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Health knowledge made personal
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Health knowledge made personal
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 Image by konr4dA reader recently asked if the chlorine in a swimming pool could increase symptoms of Sjogren's Syndrome, specifically stinging and burning. She didn't specify where these symptoms occurred - I'm guessing the chlorine affected either her eyes or skin, or possibly both. Great question. First, I want to commend her for the reason for her question - she is spending as much as an hour each day in a swimming pool. Kudos to her for the commitment to exercise! I would love to say that I hit the pool every day too, but then I would be telling a big fat fib......actually I think I'm doing the world a favor by not frightening small children with the image of myself in a swimming suit. Ew. Back to the question at hand: Chlorine, the disinfecting agent used in most public swimming pools, could definitely make Sjogren's eyes and skin - already parched thanks to autoimmune dryness - even more dry and irritated. Some suggestions: Skin: Consider applying a moisturizer to your skin an hour before going to the pool. Shower immediately after leaving the pool, using a hypo-allergenic soap and cool water. Sometimes Sjogren's skin can become irritated simply from exposure to very warm water, such as may be found in some heated pools and hot tubs, and cooling the skin down may help. A shower will also remove residual chlorine from the skin. Follow the shower with a moisturizer. Eyes: Before entering the pool, moisturize the eyes with your favorite preservative-free eye drops. Consider using swim goggles to decrease contact of pool water with your eyes. After leaving the pool, irrigate the eyes again with eye drops. If the pool is outdoors, be aware that sun exposure is difficult for many Sjoggies, so be sure to apply a sunscreen, and if possible, avoid long exposures to direct hot sun. You can read my previous post about sunshine and autoimmune diseaseshere. If after consistently swimming in a public pool or using a public hot tub, you develop a rash, or your eyes become increasingly red or inflamed, consult a doctor. Unfortunately, it is possible to contract eye, skin, and other infections, called recreational water illnesses by the CDC. You can read more about RWIshere.  |
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