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Can I go swimming please?

How many times have you heard this little cry. With summer fast approaching, more and more kids will be diving into chlorinated pools to cool off. But as a parent, you would know that going swimming can be a troublesome experience for a child who has eczema. It is however, a pity for your child to miss out on the fun and benefits of swimming, just because they have eczema.

So, what can you do ?

Chlorine in swimming pools is a known irritant to people with eczema. Although the chlorine is necessary in certain quantities to stop bacteria from spreading, it can also cause irritation. Some eczema sufferers can swim in chlorinated pools with little effect, whilst others can not.

If your child’s skin is aggravated by chlorine, there are a few steps you can take before and after they swim to help lessen the chlorine’s irritation.

  1. Place a layer of oil or petroleum based emollient on the skin before they swim. This provides a protective layer between the chemicals used in the pool and the skin.
  2. If the eczema is really severe, place a dry wrap over the oil based emollient and then cover the child’s body in a full body surf suit. There are a lot of trendy swimming suits available now, that not only will help cover the child’s eczema, but also protect them from the sun.
  3. After swimming, shower the child thoroughly and wash hair. Thoroughly wash off all traces of the chlorine.
  4. Pat the child semi dry with a towel and apply moisturizer to his/her whole body, and eczema-treatment cream to affected areas.

I know it can be an extremely long process for both you and your child just to go swimming, but I am sure that the enjoyment and look of happiness on his face when he is in the water will be well worth it.

Mel Sinclair, RN

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