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Allergies and intolerances

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Chlorine reaction?

3 replies

Lee22e · 18/02/2024 04:45

Hi, I'm a nervous wreck mama ever since our child developed a peanut allergy. We wrongly exposed him later in life so he's older now and we regret that decision. I can't tell you how much. I second guess every rash and bump. Can anyone please help me navigate? He had mild to moderate eczema as a baby that resolved but mostly just has sensitive skin now. He rarely gets rashes until his peanut reaction. Our son has always been fine in pools but he developed a rash only on his hand after swimming for the first time this winter. My husband noted that he had skin reactions to chlorine when he was young and that he thought this pool smelled overly chlorinated compared to others. I don't know if this could be a food reaction because his rashes are so unusual compared to what I read about. He doesn't get itchy. I wouldn't have known he has a rash if it wasn't in such an obvious place. It's not raised. It doesn't itch. It doesn't look like any photo of hives that I've seen. I don't understand how chlorine or food would make a rash only on your hand. It looks sort of like heat rash. His body looks mostly okay otherwise. Nothing widespread. He's not acting bothered by it at all. I'm getting actually depressed about food and not knowing how to manage these skin things that crop up even when he's not eating his allergen.

I'd appreciate any help. I want to believe this is chlorine or something but it would be very strange. He's been in pools a million times before although I suppose rarely during the winter months.

Thank you :)

OP posts:
UncleHerbie · 18/02/2024 04:51

I was the same as a child eczema sufferer. My mum used to give me a very small pot of emulsifying ointment (washing cream) to take with me and I’d rub it on the sore bits of skin to protect it from the chlorinated water. It definitely helps

Lee22e · 19/02/2024 18:41

UncleHerbie · 18/02/2024 04:51

I was the same as a child eczema sufferer. My mum used to give me a very small pot of emulsifying ointment (washing cream) to take with me and I’d rub it on the sore bits of skin to protect it from the chlorinated water. It definitely helps

Thank you! Were you able to still swim regularly in spite of the sensitivity to pool water?

OP posts:
UncleHerbie · 19/02/2024 20:19

Lee22e · 19/02/2024 18:41

Thank you! Were you able to still swim regularly in spite of the sensitivity to pool water?

I never did learn to swim but the emollient definitely stopped my skin from drying out. It had an odd but not unpleasant smell but you could add a few drops of essential oils to the main batch and a take a sample sized pot from that.

ps: what I found distracted me from scratching was having an elastic band round my wrist. Every time I itched, I’d twang it. I seemed to stop itching or at least responding to the itch by scratching. Also one thing that drove me potty and made me itch more was my mum telling me to “stop scratching!” That made me want to scratch deeply in frustration.

Good luck!

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