For the last couple of years I have kept my swimming to the min required to get through races because if I swam more than about 2 times a week, my nose would become completely blocked. It was not very pleasant. Well, for a couple of weeks now I have been popping an OTC Claritin in the morning before swimming, and that seems to have done the trick. While there is still a little stuffiness, it is nothing like the complete inability to breathe through my nose that I had before. So, for all of you folks who suffer from this, maybe give it a try. It has worked pretty well for me…
Claritin does work well and without the tiredness of other alergy meds. I’ve used it a few times at the tail end of a cold where my symptoms tend to turn into alergies. I also wear a nose plug when swimming as flip turns give me the complete blockage problem. Not sure why I lost the ability to keep water from entering my nose - perhaps after breaking it. I have the same problem kayaking.
I posted about this before. It went totally away by using a nose plug. So much so that I didnt think I needed
it anymore after a year with no probs. After my second swim this week, my nose is stuffed. Try the plug without the Claritin first.
I’ve tried swimming with a nose plug, and I always feel like I’m not expelling or breathing in enough air. Its probably all in my head, but I just can’t get used to the plug.
I always blow tons of snot OUT when I am at swim practice…It has the exact OPPOSITE effect for me…If I don’t swim for a while, I start to get clogged…At least I get it in the gutter
I too have to take Claritin before swimming every time. It does work well. It’s not true for me that symptons go away by swimming more they only get worse. I’ve never tried a nose plug, I suppose I should one of these days!
Had the same problem with stuffy dripping nose all day after a morning swim in a pool. If I swam in a lake I was conjested for several days. Started using a nose plug over 15 years ago and it all went away. Did take a little practice to get use to it but I now feel naked without it.
“I’ve tried swimming with a nose plug, and I always feel like I’m not expelling or breathing in enough air. Its probably all in my head, but I just can’t get used to the plug.”
Try doing your warm up without the plug. I get the same feeling but if I warm up without the plug with open turns, then I’m fine.
I have found that if I use some Nasal Saline mist type stuff after swimming it does the trick. you can find it at any grocery store and it is really cheap. If I don’t use it I will be sneezing and stuffy for hours.
Tried the saline spray…didn’t work for me. And to the guy who said swim more…tried that, too, and it just made it worse. Way worse…I felt like I would never, ever, get another molecule of air through my nose as long as I lived. I imagine if I tried really hard, I might be able to get used to the nose plug. But the Claritin works really well for me, so I think I’m gonna stick with that. Better living through chemistry!
Flonase also works wonders. It’s prescription only, though, and you have to take it every day. On the plus side, it doesn’t have to get filtered through the rest of your body like Claritin, and I think Claritin has a length-of-use limitation on it. I used Flonase a couple of months ago when I was doing a lot of swimming, and it really helped. I’ve backed off a little on the training, so I haven’t been using it recently. We’ve also moved outside, so I’m hoping that helps as well.
for me (may not work for y’all) if I swim infrequently I have a problem getting stuffy. if I increase my swimming frequency, it gets worse…then, all of a sudden - it all disappears. No more symptoms at all.
I’ve used prescription Nasonex for about 5 years, and it does the trick, PLUS I only use it right before I swim (up to a couple of hours or morning of is fine). I don’t need to use it on days I don’t swim. If I forget to use it and swim anyway, it appears I have gained some protection from having used it the day before, so maybe there is a buildup–I don’t know for sure.
It does contain steroids, but I’m guessing it’s a miniscule amount. Near as I can tell, I do not gain any performance benefits from it!
I’m not sure why that is. I think the sensitivity of the mucous membranes just wears down, for some reason.
I could say the same thing for ear issues.
I think this is sinusitis everyone is getting. Tiny amounts of water and pressure inflame the mucous membranes, causing inflammation and stuffiness. I think it comes from small incidents which occur during a swim, which you might not exactly remember during a session, when you screw up, let your guard down, take a bad breath, etc… and water gets in the nasal passages. The sinusitis can last for a few days.
All of the anti-histamines talked about dry the membranes. I would think a steriod spray would work better to reduce the inflammation, assuming those themselves don’t irritate the nose.
