After every swim I tend to get very congested. It feels like a deep nasal or sinus congestion. I’m at the tail end of a cold so it’s more pronounced right now. I feel like in the pool, your sinuses get pretty cleaned out. I leave the pool breathing easy. By the time I get home, I’m often feeling congested. I swim at night, so sometimes I will come home and go to sleep, and wake up only to cough and gag on a nice juicy phlegm ball.
Is this normal? Or maybe something allergy related (I don’t really have any other allergies I’m aware of)?
It is the chlorine. I would always get a stuffy nose and sneeze constantly - for hours. I switched to a salt water pool (still some chlorine) and all of my symptoms went away.
When Chlorine reacts with dirt it gives off a gas, this gas is an irritant which causes the blocked nose feeling. The dirtier a pool is the more gas. Disgusting as it is but I get the stuffy nose more during the school holidays when the pool is busy with dirty little beggers in it!
Sometimes it can because the pool has changed to a different chemical.
As I understand its an irritation and not an allergy.
You can get salt water nasal sprays from the chemist. I use one before and after swimming and it does minimise the effects a bit.
Few years ago, I started feeling the same and it became so bad that I couldn’t even breath through my nose for about 24 hours after every swim. Tried using neti pot, medications and nothing helped. I started swimming with a nose clip and no issues since. Until today, if I swim a one length without the nose clip, I am miserable the rest of the day. I have bunch of these nose clips in my swim bag:
How do you fare after an open water swim? I don’t have any issues after pool swims, but after OWS I spend the next day pretty congested, have just chalked it up to allergens being more concentrated on the water.
I’ve been struggling with allergy/sinus symptoms for the last couple of years and it has been a roller coaster…to the point where I get wiped out for days or weeks, because of allergy symptoms, fatigue, etc.
Currently, I am boiling water and sea salt, gradually increasing the amount of salt; and rinsing twice a day (morning and night). I believe the trick with neti type pots is to let gravity take over and not force the water into the sinus area with pressure. I’ve been tilting my head back and letting it run through the nose & throat area a couple times on both sides. I then will inhale a little through the nose on each side GENTLY. After rinsing…lay down flat for 5 or so minutes and let everything drain and clear out through the back of your throat.
Same problems here, and as others have said, the only fix for me was to use a nose clip. Tried everything to no avail… Last week I swam 100m without a nose clip and I was messed up the whole day
a lot of people swear by a netti pot after swims - 5 bucks
I found it really good - after swims, or even during hayfever season - you just have to figure out the right water temperature yourself - the first few times sting a bit but after that its refreshing and you feel really clear and you start to recognise when you might need to use it.
in some (study) cases it wasn’t a cholorine allergy but more the nasal membrane irritation - then the nose clip is the way to go
Me exactly. I have to use nose clips as well or suffer all day/night with sinus issues.
do you use a nose clip when racing? I might this year. I usually don’t have terrible congestion but enough where I sneeze and have to blow my nose a lot right after swimming for a couple of hours. The other issue when racing is that I sometimes get congested during the swim and it makes it difficult to eat since my nose is congested so I can’t breath through it and if eating I can’t breath through my mouth.
Started using a $5 nose clip and instant relief. Didn’t use it in an ocean swim and had no problems. Something about the local pool messes with me. Only started this year, and I’ve swam there for the last 4-5. Either I developed a sensitivity, or they changed chemicals.
But seriously, a clip is super cheap and and complete fix. First one slid around and wouldn’t stay put. Tried a different style and I’m golden.
Can be a few things… a nose clip seems to fix ALL of them. The pool I swim at “changed” their chemicals a bit ago and I noticed I get less stuffy now. I can have issues with OWS as well… I just don’t like wearing a nose clip.
Started using a $5 nose clip and instant relief. Didn’t use it in an ocean swim and had no problems. Something about the local pool messes with me. Only started this year, and I’ve swam there for the last 4-5. Either I developed a sensitivity, or they changed chemicals.
But seriously, a clip is super cheap and and complete fix. First one slid around and wouldn’t stay put. Tried a different style and I’m golden.
I did buy one I just haven’t used it yet but will probably start. I can deal with a couple of hours of congestion after a training swim but it can be a problem during a race.
