Chlorine; You're Swimming In It!
Roger Hall
Have you ever thought about what you're swimming in? And we don't mean
the water!
Chlorine is the chemical most often used to keep swimming pools and
Jacuzzis free of bacteria that can be hazardous to humans.
While the bacteria-killing properties of chlorine are very useful,
chlorine also has some side effects that can be annoying to humans, and
possibly even hazardous. Chlorine has a very distinctive smell that
most find unpleasant, and some find overwhelming. There is also the
'itch factor' - chlorine can cause certain skin types to become itchy
and irritated.
The hypochlorite ion in chlorine can cause many fabrics to fade quickly
when not rinsed off immediately after exiting the pool. This is why a
swimsuit that is not specifically designed to stand-up to chlorine and
salt water may look faded and worn so early in the summer.
Make sure that the pool you are swimming in is well ventilated;
extremely high amounts of chlorine gas hovering above a pool can be
hazardous to your breathing.
Some companies have developed alternatives to chlorine, including other
chemicals and ion generators. Some of these are good alternatives, but
they don't achieve the cleanliness, oxidation levels or low price that
chlorine provides.
Chlorine kills bacteria though a fairly simple chemical reaction.
Chlorine kills microorganisms and bacteria by attacking the lipids in
the cell walls and destroying the enzymes and structures inside the
cell, rendering them oxidized and harmless.
Ideally, the level of pH in the pool should be between 7 and 8; 7.4 is
ideal - this is the pH of human tears. Once acids and ions in chlorine
are done cleaning the pool, they either combine with another chemical,
such as ammonia, or are broken down into single atoms. Both of these
processes render the chlorine harmless.
Sunlight speeds these processes up. You have to keep adding chlorine to
the pool as it breaks down.
Pain Relief Following a Swim Workout
Pain after swimming is no laughing matter. You may not need a
prescription to pop an aspirin or a few ibuprofen. But that doesn't
mean you aren't swallowing serious medicine.
In recent years, research has shown that over-the-counter pain
relievers may help prevent everything from Parkinson's disease to some
forms of cancer. The rub: Overdoing it on the very same drugs could
kill you.
'Most people aren't aware of the long-term effects of OTC (Over The
Counter) abuse,' says C. Mel Wilcox, M.D., a professor of medicine at
the University of Alabama. So how do you safely harness the power of
pain medications?
With this quick guide to what labels don't tell you. As always, see
your doctor if you have any questions or concerns.
ASPIRIN
Best for beating: Sore muscles and back pain Hidden benefits:
Swallowing 100 mg daily lowers heart-attack and stroke risk, and may
help prevent some forms of cancer. Danger areas: Taking more than 100
mg every day may overly thin the blood and increase the risk of cranial
bleeding.
ACETAMINOPHEN
Best for beating: Headaches and toothaches. Hidden benefits: When taken
daily, may prevent plaque from building up inside arteries. Danger
areas: Taking more than 4,000 milligrams (mg) in a day can cause liver
damage.
NAPROXEN
Best for beating: Joint pain and arthritis Hidden benefits: May reduce
the risk of lung cancer when taken daily. Danger areas: Daily use can
increase the risk of sunburn and sensitivity to light. Wear sunscreen
and sunglasses.
IBUPROFEN
Best for beating: Fever and minor muscle aches and pains Hidden
benefits: Taking 200 mg daily may help lower the risk of Parkinson's
disease by 38 percent. Danger areas: Taking more than 1,200 mg per day
can lead to kidney failure
Ear Drops Best for Swimmer's Ear; New Guidelines Recommend Ear Drops
First, Not Oral Antibiotics, to Treat Swimmer's Ear.
Ear drops are the best medicine for swimmer's ear, according to the
first-ever recommendations on how to treat the common condition.
Swimmer's ear affects about 1 in every 100-250 women each year and is
caused by water trapped in the ear canal. Although associated with
swimming and areas with warmer climates and higher humidity, any person
can get swimmer's ear, also known in medical terms as acute otitis
externa.
The trapped water causes bacteria in the ear canal to multiply and
leads to infection and inflammation of the external ear canal. Symptoms
include pain, swelling, and itching of the external ear canal and outer
ear.
The guidelines recommend using ear drops to treat swimmer's ear locally
and say that oral antibiotics should not be used unless the infection
has spread outside the ear canal or if there are other symptoms that
call for oral antibiotics.
A panel of experts from the fields of head and neck surgery,
pediatrics, family medicine, infectious disease, internal medicine,
emergency medicine, and medical informatics compiled the guidelines
based on a review of research on swimmer's ear.
The results showed that swimmer's ear is often severe and can interfere
with work or leisure activities. With proper therapy, the pain usually
improves after one day and the condition completely resolves within
four to seven days.
Experts say antiseptic and antibiotic ear drops are the preferred
treatment for most cases of swimmer's ear because they offer safe,
prompt, and effective relief while not promoting antibiotic-resistant
bacteria.
Oral antibiotics are not recommended for initial treatment of swimmer's
ear because overuse of antibiotics can increase the spread ofa
antibiotic-resistant bacteria, are associated with more side effects,
and may be less effective than ear drops.
Roger Hall of COEGA Sunwear develops swim tips. COEGA provides Style,
Comfort and Protection. To protect yourself with more popular FREE Swim
Tips for active women of all ages, available at:
http://www.store.coegawear .
com and click on 'Swim Training Tips' on the left-hand side of the
page.
See Also:
Index of Swimming Pools and Outdoor Ponds
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