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Swimming in pools disinfected with chlorine may increase the odds that a child will develop asthma or allergies, new research suggests.

The study found that teenagers who spent more than 1,000 hours swimming in chlorinated pools, either indoors or outdoors, had more than eight times the risk of having asthma than did teens who primarily swam in pools using a copper-silver disinfecting method.

“Chlorinated pool attendance has a very significant impact on the prevalence of allergic diseases in the studied population,” said lead author Alfred Bernard, a professor of toxicology and research director at Catholic University of Louvain in Brussels, Belgium.

“When used properly, [chlorine] is an efficient and safe disinfectant for swimming pools. However, when too much chlorine is added to water or builds up in the air of indoor pools, there is unavoidably some irritation of the organs of the bather in contact with the water and air,” he explained. “There is now increasing evidence that these irritating effects may be detrimental to the airways of regular swimmers, especially the children who are the most vulnerable and the most frequent attendees of chlorinated pools.”

Results of the study will be published in the Sept. 14 online issue of Pediatrics.

More than 17 million people in the United States have asthma, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Symptoms of the disease include wheezing, shortness of breath and coughing. The airway disease can be triggered by a number of factors, such as cold air, exercise and chemical irritants. While chlorine has long been known to be an airway irritant and potential trigger of asthma, particularly in indoor pools, Bernard’s study suggests that chlorinated pools might play a role in the development of asthma and allergy.

The study included 847 Belgian teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18. All had attended indoor or outdoor swimming pools, but at various rates of attendance. One hundred and fourteen children mainly attended pools that were kept clean with a copper-silver disinfect, rather than chlorine. The remainder primarily attended pools disinfected with chlorine.

The number of children who ever had asthma went up in proportion to their chlorinated pool exposure. Teens who swam for 100 to 500 hours in chlorinated pools had an 80 percent increased risk of having asthma, while those who logged 500 to 1,000 hours had just over twice the risk. When teens spend more than 1,000 hours swimming in chlorinated water, the risk of ever having had asthma nearly quadrupled. The risk of currently having asthma was more than eight times higher in the group with more than 1,000 hours in chlorinated pools compared to those who were rarely in chlorinated water, according to the study.

The risk of allergies also increased significantly when adolescents spent more than 100 hours swimming in chlorinated pools. In fact, the risk of hay fever and other allergies more than doubled with significant chlorinated pool exposure.

Dr. Jennifer Appleyard, chief of allergy and immunology at St. John Hospital and Medical Center in Detroit, said this study highlights the fact that “asthma and allergies are caused by a multitude of different factors, and chlorine may have a potential effect. But, this is a very preliminary study, and we don’t yet know what the whole picture is.”

She said that she wouldn’t advise parents to stop taking their kids swimming, even if they have asthma already. “If your kids have asthma and you know chlorine is a trigger, it’s a good idea to try to limit their exposure, but you can’t exclude your child from everything and every potential trigger. You have to let them be kids.”

If you know your child is bothered by chlorine exposure, and they have an event such as a birthday party that they really want to attend, discuss it with your child’s doctor to find out the best way to manage the exposure.

Bernard said that if you have a backyard pool, you should use as little chlorine as you can to safely disinfect the pool. He said that many people over chlorinate their pools to get clear blue water. But, he said, “chlorine is a disinfectant, not a cleaning agent.”

Study finds 83 percent of people with allergic rhinitis say it kills the mood.

Having allergies can take a toll on your sex life, new research shows.

When polled, 83 percent of people with allergic rhinitis said it affected their sexual activity at least sometimes, with almost 18 percent of those affected saying their allergies nearly always got in the way of a satisfying sex life.

“I was kind of surprised that it made that much of a difference,” said study author Dr. Michael Benninger, chairman of the Head and Neck Institute at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio.

Commercials for allergy relief products tend to focus on helping people get back to enjoying an active lifestyle, such as taking their kids to the park, Benninger said. Rarely is there mention of sex lives, and that could be because it’s an area that has been studied so little, he noted.

Allergic rhinitis, also called hay fever, affects 10 to 40 percent of the U.S. population, according to the researchers. Symptoms include a runny nose, congestion and sinus pressure. Those affected are reacting to indoor or airborne allergens such as pollens and dust mites.

Benninger’s team also found that allergic rhinitis was linked with sleep problems, which other studies have found as well. The study was published recently in Allergy and Asthma Proceedings.

The researchers polled about 700 people, roughly half with allergic rhinitis, asking questions about sexual function, sleep and fatigue. The participants averaged in their late 30s to mid-40s, and those with allergic rhinitis were not being treated for their allergies.

Though about 17 percent of those with allergic rhinitis said they always or almost always noticed an adverse impact on their sex life, just 5 percent of those who did not have the condition said their sex life wasn’t good.

Exactly why the allergies affect sexual functioning isn’t certain, but Benninger suspects that the runny nose, itchy eyes and other symptoms can make a person feel less than sexy.

Those with allergic rhinitis were also more likely to have sleep problems.

The study definitely sheds light on a new area, said Dr. Clifford Bassett, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at the Long Island College Hospital/State University of New York and a clinical instructor at New York University School of Medicine. “Sexual function is not something typically evaluated [with allergies],” he said.

But the finding makes sense to Bassett, based on what patients report to him. “If people have a runny, drippy nose and feel unsexy, they might be embarrassed by what would be normal intimate contact,” he said.

But the condition can be treated, both Bassett and Benninger stressed. From over-the-counter nasal sprays to prescription or over-the-counter antihistamines and prescription intranasal steroids, options abound.

The message to allergy sufferers, Benninger said, is not to confine lovemaking to times when their symptoms aren’t so bad but to seek treatment that can help them feel better much of the time. Paying attention to allergy triggers and, for instance, closing bedroom windows so pollen levels are at a minimum can help, too.

Bassett also said he hopes the study will wake up those with allergy symptoms whose sex life is less than ideal. “I think it’s essential for patients to realize that help is out there,” he said. “They don’t need to be a casualty in the lovemaking department.”