Chlorine Allergy... Are you Allergic to your
Shower
Have you ever stepped into your morning
shower and smelled the high levels of
chlorine in the water. Sometimes the odor is
so strong that it makes you want to gag
while taking a shower. Did you ever think
how much of the chlorine you are absorbing
into your body and its effect upon your
health.
According to Wilkipedia: Chlorine is a
powerful oxidant and is used in bleaching
and disinfectants. As a common disinfectant,
chlorine compounds are used in swimming
pools to keep them clean and sanitary. In
the upper atmosphere, chlorine-containing
molecules have been implicated, but not
proven to cause damage to the ozone layer.
Basically, it is an oxidizing agent used to
disinfect drinking water to reduce or
eliminate microorganisms such as bacteria,
algae and viruses.
We have several clients who are highly
allergic to chlorine. One of them is so
allergic that she has such a severe reaction
that she ends up in the emergency room
seeking treatment. If someone is allergic to
chlorine, they cannot go into swimming pools
and must use a Whole House Filtration System
such as the Aquathin Filtration System. The
system does a great job, I know, I have one
in my house. The small shower filtration
systems that some companies sell work a
little but do not do the complete job.
Chlorine byproducts are the main culprit in
causing side affects. It has been linked to
arteriosclerosis. When chlorine is
introduced into your body, it migrates its
way into the bloodstream. After that, it
damages the arterial walls. The body then
repairs it. It's repair causes a slow
narrowing of the arteries.
The thing to remember is each time you take
a shower, your body is exposed to chlorine
and you can absorb it right into your body.
I cannot tell you how much you absorb, there
is a lot of data on the Internet, but no
real studies by individuals with
credentials. This does not really matter
because, as always we think on the
conservative side and tell everyone to err
on the level of caution regarding chlorine.
Chlorine does serve a useful function of
disinfecting the water supplies and swimming
pools. It is also used for emergency super
chlorination of the water supplies when
there is a water pipe break to prevent any
type of bacterial or viral spread thru the
contaminated water supplies. It is
inexpensive compared to other methods of
disinfecting. Ozone can also be use in
disinfecting swimming pools on a limited
basis. You still have to use chlorine to get
rid of certain species of algae that does
not respond to ozone.
In conclusion, we recommend everyone have a
Whole House Water Filtration System such as
the Aquathin. They do a good job, and it is
fairly maintenance free. You need to change
the carbon bed once a year. I am very happy
with mine but it does have a side effect.
Remember, everything you do has a hidden
side effect. The toilet will start to grow
algae in the tank. I put a little Clorox in
the tank once a month to prevent this. Guess
I cannot get away from chlorine. If you are
under a Doctors care, be sure to ask him or
her if it is alright before you do anything
that might effect you or your health. If you
have any questions, feel free to contact us
or visit our website.
Article contributed by:
Mr. Artemiss of Safe-Homes
Mr. ARTEMISS, the founder of SAFE-HOMES, was
an Engineer with Southern Bell and Bellsouth
until he became ill from pesticide
poisoning. It is his mission to help solve
the air pollution problems in our homes or
businesses so we can all lead a safe and
happy life. His goal is to educate all
people about the dangers of poor Indoor Air
Quality, contaminated water, chemicals and
mold in our homes. SAFE-HOMES was
established in North Miami Beach, Florida in
1991.
