Chlorine Allergy..Signs & Symptoms

Swimming Pool Care

If you're wondering if you have a real chlorine allergy, you'll be looking for signs and symptoms for a chlorine allergic reaction. So the questions are what is a real allergy to chlorine and what are the possible treatments?

Pool chlorine has many beneficial uses including sanitizing swimming pools and drinking water. You can rest easy in knowing that if you practice good swimming pool care and proper pool water maintenance, you pool will be well sanitized and free from any kind of chlorine poisoning.

What Is An Allergy To Pool Chlorine

Signs And Symptoms

1. Breathing-
Respiratory problems like an asthma attack or asthmatic bronchitis may happen when someone who might be chlorine sensitive comes in contact with swimming pool chlorine. The symptoms may increase when the person goes to an indoor pool without proper air flow, ventilation, and poor swimming pool care.

Another possible symptom is a tightness in the chest and shortness of breath.

2. Eye Irritation-
Swimming pools with a high chloramine (combined chlorine) level will irritate most people's eyes, but one with a real chlorine allergy will suffer from redness and severe irritation along with possible swelling and itching.

If you experience any of these symptoms, get out of the pool and rise your eyes very well.

3. Itching-
Most of the time pool chlorine is an irritant in and of itself, but those with a chlorine allergy have suffer severe itching and redness along the armpits and groin areas.

Showering after swimming will help reduce this reaction to the pool chlorine.

4. Rash-
This rash might be similar to eczema. If your clothes are washed in a chlorine based detergent, you might need to switch to another brand. This rash will probably go away if caught and treated in time, but prolonged contact might result in a more pronounced skin rash and might spread causing more itching and burning.
5. Dry Skin-
You may experience severe dry skin all over your body but might be more severe in your armpits or groin area. This reaction to pool chlorine can lead to dry skin, itching, redness, and even peeling skin.

Use a special soap and shampoo that removes the pool chlorine and use a good moisturizer.

6. Stuffy Nose-
You might also experience a stuffy nose after swimming in a poorly maintained public swimming pool. This is normally called Sinusitis and is caused by water going in your nose and up into the sinus area.

The best treatment would be to drink plenty of water to allow your nose to drain properly. If the problem persists seek out your health care provider as an infection can cause more issues down the road.

Treatment

Again if your chlorine allergy symptoms persist call your health care provider.

Some current health articles and medical headlines have come out mentioning chlorine allergy, chlorine poisoning, asthma symptoms, shortness of breath, and general allergy symptoms associated with pool chlorine.

I believe many of these symptoms are from poor swimming pool maintenance and those pool operators who may not understand basic swimming pool care and chlorine safety.

A normal chlorine swimming pool and even salt water swimming pools will produce what is known as chloramines or combined chlorine. This is a by-product of pool chlorine and organic matter. When the swimming pool chlorine comes into contact with this matter it oxidizes and kills it.

This dead matter and bacteria floating in the pool are the chloramines. This is the smell that you get when you enter an indoor public pool.

A good pool shock will kill the chloramines (combined chlorine) in the swimming pool. To test for combined chlorine and residual chlorine, you need a good pool water testing kit.

I believe these chloramines (combined chlorine) are partly or mostly responsible for your chlorine allergy. From my understanding very few people have an actual chlorine allergy.

More often it's a lesser resistance to pool chlorine.

By taking a good shower using anti-chlorine soap and shampoo and limiting your exposure to swimming pool chlorine, you may increase your chances of a long, healthy, and fun swimming season.

This is not to be used for medical purposes. My objective was to give you some information about a possible chlorine allergy.

If you believe you may suffer from an allergy to chlorine please ask your health care provider.

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