When I started swimming in my forties, the chlorine bothered my respiratory system but it was easy to deal with. As I got older it got worse, but just like the frog in the pot brought slowing to a boil, I really didn’t notice it.
Our pool shut down for a while during Covid and when we came back, it just ripped me up. When I blew my nose back at my car, everything just felt raw and the snot was flowing all day afterwards. I quit swimming that day. Now it’s about 3 years later and I’m swimming again. It always feels good for my back and I feel like I can push myself harder than I can running at 75 years old, but it’s killing me. My nose is always running. My upper respiratory is sore after swimming. I sneeze a lot and every pocket I own has a napkin in it.
My wife got me this nasal gel that I put in my nostrils before swimming but I don’t think it does much. I wash out my nose in the shower after, I lift my face up and let the water run down my nose. It feels like being waterboarded but I think this helps. And I’m limiting myself to a 30 minute straight freestyle swim and getting out.
None of these things helps much. Does anyone have any advice on how to deal with the chlorine? I’m in New York so finding an outdoor non-chlorinated pool is out of the question.
Thank you for your help!
Also, I tried two different nose clips in the past and they both fell off. Besides, I’d still be breathing the chlorine through my mouth.
I’m a lifelong swimmer with severe chlorine allergies. My precautions:
- swim in outdoor pools and ows as much as available - one big reason I am in boulder is because of year round outdoor pools.
- Use this nose plug that does not come out: Amazon.com
- Use soap made to remove chlorine immediately after swim
- Never swallow pool water
- Only drink spring water
- Take Claritin prior to swim
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I have used those nose plugs before and they work really well!
Also, I now swim in a salt water pool and that helps me with my skin drying out significantly in chlorine pools. Theyre quite niche though so might take some looking.
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I just ordered the nose plug and body wash.
Thanks guys!
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The nose plugs are really invasive feeling, but they prevent water from going in my sinuses and that seems to make the biggest difference for me
I’m similar age and experience. I’ve had success with flonase, or the drug store equilvalent, before and after swimming. I also have come to experimenting with ear plugs and a swim cap with some success. Good luck, I hope this helps.
Steve
Not to state the obvious…
But not all swimming pools are equally well ventilated.
Some have much higher amounts of chlorine than others.
It seems that there are more salt and bromine pools nowadays.
Outdoor pools obviously have better ventilation.
I’ve also sometimes had the reaction that you have had. But, crazy thing, it’s not chlorine. Because I’ve also sometimes had similar reactions when open water swimming in warmer lakes, and no chlorine there.
You’re reacting to water getting shoved up your sinuses repeatedly. The nose plugs, if you can wear them successfully, will likely help. The other thing that might help a lot in the pool is to do open turns instead of flip turns (far less water gets in your nose if you don’t turn upside down).
Good luck, let us know if you are successful in stopping this.
My nose runs like a This word is not allowed which means I'm not being very nice at the moment if I do a lot of backstroke for this reason all that day
Slow twitch censored the fuck out of me
And I just wrote “butch” with an i