We found out what turns your eyes red in swimming pools. It's not chlorine.

Image via Scandal/ABC.

Here’s a question: what makes your eyes red in swimming pools? If you, like me, prior to finding out this information, answered “chlorine, obviously” then you would be wrong.

But if you, like me, enjoy swimming in swimming pools – brace yourself. Because this information will change things for you. Not in a good way.

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The Centre for Disease Control (CDC) have discovered your eyes turn red in swimming pools because of the pee in the water.

We'll give you a moment to let that sink in.

Michael J. Beach, Ph.D., associate director of the CDC’s Healthy Water program, explained to Women's Health Magazine:

“Chlorine binds with all the things it’s trying to kill from your bodies, and it forms these chemical irritants. That’s what’s stinging your eyes. It’s the chlorine binding to the urine and the sweat.”

Delightful.

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The CDC also released a statement explaining it more in depth:

"Irritants in the air at swimming pools are usually the combined chlorine by-products of disinfection. These by-products are the result of chlorine binding with sweat, urine, and other waste from swimmers... Because recyclers do not remove all of the by-products in the air, they allow the irritants to accumulate and reach unhealthy levels... irritants produced in the water will stay in the pool water causing further irritation for swimmers, such as stinging or red eyes." (Post continues after gallery.)

But that's not all. These irritants can also cause a variety of problems with your breathing, which is why you may have noticed that you might cough after swimming in a pool. According to the CDC, the concentration of irritants in the air and amount of time the air is breathed in will affect symptoms, but it can cause coughing, wheezing and also aggravating asthma.

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Be safe out there, people. Wear goggles, shower intensely afterwards, and NEVER PEE IN THE POOL.

Check out this poolside workout from Mamamia TV...