Itchy skin and reddish eyes every time you go to the pool: are you ‘allergic’ to chlorine?

Every time John got out of the pool after his weekly swimming class, his entire body would itch all night and even his eyelids would be swollen. His parents even thought about stopping him going swimming because there were times when his skin was “really bad, especially around and under the armpits, behind the knees, on the elbows and inside the nose,” they recall.

Paradoxically, he is now a swimming instructor at a sports club and has had no choice but to put into practice a series of tricks to be able to cope with all these symptoms in the best possible way without having to give up one of his favourite sports.

What happens to John is that the chlorine used to disinfect the water in the swimming pool triggers in his body – and that of many other people, especially children – a kind of allergic reaction.

This results in itching, dryness, hives or some kind of rash, redness around the eyes and even inflammation of the airways when you spend too much time in the water.

It is what is popularly known as ‘chlorine allergy’ although, in reality, such an allergy does not exist.

“Chlorine is not an allergen, but rather an irritant. That is, people are not allergic to chlorine. What they are is very or somewhat sensitive to the irritation that this compound can cause when coming into contact with our body,” so says the Spanish Society of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and Pediatric Asthma (SEICAP).

Regardless of the sensitivity of each person to this chemical irritant, there are another series of factors that can increase the intensity of these symptoms.

“From the amount of chlorine added to the water to eliminate the pathogens that live in it to the time spent in contact with the compound, which is why it is recommended to avoid prolonged bathing and to shower both before and after leaving the pool. The risk of skin and respiratory irritation also increases in the case of asthmatic children or children with allergic rhinitis,” say the specialists.

Eczema and conjunctivitis

The main reaction is usually eczema (behind the knees, around the elbows, groin area, armpits, folds of the neck and eyelids and, in the case of women, also under the breasts).

Treatments are usually topical (applying moisturising creams to restore the skin as chlorine is very drying to the skin) and oral (antihistamines to calm the itching that comes with this ‘irritant dermatitis’).

However, if you suffer from respiratory problems, it is advisable to consult a specialist. Regarding the conjunctivitis that can also occur, experts advise using swimming goggles and washing the eyes with a saline solution after each swim.

In addition to this sensitivity to chlorine, there is also the so-called ‘swimmer’s itch’, which is an allergic reaction to microparasites present in lakes and ponds, but this is much less common.

“If a person’s skin itches after swimming, it is most likely due to irritant dermatitis. To reduce the itching as much as possible, it is best to go to salt-water pools, take a quick shower using a mild soap and use a special barrier cream when swimming.

The cream is applied before entering the water and creates a protective film on our skin that prevents irritation,” explains dermatologist Ana Molina.