You can’t be allergic to chlorine, but you can be sensitive or have a reaction. If you are sensitive, should you stop swimming? No, instead you should find and treat the cause of your sensitivity and find relief.

What you think is a chlorine allergy might actually be underlying asthma, exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB) or bronchospasm. Your runny nose might be due to other underlying allergy problems.

Chlorine reactions...

Chlorine is an element that pool owners use to disinfect water, making it safer to swim in it or to get in a hot tub. Thanks to its capabilities as a powerful disinfectant, it’s also added to cleaning solutions.

While chlorine has a lot of benefits, if you love to swim, frequent exposure to it can have some negative effects. The element can be drying to skin and lead to irritation, even if you’ve previously been swimming in chlorine and haven’t had skin problems.

If you get a chlorine rash after...

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Chlorine sensitivity and allergies are more common in competitive swimmers than you would think, as chlorine itself is a natural irritant. Because swimming is one of the most difficult forms of exercise, having an added discomfort can become increasingly frustrating for adolescent and adult swimmers alike. Here are some easy ways to identify and combat skin, eye, and respiratory discomfort caused by the chlorine environment.

1. Rinse your skin...

Chlorine used to disinfect swimming pools is widely recognized as a health hazard. New research suggests that children who swim frequently in chlorinated pools may have increased risks of developing allergies or asthma. Among adults exposure to chlorine in swimming pools has been linked with other health problems including bladder and rectal cancer and, possibly, an increased risk for coronary heart disease...