Can chlorine be irritating my skin when I swim?
Ever since I was little, every time I swam, my skin would become red. It didn’t itch until I got out of the pool. But now I’m a freshman in high school and we’re going into the swim unit in PE. I’ll be really embarrassed for people to see my skin red and itchy after we get out. Do I need to go see a doctor to get a note to excuse me? Will they let me sit out? Will I still have to do it? Thanks!
Chlorine can be very irritating. If there is too much chlorine in the pool, or even if any of the other chemicals are out of range, it can irritate your skin. You may also be allergic to it. The alternative for using chlorine in a pool is to use bromine. Obviously that wouldn’t help you if you are swimming for school. I would maybe go to the doctor and tell them what is happening. You may be able to get a note so you don’t have to do it. If the doc won’t give you one, tell your gym teacher. He/she may be understanding enough to let you do something else for a grade.
April 10th, 2010 at 11:18 am
Chlorine is a lye used to help kill bacteria in swimming pools. As such, it has a very high pH - the opposite of an acid. Either can burn the skin.
It’s very possible for chlorinated pools to be over-chlorinated, which would result in skin irritation. The redness and itching may actually be mild chemical burns. Usually the eyes are affected the most first, since they maintain a normal pH and chlorine increases it, causing the tissues to swell up and the traditional "swimming pool red-eye".
Another thing to consider is allergies or hyper-sensitive skin. You could be allergic to the chlorine (the same base ingredient in most bleaches, by the way) or your skin could be reacting to even mild amounts.
The best way to tell if you have a sensitivity (which means either allergic to or have a mild reaction to) to chlorine is to see if other people have similar blotches. If not, then chances are you have a sensitivity to it and should see a doctor for relief and a note to stay out of the pool. On the other hand, if others are experiencing the same thing, then the chlorine in the pool is too high and the maintenance people need to be made aware that they’re frying their swimmers.
References :
pH Explained: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PH
Chlorine allergies explained: http://www.helium.com/items/1198980-chlorine-allergy-allergies-sensitivity-chemical-sensitivity-pool
April 10th, 2010 at 11:36 am
It’s perfectly normal to have chlorine irritate the skin. It would not irritate your skin as much as compared to the time when you were little because your skin is probably "thicker" by now (with dead skin cells). I had chlorine irritate my skin while swimming but it got better as I kept on swimming.
References :
Me.
April 10th, 2010 at 12:10 pm
Chlorine can be very irritating. If there is too much chlorine in the pool, or even if any of the other chemicals are out of range, it can irritate your skin. You may also be allergic to it. The alternative for using chlorine in a pool is to use bromine. Obviously that wouldn’t help you if you are swimming for school. I would maybe go to the doctor and tell them what is happening. You may be able to get a note so you don’t have to do it. If the doc won’t give you one, tell your gym teacher. He/she may be understanding enough to let you do something else for a grade.
References :
5 years working at a pool store