Why Do Eyes Turn Red After Swimming Sometimes?

Many people have asked me about what causes red eye after swimming in the pool. Most people I have talked to about this topic usually suggest that it is the chlorine in the pool that is causing this issue. Although this is partially true, chlorine is not usually the main cause of this common swimming issue.

To understand how chlorine works in your pool water, it is important to know the difference between free chlorine and combined chlorine. Free chlorine's main job is to disinfect and sterilize the pool water to prohibit algae growth and keep it free of live organisms that can cause illnesses. Combined chlorine is the chlorine that combines with other elements or compounds in the pool such as oils, sun tan lotions, organic material or other chemicals that have been introduce from a variety of different sources. Combined chlorine is not good at sterilizing or disinfecting the pool, but it is good at creating the strong chlorine smell, drying out your skin and creating red eye after swimming.

Another factor that can cause red eye is the pH of your pool water. The human tear typically ranges from 7.4-7.6. Swimming in water in this pH range is ideal. When the pool water gets outside of this range, especially if it goes lower than 7.4, this would indicate that the water is acidic and is capable of irritating the eye which would cause redness as well.

Sometimes the source of red eye can come from the total dissolved solids (TDS). This can be challenging to figure out if this is the issue or not, because without the right equipment, it can be difficult to test for TDS. To understand what TDS are, if you think about all the water in your pool evaporating, what would be left behind would be a residual of compounds, elements and particles that haven't been caught by the filtration system. Typically, the older the pool, the higher the TDS as over time more elements are introduced to the pool which increases the TDS number.

Regular pool care and consistent monitoring of your pool water will allow you to know what adjustments need to be made to your pool water. It is always better to make smaller adjustments by only adding a little chemical at a time than to make major adjustments which can create wild swings in the pool water chemistry. This will ensure that the pool water stays within the recommended ranges and will help prevent red eye from occurring.

Ever wonder why your eyes might turn red after swimming? Jeff Mease, owner of Blue Water Pools & Spas in Jacksonville, FL. answers this for you. If you have questions about your pool or want to learn more about pool water chemistry, please go to our website at http://www.jacksonvillepoolsandspas.com

If in the Jacksonville, FL area, we provide pool service in Jacksonville and most surrounding areas including Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Neptune Beach, Ponte Vedra, Orange Park, Yulee, Fernandina Beach and Nocatee.

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