I have been getting in a hot tub for close to two months now. It has never bothered me and I have never had an allergies that I know of but for some reason the past couple time I've been in my skin gets really irritated and itchy. After I get out I notice rashes all over and in some places my skin is bumpy. It will normally go away after a week but then returns the next time I hop in. Do you think I could be allergic to a chemical that's put in it?

It would be unlikely that you would suddenly become allergic to a chemical when you showed no symptoms for two months. It could be that it took that long for you to become sensitive to the chemical, but I find that less likely. Have they/you changed the type of chemicals you use at all, or perhaps brand of chemical?

It seems more likely that there is an imbalance of chemical in the hot tub. There could be too much chlorine or too much acid. There could very easily be a fault in the mechanism that controls the output of the chemicals. Are you the only one affected by the hot tub?

Bacteria, definitely sounds like bacteria. Try having your doctor prescribe an ointment for a bacterial rash. If the rash disappears with the ointment, drain and sanitize the hot tub before getting back in.

I would have jumped at the bacteria idea... but I feel like the hot tub's chemicals and heat would have gotten rid of common bacteria that could cause an allergic reaction.

Do other people get this rash? Also, does this happen almost immediately after you come out of the tub? How long do you normally stay in the tub? It could be a heat rash if you stay in there for too long.

Have you changed the chemicals at all?