just a good hydromassage. Soaking in hot, swirling water leaves you feeling mentally and emotionally relaxed as well. Fifteen minutes in the morning can give you a fresh start. And a soak before bedtime can make it easier to drift into a deep, restful sleep. A spa is something you'll want to experience every day.

Lower Back Pain? 

Lower back pain is the number 2 reason in Canada that people visit the doctor after colds and the flu. Millions of people suffer needlessly from lower back pain. A study published in the British Journal of Rheumatology provided evidence that hot tub therapy has short and long term benefits for people with lower back pain in 1995. Researchers in France published a study in the Journal of Rheumatology with wonderful results. Examinations showed improvement in health status (measured in back flexibility and pain duration and intensity) of the spa treatment group than in the medication-only group after three weeks of consistent spa therapy. The use of anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics also decreased in the spa treatment group. This research information was published in the March-April 1996 issue of Arthritis Today. Hydro therapy use in the back is useful for diseases of the lungs, bronchial asthma, multiple sclerosis, spinal disease, back pain and weakened back muscles. It should not be used on debilitated patients or those with neurasthenia.

Arthritis.

One in three People and about 70 million people have some form of arthritis. Although there are over 100 different kinds of arthritis, most are characterized by inflammation of the joints which causes swelling, pain and stiffness, often resulting in loss of joint movement or function. Many people affected by arthritis seek relief by soaking in the warm, soothing waters of a spa. A hot tub can provide the warmth, massage and buoyancy needed to both relax and exercise joints and muscles in the convenience and comfort of your own backyard. Relaxed muscles create an overall feeling of comfort which can then make it easier to perform exercises and carry out daily tasks. If you know someone who is affected by the pain and discomfort of arthritis, a spa may bring the relief they need. A Hot Spring spa is the ultimate way to soothe stiff, sore muscles and joints through state-of-the-art hydromassage.

Diabetes

For the more than 16 million people who have diabetes, help may be as close as the nearest hot tub. A recent study by a Colorado researcher published in the New England Journal of Medicine brings the benefits of hot tub therapy to the surface and sheds new light on the advantages of spa ownership. According to the study, soaking in a hot tub can be beneficial for people who are affected with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. With this type of diabetes, people can often control their condition with regular exercise and a good diet. Unfortunately, many diabetics are physically unable to endure rigorous activity and maintain a steady weight. Studies done in people with Type 2 Diabetes were placed in a hot tub for 30 minutes a day for three consecutive weeks. The results indicated that patients reported a 13% reduction in blood sugar levels, improved sleep and an increase in their overall sense of well being. If you or someone you know is affected by diabetes, relaxing in a spa might bring needed relief. A Hot Tub/Spa is the ultimate way to relax, unwind and relieve tension massage. For more information on this study, visit the New England Journal of Medicine Web site at www.nejm.org. For more information regarding Diabetes, visit the Diabetes Association Web site at www.diabetes.org.

SLEEPLESS NIGHTS?

Sure, spas help ease muscle and joint pain. But did you know they can help you get a good night's sleep as well? According to a poll by the National Sleep Foundation, approximately 132 million people suffer from sleep disorders including mild to chronic insomnia, pauses in breathing and snoring. The poll found that 48% of women and 38% of men suffer from insomnia more than one night a week. This number is on the rise as evidenced by the growing number of sleep disorder centers across the nation. It is the second most prevalent reason people go to the doctor (after pain). Sleep researchers believe that many cases of insomnia can be traced to hectic, stressful lifestyles lived by basically healthy people. The results of sleep deprivation are varied and may cause battered nerves, grogginess, lapses in memory, depression, and erratic mood swings. IMMERSE YOURSELF IN LIQUID TRANQUILITY So how can you help your body enter a deep sleep? According to a recent study in the scientific journal Sleep, a drop in body temperature can help to ease your body into a deeper, more relaxing sleep. Therefore it is suggested that you soak in very hot water (103° F) approximately 90 minutes before bedtime. This causes the body's internal thermostat to pull your temperature down, enabling sleep to set in with more ease. An ideal way to achieve this is to take a 15-minute soak in a spa. This therapeutic use of warm water is called hydromassage. The beauty of a spa-induced sleep is that it is a natural remedy, unlike alternative sleeping aids such as prescription drugs, over-the-counter remedies and alcohol all of which can make you feel groggy and have other adverse side effects. Treating the Rest of the Body with Hydrotherapy

Using hydro therapy for the face is useful for relieving trigeminal neuralgia, tooth aches, headaches and migraines and relaxing tired eyes. Treating the neck is useful for vertigo, arthrosis of finger and hand joints, tinnitus, mild depression, hyper sensitivity to weather changes, tenseness in shoulder and neck, headaches and migraines. This treatment should not be used by those suffering from raised intra-ocular pressure, enlargement of the thyroid or high blood pressure. Hydrotherapy for the chest is useful for angina pectoris, bronchial asthma and bronchitis. Water temperature should be moderated if there is angiospasm risk. Water therapy for the upper trunk (upper torso and arms) is useful for improving blood flow to the heart, lungs and pleura. It is useful for stimulating respiratory and cardiac activity, toning up, varicose veins, nervous excitability, headaches, disease of larynx and vocal cords, bronchial asthma and bronchitis. This method of hydrotherapy should not be used if there is blood stasis in the pulmonary circulation. Using hydro therapy on the arms is useful for cold hands, catarrh in the nose and throat, headaches, vertigo, heart problems, rheumatism of the arms, neuralgia, paralysis and nervous disorders. Treating the hips with hydrotherapy is useful ailments affecting the abdomen, reproductive system, inflammations, pelvic congestion, cramps, hemorrhoids, kidney pain and intestinal pain. It is also useful for enlargement of the gall bladder and stone formation, enlargement of the liver, meteorism and diabetes mellitus. It should not be used for sciatia, irritable bladder, urinary tract infections or during menstruation. Hydrotherapy for the thighs can help improve poor circulation and stimulate blood flow. It is useful in the treatment of coxarthritis, crural paralysis, muscular rheumatism and varicose veins. Water therapy for the thighs should also not be used for sciatia, irritable bladder, urinary tract infections or during menstruation. Treating the feet and legs with hydro therapy is useful for headaches and migraines, varicose veins, contusions, sleeplessness and low blood pressure. This type of water therapy can help ward off vascular damage and influence the digestive and reproductive organs. Like the hips and thighs, hydrotherapy for the feet and legs should not be used for sciatia, irritable bladder, urinary tract infections or during menstruation. Hydrotherapy Risks People with impaired temperature sensation run the risk of scalding or frostbite at temperature extremes. Elderly people and young children may be prone to exhaustion by too much heat and should avoid long full body hot treatments. Consult a physician to determine whether a physical therapy is suitable for your case when a condition is persistent or recurrent. Also consult your doctor if you are pregnant or have a heart disease.