Not everyone is resistant to chlorine; people can actually develop an allergy to it. Read through this article to discover the symptoms and treatment of chlorine allergy.

Chlorine Allergy

When exposed to chlorine, if your eyes start burning, if your skin turns dry, and if you start sneezing more than you normally do, you probably are allergic to chlorine. Chlorine basically is a disinfectant that is most commonly used to maintain swimming pools and treat drinking water. Chlorine, however, can also be used to sanitize bathrooms, and even clothes. A person who is allergic to chlorine may not always be able to know for sure if the allergy is caused by chlorine or not. This is because the symptoms of chlorine allergy can easily be mistaken for a ‘passing cloud’. However, there obviously is more to it than meets the eye. The allergic reaction to chlorine is a type four allergy or a delayed or mediated allergy. Thankfully for people suffering from an allergy to chlorine, there are well defined ways to help treat, and keep the allergy at bay. Scroll down for a closer look at the symptoms and treatment of an allergy to chlorine.
 
Symptoms And Treatment Of Chlorine Allergy
 
Symptoms
  • A person suffering from chorine allergy, more often than not, will suffer from an eye irritation. Contrary to popular belief, an eye irritation due to chlorine cannot plague just swimmers; people who also frequently use chlorinated water can suffer from the same. The best way to know if an individual is suffering from an eye irritation caused due to chlorine is to notice his or her eyes. The affected individual’s eyes will always look red, dry or watery.
  • People don’t sneeze only when they have a cold, a chlorine allergy can cause sneezing too. This symptom most likely occurs when a person breathes in chlorine fumes. If an individual has to deal with constant bouts of sneezing when exposed to chlorine, he or she is probably suffering from a chlorine allergy.
  • Dry skin caused due to chlorine allergy is more likely to plague a swimmer or those who bathe using chlorinated water than a person who does not swim. A person who suffers from dry skin caused due to swimming will notice that his or her skin becomes tight, itchy, dry, and starts peeling off when exposed to chlorine. Due to chlorine allergy he/she may also suffer from dry skin when he or she wears clothes that have been treated with chlorine.
  • If a person’s nose starts itching, and feels heavy after breathing in chlorine fumes or after swimming in a pool that has been treated with chlorine, then he/she probably is suffering from a chlorine allergy. This makes for one of the most common symptoms, if not the most common symptom of a chlorine allergy.
 
Treatment

The best way of treating an allergy to chlorine is to slowly reduce the affected person’s exposure to the chemical. There is no point in asking an individual to jump into a pool treated with chlorine right after he recovers from a rash caused by chlorine. An allergy to chlorine is a rare occurrence, and it is best to visit a doctor who would prescribe a few medicines to battle the allergy. Doctors can also give advice on how exactly to keep an allergy to chlorine at bay. For swimmers, it is advisable to take a shower right before swimming and a shower right after swimming. This helps to keep an allergy to chlorine at bay.


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