Allergists insist that only a minority of patients experience an allergy to chlorine. Instead, sufferers are most likely oversensitive to thechemical. Chlorine in swimming pools or drinking water can irritate your eyes and skin and can cause coughing, sneezing, and wheezing if inhaled. If you suffer from these symptoms, there may be too much chlorine in your pool or drinking water. It's also possible that your problem is swimmer's sinusitis (sine-you-SYE-tihs), which is caused by cooling of the skin and getting water into the sinuses. This results in a stuffy, itchy nose with some discharge after swimming. The best treatment is to switch to a non-chlorine pool sanitizer. Some other remedies include nose plugs, saline nasal sprays, decongestants, and other medications that help keep the nasal passages open. Also, drink plenty of water to keep the mucus thin and allow the nose to drain quickly. If the problem persists, be sure to see a doctor, because you could develop a serious sinus infection and complicate the problem.
