Swimming in Chlorine

I am a swimmer and have been swimming at the Santa Barbara YMCA for over 10 years. Over this time, I have had bronchial irritation now and then that I assumed was due to an allergic reaction to airborne irritants. Little did I know that the aggravation was the result of repeated exposure to the chlorine and chloramines hovering in an envelope above the pool water!

The tragedy is that many people don’t realize how harmful this is. With some basic research and confirmation by health practitioners, it is unsettling that my problem could have been caused by my health club.

I am concerned about all the pools in our town that still use chlorine. After all, there are alternatives. Over the past 20 years, many pools around the country have ceased using the toxic combo of chlorine/chloramines for purification. Why not here in Santa Barbara?

If you’re a swimmer and have skin irritation, acute or chronic respiratory problems, or headaches, the cause might be the chorine. Check it out.