Mar
I think i have a strong chlorine intolerance, (getting hives, itching when i go swimming) so my physician told me to not swim for a couple of weeks..
However, I also feel extremely uncomfortable when i'm around a pool …so would it be good to just stay away from pools altogether? Or is it not possible for me to get reactions if I'm near, and not inside the pool?
-I'm not sure if this makes sense, haha.
Answer:
I know that where I live that they add chlorine to the tap water (I can smell it and it's really gross) to help keep it clean. I'm pretty sure a lot of places do that.
Also if you’re having hives, it's not an intolerance, it's an allergy because your immune system is trying it's best to get rid of what it sees as foreign invaders.
Do you live somewhere that has a river or a lake that you could swim in for comparison?
It also could be that you might be allergic to another one of the chemicals used to treat the pool water. Is it just one pool in particular or any? Usually with allergies using some sort of process of elimination helps narrow what the allergy is being triggered by.
I've had very bad hives before and I have the ability to fully understand your feeling to avoid pools!
As for being around them, as long as you don't come in contact with the specific thing causing the hives I think you would be fine. However, pools tend to splash a lot and all it would take is to be in the wrong location. So I guess it just comes down to what you yourself feel comfortable with.