Allergy to color | Symptoms and treatment of this common summer allergy

Could You Be Allergic to Pool Chlorine? Symptoms and Treatmentfreepik

Practically everyone is on holidays, so the heat remains the main issue. And with the bathroom, some allergic reactions that occur in young children due to chlorine pools may appear.

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Chlorine is a substance used to disinfect water, such as in swimming pools or drinking water supplies, because it has oxidizing properties and the ability to kill pathogens living in it.

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But it’s actually this ability to scavenge that makes it such an irritating compound that it acts as a trigger for allergic reactions.

Its effects can be felt on both the respiratory tract and the skin, either because there is too much chlorine in the pool because the child spends a lot of time in contact with the water or because of skin sensitivity.

“Generally, children are always the most affected, because they spend a lot of time in the water and, in addition, their skin is more delicate and sensitive than that of an adult,” he from the Spanish Society of Clinical Immunology, Allergy and Let’s explain. Pediatric asthma (SEICAP).

Chlorine is a fairly irritating compound that acts as a trigger for allergic reactions.

What effect does chlorine have on baby’s skin?

Both chlorine and contaminants (sweat, cream residue, perfume, saliva, dead skin, etc.) brought into the water by bathers can have an irritating effect on the skin of young children.

One of the main consequences of this irritation is the appearance of eczema. Specifically, “it is usually a flexural eczema, that is, it appears in areas of the skin that have folds”, explain the SEICAP pediatricians.

The areas most commonly affected by this type of eczema are behind the knees, in front of the elbows, in the groin area, in the armpits, in the folds of the neck or eyelids, and also under the breasts in women.

The reaction is not the same in all parts of the body, there are certain areas which are more sensitive and prone to suffer from these irritations. One of the particularly sensitive areas is the cornea of ​​the eye. It usually turns red when exposed to chlorine, indicating that irritation is occurring.

What to do in case of a reaction or burn with chlorine?

Well, the way these reactions to chlorine act first, whether allergic or not, depends on which area of ​​the body is damaged.

In the case of those suffering from respiratory symptoms associated with exposure to chlorinated water, the experts indicate that the most appropriate thing would be to “follow the treatment prescribed by a pediatric allergist in children who have already been diagnosed with asthma and allergic rhinitis.” Has been done.”

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He further added, “If there is no evidence that the child has any type of allergy and respiratory problems are observed after swimming in the pool, it is advised to consult a pediatrician to assess each case Is given.”

As far as eye irritation is concerned, it should be treated immediately to reduce the discomfort of the baby. “If the child has been prescribed any rescue medication by his allergist paediatrician, which is usually an antihistamine, oral or eye drops, this will be given as soon as possible. In addition, the use of cold compresses may be useful to relieve itching, as well as washing with physiological saline.

Finally, in relation to skin lesions such as eczema, oral antihistamines can be used for itching. Apart from this, it is also important to apply moisturizer to restore the skin.

It is important to shower before and after anything to avoid irritation and allergies.

Recommendations for preventing allergies to chlorine

Although summer bathing days are numbered, there are still many children who go to swimming pools as an extracurricular activity during the school year, which is why SEICAP works to avoid chlorine-derived problems in children even during the summer. Provides a range of recommendations for. Cold:

• Apply moisturizing cream to baby before and after exposure to chlorine.

• Take a shower before and after bathing. This is necessary because it is necessary to ensure that the skin enters the pool water as clean as possible and that the remnants of chlorine and other agents are also removed when leaving.

• Avoid taking long baths whenever possible.

• Wear swimming goggles. This makes it less likely that the eyes are in direct contact with chlorine.