Goggle Allergy

Is there any chance it's how you wear them versus some allergy? Have you tried loosening them up?

I am not a scientist nor a college grad. But it would seem that the simplest solution would be not to wear goggles that have the foam. Get a pair of Swedes, or ones that are similar. It could also be a combination of the chlorine and the material... but like I said, I'm no scientist.

I swim with a woman who had a similar problem last year. She had been swimming for 20 years with no problems. All of a sudden last spring, at the end of our workouts she would take off her goggles and her eyelids and the surrounding skin would be red and puffy. It was weird. She tried brand-new goggles as well as a different style of goggle but it didn't help. She went to several doctors and finally to a dermatologist. The dermatologist did a bunch of allergy tests (the ones where they inject a small amount of an allergen under the skin, then wait a few days to see whether there's a reaction). The dermatologist actually took a pair of her swimming goggles, ground them up, and used that for one of the skin tests. The tests showed that she was sensitive to a few various things (parabens is one that sticks in my mind). But you know what finally solved her problem? A new POOL MANAGER. The new manager fixed some broken pool equipment and got the pool water cleaned up. Her problems magically went away. You might ask your pool staff whether they've changed chemicals or systems recently. If they say no, try swimming in a different pool for a while to see whether the problem goes away. If it does, you'll know it's something in your pool.

what a great response... and the fact that the goggles just hold the alergen against the skin causes it to react right there. Lainey

I agree! that's a great way to start narrowing it down for sure, and less expensive than going straight to an allergist. :) I had a similar problem after my goggles sat in my bag for a 4 month hiatus (spelling?) from swimming. I didn't get flaky skin, but noticed that not too long after I got out of the pool my nose would start running and I'd start sneezing.. then I noticed mold had grown on the gaskets of my goggles, and I assume I developed an allergy to it. I've never had allergies in my life!.. I was of course in denial for a bit, but I washed the goggles out well, scrubbed the gaskets with a toothbrush, and cleaned my system out a bit, (started eating better and drinking more water etc...), and I don't notice it nearly as much anymore, and it's still getting better! good luck with it! J.

Thanks everyone for your advice! I'm going to start with the swede-type goggles, then check with the pool manager if this doesn't clear up. cheers, Kevin

I'm allergic to the old foam that they used to use. Now i use Speedos that don't have foam. They ones I like the best have the two layers of plastic I forgot their name CGC or something liek that.

I had this problem too - with the GCG goggles. After the rashes and burning became "regular" (i.e. more than once) I tried talking it up with the pool management chain of command and they swore up and down that nothing changed in the pool's chemical stew. When the same thing continued to happen at another pool I figured it was something I was now bringing with me - embedded in the foam perhaps. Still, I was using that pair of goggles for several weeks before the symptoms appeared, but once appeared, it didn't matter which pool. My ophthalmologist teammate recommended that I toss the goggles. Best free doctor advice I ever received. Got myself some Swedes and the problem went away - but not the rings that are somewhat permanently burned into my forehead for when I rested the goggles up there to give my eyes a break. I call them character marks. After a couple of workouts the pressure from the swedes hurt my eyes. I then found that the Tyr Socket Rocket goggles, with their rubber gasket, work just fine. Your mileage may vary. Hope the problem clears quickly though Kevin! Tim

I also put them in the dishwasher in the utensil rack (a portion of the rack has a lid) to clean them. Works VERY well to clean the grunge that develops on the goggle. Brilliant.:banana:

Any new thoughts here since the last post years ago? KevinK, how are those Swedes, that bda721 mentions, working out? I might give that a try and the Tyr Socket Rockets that Tim Hedrick mentions. Since I was a kid, it hasn’t mattered what goggles I use, but now suddenly this year, I’ve been getting a contact dermatitis going on, just like a lot of others described in this thread. I think I’ve been using the cheapo Speedo Sprint goggles with neoprene gaskets. My dermatologist suggested allergy tests like Jayhawk mentions, but that's awfully extreme. I rotate between two or three pairs of them, some brand new (I carry a grab bag of stuff so if I lose one or break one, I can keep going.). So much for jswim's mold theory. I also rotate my workouts between different pools in different parts of the country (between work travel, etc). So much for Jayhawk's pool theory? I was about to try a different pair of goggles, maybe silicone or the hypoallergenic goggles. But I fear to repeat KevinK's experience of having the allergies return. It sounds like GCG may not work according to Tim Hedrick's post.