Itching After Swimming In A Pool

Swimming improves your fitness, but itchy skin post-swim can put a damper on your enthusiasm for aquatic exercise. An excellent aerobic exercise, swimming improves your cardiovascular health and strength while protecting your joints from the effects of gravity. Swimming has a relatively low risk of injury, but some swimmers find that continuous exposure to chlorinated water irritates their skin.

Pool Sanitation Basics

Untreated, freshwater pools quickly turn into a breeding ground for bacteria, algae and other contaminants. Carefully managed chemical treatment kills or neutralizes harmful organisms but keeps the water safe for swimmers. Chlorine compounds in the form of powders or pellets provide an inexpensive and relatively stable option for disinfection. Chlorine in the water reacts readily with urine, sweat and bacteria introduced by swimmers, and neutralizes the associated health risks.

Chemical Sensitivity

Chlorine keeps pool water safe, but the byproducts from the disinfection process can cause skin and eye irritation. Chloramines are the compounds formed when chlorine combines with impurities in the water, such as nitrogen from urine. The heavier the contaminant load, the more likely you are to experience skin irritation. Insufficient free chlorine is often the cause of chloramine buildup in pools, and the resulting irritated, red and itchy skin.

Balance

Correct pool water pH keeps you comfortable during and after your swim. Ideally, pool water has a pH between 7.2 and 7.8, neither too acid nor too alkaline. If the pH falls above or below those levels, it can lead to skin irritation and itching. Too little or incorrectly balanced pool disinfection can result in bacterial or fungal growth in the water and on the walls and filters of the pool. Germs such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa or parasites can infect poorly maintained water, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The germs and parasites can cause swimmer's itch and hot-tub itch, which both result in rash and discomfort. These conditions usually clear up in a few weeks, once you stop exposing yourself to the source of infection.

Prevention/Solutions

Chemically disinfected water can cause occasional itching in all swimmers, but it especially irritates already sensitive, dry skin. Shower thoroughly after you swim, and use chlorine-neutralizing soap and shampoo. Slather on moisturizer after showering, from head to toe. At home, bathe in cool water and avoid exposure to perfumed cleansers. Mild over-the-counter antihistamines help soothe the itch that leads to further inflamed and reddened skin, but if your itching persists or if a rash develops, tell your physician about your concerns.