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Chlorine can not be removed, left. So in this sentence, ordinary healthy people put a comma. Allergy sufferers would offer another option: remove bleach, you can’t leave it. But it's not about the difficulties of punctuation. We will figure out what actually causes such a violent reaction of the immune system and whether bleach is really so dangerous.
Chlorine has long established itself as a universal cleaning agent. It copes with both stubborn stains and bacteria and unpleasant odors, while also providing an antiseptic effect, which is undoubtedly a plus in the treasury of merits. The disadvantage is the risk of allergy symptoms in people sensitive to chlorine components, as well as the threat of poisoning in case of non-compliance with safety measures.
Attention! When working with bleaches containing chlorine, it is necessary to use protective equipment: tight rubber gloves and preferably a mask so as not to inhale toxic fumes. Otherwise, you may harm your health.
Precautionary measures
It is not uncommon for people to inhale chlorine, feel nausea and suffocation. The following recommendation will come in handy here: immediately go to fresh air, which will help to avoid dizziness. Next, try to provoke a gag reflex. If the skin is affected, then the areas should be washed with running water and left open, without wrapping anything. Of course, immediately call an ambulance doctor.
You can hardly miss the manifestation of an allergy to bleach. However, this may not happen immediately. Allergies can be latent. Then the symptoms will appear much later. If you do not pay attention to the deterioration of health, an allergy to bleach can flow into bronchial asthma and other problems with the organs of the respiratory system. Attacks of coughing and suffocation, which are extremely difficult to get rid of, will remind you of your former carelessness in relation to your own health for a long time to come.
When attending swimming classes or training in a fitness club, you will inevitably encounter either chlorinated water in the pool bowl, or rooms that are heavily chlorinated (changing rooms, toilets and showers). SanPiN norms (*admin note: SanPiN - sanitary rules and norms) dictate their requirements for the treatment of premises so as not to risk the health of dear customers. Undoubtedly, bleach kills microbes and, so to speak, “strangles in the bud” various infectious diseases.
If the body reacts sharply to household chemicals , the immune system will undoubtedly give a “sos” signal when interacting with chlorine-containing products. We must pay tribute to such cleaning agents, because they perfectly cope with bacteria in everyday life, are used to treat swimming pools, and help in the fight against mold and fungi. But what if an allergy to chlorine ruins your life and does not allow you to breathe freely? Let's talk about the symptoms and how to treat an allergy to bleach.
Symptoms
An allergy to the substance itself or even to the smell of bleach is manifested as follows:
- a sudden attack of suffocation;
- feeling of lack of air;
- erratic breathing;
- loss of consciousness or its turbidity is possible;
- lacrimation;
- swelling in the nasopharynx;
- sore throat;
- cough and runny nose;
- the appearance of a rash on the skin, red spots, scaly areas, dry skin.
The individual characteristics of the body and the immune system - it is on them that the "bouquet" of symptoms that manifest an allergy to chlorine depends.
Treatment for chlorine allergy
First of all, stop panic! We will tell you what to do if your bleach allergy has negatively affected your well-being and caused the dangerous symptoms we have listed above. Of course, visit an allergist. If you feel unwell and you are unable to wait, call an ambulance immediately. The danger of this allergen does not allow you to sit back.
You need to take action as soon as possible:
- Drink an antihistamine .
- Treat the rash with an anti-allergic ointment.
- Pain in the eyes and tearing will help remove eye drops.
- Rinse eyes and nose with running water.
- Get some fresh air if you feel dizzy and feel nauseous.
- Remove all chlorine-containing products from your apartment.
- Try not to visit public places where there is bleaching of premises. At least until the onset of relief after an exacerbation of allergies.
Prevention of allergy symptoms
If the desire to visit the pool is stronger than the fear of going to bed for a week with an allergic reaction to the hospital, the following recommendations will definitely come in handy:
- If you are a beautiful young girl, then do not forget to wash off all makeup before going swimming, otherwise you will harm your skin, because bleach reacts with makeup products. However, both men and women need a shower before a swim. (We will talk about this a little lower).
- Wear pool goggles: this will prevent chlorine from corroding the mucous membranes of the eyes.
- Nose filters also come in handy.
- Do not forget a textile or newfangled silicone hair cap: they become brittle and brittle from aggressive products. We do not recommend opting for a rubberized model, as your hair may suffer from it.
- After swimming, protect your skin with a moisturizer (choose a good cream without unnecessary fragrances and dyes, preferably based on medicinal herbs such as chamomile, calendula, string). Brutal men should not neglect this recommendation, because the code corrodes regardless of gender. There is nothing shameful for a man to put lotion on his skin.
- All pool visitors are encouraged to shower before exercising. And it's not just the basic rules of hygiene. Chlorine compounds actively interact with organic "traces" of a person in the form of particles of skin, hair, secretion of sweat drops and other secretions, so the less this "good" in the water, the better for visitors.
- Opt for sports complexes where a combined method of water purification is used in the pool, for example, a combination of disinfecting the pool bowl with chlorine tablets, ionization and transillumination of water with ultraviolet rays.
It is important to remember: only a doctor qualified in the field of treatment of allergic reactions selects the right allergy remedy, clarifies the dosage in accordance with your well-being and test results, and then prescribes a combined treatment with tablets, ointments or creams. Uncontrolled use of drugs can only worsen the situation. So be smart and take care of yourself!
