Gerrard Kaonga
You might consider wearing goggles next time you go into a local pool as an expert has explained what exactly it is that is making your eyes red.
Going for a lovely lil dip in your local swimming pool can be great to cool off or for an intense workout session, but you might have second thoughts after this.
Because one of the most annoying things when it comes to swimming in pools is the impact it has on your eyes afterwards.
It can make them appear bloodshot and red, itchy or even stinging.
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But what actually causes this? And before you get ahead of yourself, it is not just the chlorine, according to experts.
In fact, if you take a dive into the pool without goggles, your eyes might be exposed to a lot more than you had bargained for.
So now you know your mom was misinformed when she told you it was just the chlorine causing the stinging.
Are you ready to hear the truth? Because some people who finally learnt the cause admitted to being pretty disgusted and I don’t blame them.
Well, it’s because swimmers have peed in the water. Well, it is part of the reason.
Back in 2015, Michele Hlavsa, the chief of the CDC’s healthy swimming program spoke to Today and explained what is actually happening.
She said: “The nitrogen in the urine combines with the chlorine and it forms what’s known as chloramine and it’s actually chloramine that causes the red eyes.”
To make things worse, she went into details about what else people bring into the pool.
She continued: "It’s chlorine mixed with poop and sweat and a lot of other things we bring into the water with us.”
While this isn’t a new discovery, the fact was still news to many people on social media.
“Ewwww stop,” one person wrote on Twitter upon learning about this.
“Nice knowing you, swimming pools, goodbye forever,” commented another.
“Who are these idiots who relieve themselves in swimming pools anyway? It's just gross and ghetto,” a third commented.
“Good to know, good to know... I never go swimming anyways and maybe this is one of the reasons. If I go into a body of water its going to be a River, Lake, Pond or ETC...” another added.
Might not be a bad decision to be honest. I might have to rethink my summer swimming plans, or at least wait till the kids go back to school.