Does your skin every feel dry after getting out of the pool on a hot summer day? Or more seriously, have you ever felt respiratory problems after taking a dip in the pool?

Everyone recognizes the smell of chlorine in the air when the temperature starts to rise. Most people don’t think twice about the impacts of it and would rather just go for a swim on a hot day. But the effects of these pool chemicals could actually be impacting our health more than we know.

Many swimmers have had “chlorine cough.” Symptoms are burning at the back of the neck and oxygen deprivation which are a health danger. Experts say that the reason of wheezing and respiratory types of discomfort can come from two different things: The mixture of the chemicals with sweat and urine and poor ventilation.

The problems could even be more of a physical impact. 11^th  grader, Janie Evans, at NHHS says “whenever I get out of the pool my hair will get so dry and tangled, it honestly a pain to have deal with when it’s dry and damaged.” Girls also go on to mention the effects these pool chemicals have on their skin. When Mackenzie Ellinghaus, 11^th grader was asked how chlorine impacts her skin, she said “my skin always feels so dry and kind of cracked when I’m out of the pool”…I have to over moisturize for a week to get my skin back to normal and it makes my hair feel so dry too.”

If you want moisturized, healthy skin, then you’ll needs more than Aquaphor or Aveeno body lotion. The glands in your body that are meant to fight off chemicals like chlorine, are destroyed by extended contact to the chemical. Your skin’s barrier of defense might be compromised if it is broken down. The good thing is, the skin’s glands will heal on their but in most cases your skin will become flaky, itchy, sting or burn!

Don’t worry though! There are ways protect your skin from the damage of chlorine so you don’t have to miss out swimming on a hot summer day. One thing you can do is put on a layer of lotion before getting into a pool, this will help create a barrier between your skin and the chemicals. Another thing that could help prevent damage is washing off with clean water when getting out of the pool. ___grade___ grader, ___name___ says she kept her skin moisturized by “” after getting out of the pool. Wearing Goggles while in the water can also help keep the chlorine from doing internal damage. Lastly, you could protect your hair by putting on a layer of hair protectant (you can find this in beauty stores.)