Chlorine pools kill me! - Triathlon Week

08-23-2004, 08:09 PM

Hi!
Just wondering if anyone out there has the same problem with chlorine pools.
For at least a couple of days after a swimming session my nose is blocked
and it feels like i have a nasty head cold. What can i do? Being in the
south of australia its to cold to swim at the beach!
And advice would be great!
Thanks.

08-23-2004, 08:09 PM

bigempty said:

> Hi!
> Just wondering if anyone out there has the same problem with chlorine pools.
> For at least a couple of days after a swimming session my nose is blocked
> and it feels like i have a nasty head cold. What can i do? Being in the
> south of australia its to cold to swim at the beach!
> And advice would be great!

The Bondi Icebergs swim in the (unheated) ocean everyday of the year (and
actually put ice in their ocean pool for the traditional first swim of the
winter) so you could perhaps reappraise "too cold", and swim in the ocean.
You might even want to wear a wetsuit.

Where are you, exactly?

Steve = : ^ )

08-23-2004, 08:09 PM

On 7/14/04 12:38 AM, in article, "bigempty" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

> Hi!
> Just wondering if anyone out there has the same problem with chlorine pools.
> For at least a couple of days after a swimming session my nose is blocked
> and it feels like i have a nasty head cold. What can i do? Being in the
> south of australia its to cold to swim at the beach!
> And advice would be great!
> Thanks.

I have this problem to a lesser extent - it usually only lasts about a day
for me. I've never been officially diagnosed, but I've had several health
care professionals tell me it sounds like a slight chlorine allergy.

I've managed to reduce the problems by making sure I shower immediately
after getting out of the pool. I wash everything - especially my face -
thoroughly with a "neutral" soap like ivory and wash my hair using a good
shampoo that gets the chlorine out of my hair. Neutragena Clean Balance
works great and isn't too expensive.

I still occasionally have the sniffles, but it's no where near as bad once
you "get the stuff off you". If that doesn't work, buy yourself a good
wetsuit and head for the nearest lake.

John

08-23-2004, 08:09 PM

>I still occasionally have the sniffles, but it's no where near as bad once
>you "get the stuff off you". If that doesn't work, buy yourself a good
>wetsuit and head for the nearest lake.

Would a swimming snorkel help in such circumstances?

Maybe get air ABOVE the pool where chlorine "gas" is
not residing?

Just a thought. I don't know

08-23-2004, 08:09 PM

My wife has the same problem and solved it by taking an allegra or
zyrtec or whatever drug of that type you prefer.

just my .02
mark

bigempty wrote:
> Hi!
> Just wondering if anyone out there has the same problem with chlorine pools.
> For at least a couple of days after a swimming session my nose is blocked
> and it feels like i have a nasty head cold. What can i do? Being in the
> south of australia its to cold to swim at the beach!
> And advice would be great!
> Thanks.
>
>

08-23-2004, 08:09 PM

bigempty wrote:
> Hi!
> Just wondering if anyone out there has the same problem with chlorine pools.
> For at least a couple of days after a swimming session my nose is blocked
> and it feels like i have a nasty head cold. What can i do? Being in the
> south of australia its to cold to swim at the beach!
> And advice would be great!
> Thanks.
>
>

Try finding an outdoor pool. The indoor ones tend to have higher water
temp (for the people just standing around) and because of the higher
temp they have more chlorine to kill all the nasties in the water. If
south of Australia (not South Australia??) means Melbourne, I swim at
Doncaster where they have the outdoor pool open all year (a lot of the
outdoor pools close durign winter). Water temp is still around 26degrees
(Celsius that is) but I get soem cold days or nights with the pool to
myself. I feel like crap after swimming in the indoor pool especially
with all that chlorine in my eyes, but feel great after an outdoor session.

DaveB

08-23-2004, 08:09 PM

"bigempty" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:cd0h90$258s$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].au...
> Hi!
> Just wondering if anyone out there has the same problem with chlorine
pools.
> For at least a couple of days after a swimming session my nose is blocked
> and it feels like i have a nasty head cold. What can i do? Being in the
> south of australia its to cold to swim at the beach!
> And advice would be great!
> Thanks.

