Red Eyes: Chlorine Tabs vs. Saltwater

Is Chlorine the Cause of My Red Eyes?

When you go swimming do your eyes burn? Do they turn red? Did you think it was because of the chlorine in the water? It's not. The two most comon causes for eye irritation are the Ph being out of balance and the presence of chloramines. Chloramines form when chlorine combines with bodily wastes and other contaminates that are introduced by swimmers.

Adjusting the Ph is easy enough. I'm going to assume that you know how to test and adjust your Ph. Now for the chloramines. There are some steps and precausions that you can make to reduce the number of chloramines present in your swimming pool.

• Make sure that your children are getting out of the pool regularly to use the bath room. There's a reason public pools make everyone get out for 5 minute every hour.

• The pool is a bath tub! Swimmers and swimwear should be clean before getting in.

• If you wouldn't put it in your drinking water don't put it in your pool.

What's safer—chlorine or saltwater?

"Saltwater is a more natural approach and safer on skin, hair, and your eyes."

Pools sanitized with chlorine are generally safe and bacteria free. Chlorine mixes with organic matter and kills unhealthy bacteria. The downside is that it creates chemical compounds (chloramines) that can irritate your eyes and skin.

Saltwater pools use salt to sanatize the pool water rather than chlorine tablets or other chemicals. In saltwater pools chlorine is a byproduct of the salt, so very small amounts are present. They are also considered to be safer and more gentle on your eyes and skin.

"Saltwater is a more natural approach and safer on skin, hair, and your eyes," says Arthur Kobayashi, OD, a VSP doctor and avid swimmer. "Eye irritation will be greatly reduced by swimming in saltwater." Keep in mind that chlorinated pools are safe, but may cause some people more irritation than others.

FAQs

Can I swim with contacts?

Contact lens wearers beware! Dr. Kobayashi recommends wearing goggles if you want to open your eyes in pool water. He warns that, "The water could damage your lenses—they could change shape, rip, fold in your eye, or even get washed away." The possibility of bacteria contaminating your lenses and causing eye infections also exists.

Why do my eyes turn red?

"Red eyes occur when blood vessels near the surface of the eye become enlarged and dilated," explains Dr. Kobayashi. Increased exposure to irritants or chemicals may cause your eyes to become irritated. If you're prone to getting red eyes from swimming, you should always wear goggles in the pool.

How can I soothe my eyes?

If, after a long day at the pool, your once clear view of paradise becomes foggy and blurry, flush your eyes with a cool eye rinse or try saline eye drops for quick relief. A good tip is to add them to your list of must-haves this swim season.

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