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Chlorine and asthma

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  • 23-03-2017 12:29am
    #1
    Ursus Horribilis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,168 ✭✭✭


    I'm not looking for medical advice here, just asking a general question. I've had asthma since I was a kid and I take regular medication for it. When I was in my early teens I had to give up swimming because the chlorine in my local pool was giving me trouble. After swimming I'd start coughing, wheezing, have a sore throat, turn hoarse and generally be miserable as hell. So I gave it up because it was in effect making me sick.

    What I'm asking is if anybody here has ever managed to overcome this? Is there anything I can do to avoid the symptoms which made me quit swimming? I would love to start swimming again but I feel I'm constrained by my location (don't live in Dublin) and my allergy to chlorine. Any suggestions?


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    #2
    stampydmonkey
    Registered Users Posts: 2,359 ✭✭✭stampydmonkey


    You could try a nose clip. Like you have asthma. Am on inhalers. In a pool with strong chlorine levels I'd be blocked up, sinus in a mess for 2 days after. Really annoying. Tried a nose clip and really made a difference.

    Alternatively you could try find a pool with new equipment and methods of treating the water. Know ur not in Dublin but UCDs pool says that it has "UV treated water for super low chlorine levels, no more red eyes and no smell of chlorine"

    Finally...Just get out in the sea or lake...Waterbottle may be required


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    #3
    promethius
    Registered Users Posts: 1,103 ✭✭✭promethius


    stampydmonkey wrote: »
    You could try a nose clip. Like you have asthma. Am on inhalers. In a pool with strong chlorine levels I'd be blocked up, sinus in a mess for 2 days after. Really annoying. Tried a nose clip and really made a difference.

    Alternatively you could try find a pool with new equipment and methods of treating the water. Know ur not in Dublin but UCDs pool says that it has "UV treated water for super low chlorine levels, no more red eyes and no smell of chlorine"

    Finally...Just get out in the sea or lake...Waterbottle may be required

    Couldn't agree more, i swim a lot and never had any problems when i've used my clip, i wouldn't even consider swimming without one now they're brilliant, also have asthma


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    #4
    bradnailer
    Registered Users Posts: 493 ✭✭bradnailer


    Swim in the Sea.


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    #5
    Ursus Horribilis
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,168 ✭✭✭Ursus Horribilis


    bradnailer wrote: »
    Swim in the Sea.

    That's not going to happen. I don't live near the sea. Besides, the reason why I would like to take up swimming again is because it's indoors and I can go at any time. Provided of course I can spend time in a pool without triggering asthma. I'm going to try the nose clips as suggested here and see how it goes.


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    #6
    Freddio
    Registered Users Posts: 644 ✭✭✭Freddio


    How well is your local pool maintained OP? Some places can never get the chlorine process right. There's 2 parts to chlorinating a pool (fore and aft) and you'd know they are doing it wrong if it gets in anyway cloudy.

    A well maintained pool might be easier to tolerate


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    #7
    whatdoicare
    Registered Users Posts: 2,398 ✭✭✭whatdoicare


    I swim alot and what I do is, after the pool I spend some time in the steam room. I bring my own eucalyptus and throw it on the heater. Clears everything right up.


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