I'm swimming with a new workout group this year, and am thus in a new pool. Something in the water (not necessarily chlorine) is giving my sinuses fits. It takes more than a day to unstuff, during which time sleeping is problematic. I've rather casually tried decongestant (currently only Sudafed PE) and antihistamines (Claritin) and my trusty neti pot. The neti pot doesn't help a lot if your sinuses are completely clogged though.
I'm skeptical that it's chlorine causing problems mostly because I swam in an older pool last season which had higher chlorine levels with no problem (at least by how long the chlorine smell lingered on my skin).
I realize that chlorine is an irritant, not an allergen, so maybe antihistamines or decongestants won't be all that effective. Is there a nose clip in my future? Anybody using a nose clip strictly to keep chemicals out of your nose and sinuses?
Thx,
Skip
I too have suddenly become suspicious that nasal problems might be related to something in pool water (the effect seems to peak a few hours after exposure, around midnight) rather than environmental dust. Someone on the forums suggested rinsing with (warm) salt water. That does bring some relief but not a full resolution. After that I take a decongestant (pseudoephedrine HCl 30 mg). It is a misery.
I swim most frequently in a hotel pool, which is a chemical bath.
:confused:
I realize that chlorine is an irritant, not an allergen, so maybe antihistamines or decongestants won't be all that effective. Is there a nose clip in my future? Anybody using a nose clip strictly to keep chemicals out of your nose and sinuses?
Thx,
Skip
Hey Skip,
A famous ex forumite is now using a nose clip quite successfully for this purpose.
One of the pools I swam/swim in uses bromide instead of chlorine. I never really noticed a difference, but one of my coaches was allergic and his eyes nearly swelled shut during meets held there. Is there a chance that the pool is not chlorine, and that you actually do have a milder reaction to the chemicals in the pool than said coach?
I think you should give the nose clip a shot. It is a very cheap and easy experiment.
I'm in exactly the same boat! My nose starts running and I start sneezing almost exactly 6 hours after I finish my swim. I can't sleep, I can use a box of tissues in an afternoon and I only feel better shortly before I next swim.
I've tried everything, cos I like to train 5 times a week.
In desperation I went to the doctors last week, probably because I was tired through lack of sleep rather than feeling unwell and was told to try;
Amxoiciliin for infected sinuses - now on day 6 and no noticable improvement
beclametasone dipropionate, nasal spray - two days use and feels GOOD!!
Time will tell!! I swam this afternoon until 4pm so i'm past the six houir mark and not one sneeze.
PLEase, please , please share any remedies people have.
And back on topic - I didn't get on with a nose clip........
A nose clip is a good "fix".
But definitely make the effort to send letters/emails to the pool operators informing them of the problem. It is rare that the pool operator actually swims in the pool so don't assume he/she knows about it!
More than likely it is a PH imbalance. Not always easy to fix if it is a far gone issue. But poor maintanence practice is big problem at many pools.
I coached some swimmers who are actually active board of director members.
One BOD swimmer wrote a letter inviting the management to "join us for a workout" in hope that swimming would be believing since talking about it wasn't working.
Thanks for all the responses. I bought a nose clip just before Christmas. What with the holiday I've only had one chance to use it. So far, so good. At the end of practice the coach had us do some 25yd no-breath sprints from a dive. The clip came off on the second dive. I will check around and see if I can find a clip with a bit better profile so it's not "grabbed" so much by the water.
I was pretty amazed at how much I used my nose for at least exhaling. It's going to take a bit of getting used to only breathing in and out of my mouth.
Skip
2 sessions with a new nose clip and I wish I had persevered before. I feel great and have quickly got used to it, especially on turns and backstroke it is great.
Can't believe how stubborn I have been and starting to realise how ill I was making myself feel before as well.
Big convert!!!
