Back to the neverending problems of a 12-year-old girl.
Okay...here's the scoop. About 75% of the time my daughter goes swimming in a chlorinated pool, her eyes puff up and turn red and watery, her nose stuffs up and runs and she gets to the point that it seems like she has a cold. I give her allergy medicine and it helps a little, but not totally. We've tried goggles, but the water and chlorine still get in her eyes. If I get her to take a total shower and wash her hair (she has a TON of hair), it seems to help, but she's mostly a total wreck after swimming. Funny thing is
sometimes she swims in chlorine and she's fine. Im thinking it has something to do with how much chlorine is in the pool...but I'm not an expert.
We went to the doctor because, well, of the swimming segments they have at school for gym class. I wanted to see if they have any drops for her eyes or spray for her nose to help alleviate the symptoms, but instead the doctor said, "There is no such thing as people being allergic to chlorine."
So, apparently, I'm insane and just makign it up. This was last spring and the doctor said, "I'm very much against giving a note to get a kid out of swimming class." I tried to explain that I don't want a note to get her out of it, I want something to alleviate the problems so she CAN swim without her nose running endlessly and her eyes swelling up and turning red. And he just brushed us off and said, "Nope, I'm not giving her a note to get her out of swimming."
This isn't her normal doctor, but another in the office that I haven't ever liked. Then my daughter was done with swimming and I didn't think about it again till this year when she started swimmign again and she said, "I hate spendign all day like this!"...she has swimming 2nd period and goes all day with the chlorine in her hair right next to her face...I'm not going to cut off her gorgeous hair for swimmign classes. We french braid it so its off her face and contained for the day, but it's still there, lingering around her head all day.
So...
I called the doctor's office and asked for a note...insurance issues...we won't have any until Nov. 1...husband's new job, etc...until we can get to the office for him to evaluate her and see if there is something for her symptoms. Again, my doctor was busy, so the one we saw last spring just wrote her a note to get her out of swimmign for the rest of the year. I didn't really want her OUT for the whole year...she'll be missing out on kayaking lessons, snorkeling and scuba lessons. I really want her in, but not suffering all day after. Most people say she should take a shower after and wash her hair, but if you know most pre-teens and teenagers, NONE of them can take a shower and wash their hair in the 10 minute time slot they give them. It's impossible. She would need the entire period AFTER gym class to take a shower, wash her hair and get dressed.
Anyhow...to make a long story short (
ME? A SHORT story?), I'm wondering if anyone has this problem with chlorine and if you know of anything that will alleviate the problem? I'd like to get her in the doctor's office...to MY doctor...and see if we can get her in the next swimmign session.
Allergies to chlorine
