Chlorine Exposure Can Be A Health Risk
Chlorine gas poisoning is a serious health and wellness condition and illness which arrives from the effects of short-term high exposure or long-term lower-exposure to chlorine. The signals and signs of chlorine poisoning are mostly upper respiratory.
Short term high exposure situations are usually from chemical spills, accidents or errors in handling or adding chlorine to pools. Long term low exposure is far more common and can take place over the course of years, most often from swimming, water aerobics, or working at a pool servicing or pool supply store.
Chlorine combines with urine and sweat in pool water which forms irritants called chloramines and is more potent than chlorine. Inhaled chloramines are so strong they can directly cause asthma. All public pools tested had urine. One test showed urine in all 31 pools tested. There's typically 30 to 80 gallons of urine in a public pool!
Signs, signals and symptoms of excessive chlorine exposure are sneezing, runny nose, nose and throat irritation. There may also be rash, skin and eye irritations, red eyes and teary eyes, a persistent cough which lasts a long time (weeks or longer), nausea, mucus and phlegm build-up, or headaches.
Keeping your mouth closed, not swallowing water and no deep-breathing does not help since chlorine gets absorbed directly into the skin. However, it does help to take a fast shower right after leaving the swimming pool to wash away the chlorine from your skin before it's more absorbed.
Chlorine can also cause health issues in kids such as higher risk of developing asthma or allergies. In adults, chlorine in pools has links to rectal and bladder cancer, and even a greater risk of heart disease.
If you have symptoms or suspect you may have a chlorine poisoning medical condition we recommend you consult with an Internal Medicine physician who can do toxocity testing and treatment. Doctors will first listen to your lungs for tell-tale wheezing and crackling sounds.
However, with that said, it may not be easy to find a doctor who can check to see if you have a chlorine exposure issue. That's because it's not a well-known condition and we are told toxicity testing is required for valid diagnosis and treatment.
A problem is many facilities don't have toxicity physicians or do toxocity testing. For example, Mayo Clinic has 3 large medical centers and hospitals in Arizona, Minnesota and Florida but we were told by Mayo in AZ only Rochester MN offers toxicity services.