I get the same thing.......and sometimes it turns into an *actual* head
cold. I've started irrigating my nasal passages with tepid salt water after
pool swimming. It's a little too squicky to be described here but if you
Google "nasal irrigation" you'll get the idea.

Susan in LA

08-23-2004, 08:09 PM

"bigempty" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:cd0h90$258s$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].au...
> Hi!
> Just wondering if anyone out there has the same problem with chlorine
pools.
> For at least a couple of days after a swimming session my nose is blocked
> and it feels like i have a nasty head cold. What can i do? Being in the
> south of australia its to cold to swim at the beach!
> And advice would be great!
> Thanks.
>
>

I had the same problem, so when we thought about putting a pool in our
backyard I did some research and we chose a salt water pool, it uses regular
salt to provide the natural chlorine which is far less irratating to the
sinus's.. the technology is pretty simple, there is a electrolisys chamber
inline with the circulatory system which breaks the salt down from NaCL to
Na and CL.. the sodium settles toward the bottom of the pool while the Cl
<chlorine> does its job .. then the sunlight and heat of the day cause the
two to recombine and the whole process starts over again.. pretty simple and
a whole lot cheaper than traditional chlorime <bromine> style pools..
ANYWAY..the moral of the story is, a lot of the local public pools here in
the states are converting to this setup..so check around and see if you can
find one. If not, suggest it as a money saving tip.. who knows they might
look into it..

Jim Weeks
Austin, TX

08-23-2004, 08:09 PM

In article <cd0h90$258s$[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].au>, "bigempty" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>
wrote:

> Hi!
> Just wondering if anyone out there has the same problem with chlorine pools.
> For at least a couple of days after a swimming session my nose is blocked
> and it feels like i have a nasty head cold. What can i do? Being in the
> south of australia its to cold to swim at the beach!
> And advice would be great!
> Thanks.

interesting.... i find that the pool chlorine *unclogs* my sinuses! a
little gross, with my nose suddenly running and lots of phlegm coming up
during my swim. i now blow my nose prior to a swim to reduce the amount
of mess encountered during the swim.

funny how the chemicals affect people differently.

Cam

08-23-2004, 08:09 PM

Hi!
I am from melbourne. Do you know of any salt water pools? Ill look into the
outdoor pools, im thinking i might just don the wetsuit and brave the cold
bay water! :)
Thanks for the advice!

"DaveB" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].au> wrote in message
news:[Only registered and activated users can see links. ].au...
> bigempty wrote:
> > Hi!
> > Just wondering if anyone out there has the same problem with chlorine
pools.
> > For at least a couple of days after a swimming session my nose is
blocked
> > and it feels like i have a nasty head cold. What can i do? Being in the
> > south of australia its to cold to swim at the beach!
> > And advice would be great!
> > Thanks.
> >
> >
>
> Try finding an outdoor pool. The indoor ones tend to have higher water
> temp (for the people just standing around) and because of the higher
> temp they have more chlorine to kill all the nasties in the water. If
> south of Australia (not South Australia??) means Melbourne, I swim at
> Doncaster where they have the outdoor pool open all year (a lot of the
> outdoor pools close durign winter). Water temp is still around 26degrees
> (Celsius that is) but I get soem cold days or nights with the pool to
> myself. I feel like crap after swimming in the indoor pool especially
> with all that chlorine in my eyes, but feel great after an outdoor
session.
>
> DaveB
>

hvargas · 02-21-2005, 04:49 PM

I just joined this list. I experienced the same exact symptoms you describe. I tried the rinsing and showering, antihistamines and none of them worked... that is until I tried a nose clip.
I have had no problems since.
I hope you have not given up on swimming
HV

BrandanHarmon · 02-26-2005, 04:10 PM

The nose clip worked like a charm for me as well. Cheap, easy and effective. Give it a try.