Beat Chlorine Allergy with These 4 Tips
Almost every person in the world likes to swim and with good reasons: the cool water is calming, the exercise you get from swimming improves your overall bodily health, and there are a lot of exciting water activities out there. However, not all people are lucky enough to enjoy the benefits of swimming, particularly those who are allergic to chlorine. People with chlorine allergy often experience rashes and hives during or after they go for a swim in a pool.
Chlorine allergy can affect people with a pre-existing intolerance to the chemical or even those who swim regularly because chlorine is a very strong chemical that can irritate your skin after repeated exposure. But just because you’ve developed an allergic reaction to chlorine doesn’t mean you have to stay away from pools forever.
You can manage your allergy to chlorine by simply doing to simple tips:
Rinse off the chlorine right after swimming
After you’ve finished swimming, go straight to the shower stalls and rinse off the chlorine from your body. Make sure to wash it off thoroughly without scrubbing too hard. Scrubbing too much can leave welts or weaken the outer layer of the skin, leaving you vulnerable to infections and wounds.
Apply moisturizer after swimming
After you’ve rinsed off the chlorine, apply a generous amount of moisturizer. Chlorine can leave your skin dry so it’s important to rehydrate your skin by applying moisturizer and also by drinking lots of water. Additionally, the moisturizer has a calming effect so even if you start to itch after being exposed to chlorine, the moisturizer will get rid of it.
Use saline drops on your eyes
Chlorine doesn’t only make your skin uncomfortable but it can also be bad for your eyes. After you’ve finished your laps, have your eye drops ready and put in a few on each eye to relieve the itchiness or any discomfort.
Consult your physician
Some of the discomfort you may experience when swimming could be mild, like rashes on your skin, but some people develop more severe reactions to chlorine, like asthma.
If you’ve been experiencing shortness of breath, tightness of the chest, incessant coughing after swimming, or a runny nose, then you might need the help of your doctor to figure out if you’re developing respiratory sensitivity to chlorine. Your physician can provide you with the necessary treatments to ensure that you can manage your allergy while you swim.
Remember: swimming can still be a fun exercise, fun sport or just a fun thing to do as long as you take steps to manage your allergy to chlorine.