Hey all, since everyone here has been swimming for at least as long as me, and probably WAY more than me also in some cases, I have a question for you guys:
How is your sense of smell?
I personally feel like mine is HORRIBLE and I blame it on inhaling chlorine for all the years I've swam. The only scent I can really smell is the overwhelming smell of an indoor pool.
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Former Member
Lisa- of course, how poor your sense of smell is totally subjective. My sense of smell is vastly inferior to that of my wife & yes, I am the one in water all the time (mind you, she did swim age-group much longer than me). I am constantly snuffling and sneezing for hours after a workout (worse if I was sprinting) & during that time I can't smell anything. If I take an oral sinus decongestant then I usually clear up & can detect smells much better.
Grisly note: years ago I was a police officer & had a perpetually broken nose from contact sports inc boxing (no swimming then) & was sent as a first assigned officer to all the sudden death calls 'cause I couldn't smell a thing even when others were retching. My sense if smell is much better than that now, so I conclude that the tissue irritation was a key part.
Lisa- of course, how poor your sense of smell is totally subjective. My sense of smell is vastly inferior to that of my wife & yes, I am the one in water all the time (mind you, she did swim age-group much longer than me). I am constantly snuffling and sneezing for hours after a workout (worse if I was sprinting) & during that time I can't smell anything. If I take an oral sinus decongestant then I usually clear up & can detect smells much better.
Grisly note: years ago I was a police officer & had a perpetually broken nose from contact sports inc boxing (no swimming then) & was sent as a first assigned officer to all the sudden death calls 'cause I couldn't smell a thing even when others were retching. My sense if smell is much better than that now, so I conclude that the tissue irritation was a key part.
