I swim in the eveneing, and the next day I cannot stop sneezing, and my nose drips uncontrollably. My doctor recommended placing a thin coat of vaseline on the inside of my nose, which I did. It worked successfully for a few months, now it does not appear to be working. Just wondering if anyone else has experienced this, and if they have any suggestions/recommendations. Thanks!
Parents
Former Member
I can recommend using a saline nasal spray after the workout (and also before if your nasal passages are dry). You can purchase the spray in a drug store or you can make it yourself (about 1 tsp table salt in 8 oz water) and get a spray bottle. Irrigating your nose with saline helps to clear out the pool chemicals without further irritating the nasal membranes. If your nose was dry, the water itself may be irritating. Why not just use plain water? Because it is not the same salinity as blood. If you throw red blood cells into plain water they will burst. Using saline lets the fluid do its cleaning and leaves your membranes happy, i.e., not irritated, not ready to burst. Remember the recommendation to gargle with salt water when you have a sore throat?
I think about it like this: When I'm swimming I'm taking in a lot more air (working hard) through my nose and it is often combined with unsalinated water and chemicals. If my nose is dry, then the mucus is not there to protect the cell membranes from the plain water, and/or chemicals, and they become irritated. This may be more pronouced if you are using an antihistamine to dry up your nose due to colds or allergies (less mucus to protect the mucous membranes). After swimming, the concentration of the chemicals in my mucus is higher because it is not diluted by the extra water present while in the pool and that then creates the reactive sneezing and runny nose.
Try using the spray for a few workouts and if it doesn't help, talk again with your physician. Good luck.
Trivia: The average person swallows a quart of snot every day. As swimmmers I think we must be better than average!
I can recommend using a saline nasal spray after the workout (and also before if your nasal passages are dry). You can purchase the spray in a drug store or you can make it yourself (about 1 tsp table salt in 8 oz water) and get a spray bottle. Irrigating your nose with saline helps to clear out the pool chemicals without further irritating the nasal membranes. If your nose was dry, the water itself may be irritating. Why not just use plain water? Because it is not the same salinity as blood. If you throw red blood cells into plain water they will burst. Using saline lets the fluid do its cleaning and leaves your membranes happy, i.e., not irritated, not ready to burst. Remember the recommendation to gargle with salt water when you have a sore throat?
I think about it like this: When I'm swimming I'm taking in a lot more air (working hard) through my nose and it is often combined with unsalinated water and chemicals. If my nose is dry, then the mucus is not there to protect the cell membranes from the plain water, and/or chemicals, and they become irritated. This may be more pronouced if you are using an antihistamine to dry up your nose due to colds or allergies (less mucus to protect the mucous membranes). After swimming, the concentration of the chemicals in my mucus is higher because it is not diluted by the extra water present while in the pool and that then creates the reactive sneezing and runny nose.
Try using the spray for a few workouts and if it doesn't help, talk again with your physician. Good luck.
Trivia: The average person swallows a quart of snot every day. As swimmmers I think we must be better than average!
