chlorine allergy?

I have a 3 year old boy that has been through all the allergy tests.He has ichy eyes and rub's his eyes raw.he only has this condition in the summer months. he does swim alot,is it possible to have a chlorine allergy that could cause this. thanks.

Hello, this is Kitt and Welcome to Healing Well.

Yes, chlorine is an  allergen and can cause allergic conjunctivitis. This type of conjunctivitis  is not contagious.

Again a Warm welcome.

I cannot drink the water here because it is treated with chlorine in the water treatment plant. Twice a week it is dumped into the system so strong that you can smell it when you turn the faucet on.  I also make sure I do not shower on those days.  

are there any meds to help w/this,he is on Pred mild but we are not seeing much of a change.getting tired of no one knowing what to give him to stop this.If anyone has any solutions please let me know.

I am not a professional but wonder why your son is not on eye drops if it is his eyes that may be allergice to the chlorine? Always have your son  shower after swimming and use an anti chlorine shampoo and an anti chlorine soap.

I would certainly talk with his physician again. Good Luck and take care.

Keep posting.

 

You can get antihistamine eye drops over-the-counter in most drug stores.  Try those to see if it helps.  Pre-treat half an hour before he goes into the pool to see if it can prevent the symptoms.

Another thing is that chlorine is a strong irritant and may be irritating his eyes chemically.  Chemical irritation has nothing to do with allergic reactions and thus would not respond to anti-allergy medications (such as Prednisone, antihistamines, etc.).

Has he been to an eye doctor to rule out eye diseases that may mimic eye allergy, such as dry eye?

Take care,

-Razzle