Sniff, sniff, ACHOO! What could be causing these sneezy, runny nose symptoms as I train for an upcoming sprint triathlon? Would you believe it’s because of swimming? And no, there aren’t any cats swimming in my lane although that would explain my itchy, watery eyes afterwards. Thankfully, I’m not allergic to water (which is a real thing– aquagenic urticaria). I can swim in the ocean and a lake or river and everything is fine. Well, not EVERYthing. I’m still a slow swimmer but aside from this lack of ability, something else happens when I swim in a pool. Every single time, without fail, I’ll finish, shower off, pack up and leave, and for the rest of the day I’m sneezing like I just put on a coat made of cat fur.
It must be the chlorine, right? I had no idea chlorine allergy was a real thing. Well, spoiler, alert… it’s not! Chlorine is not an allergen but it might cause a reaction for frequent swimmers. My symptoms are not physical (like a rash or burn), but just affect respiratory and nasal passages. In other words, allergic rhinitis. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (full article here):
Chlorine may indirectly contribute to allergies by irritating and sensitizing the respiratory tract. Studies have suggested that frequent swimming in chlorinated pools and exposure to cleaning products containing chlorine may increase the risk of developing asthma and other respiratory allergies, both in adolescents and in adults.
Do you ever have this happen to you? If so, have you found a good solution? Off the top of my head I can think of three: 1. Give up triathlons altogether. Who wants to wear spandex anyway!
The other two solutions are a little less dramatic. One is to use a nose clip to help reduce the amount of chlorine inhaled. Another is finding a pool with less chlorine (salt water pool) or go to a lake, river, ocean for the swim training. You might want to avoid the lakes and rivers in Florida (and the entire southeast, for obvious reasons) so if you’re near an ocean, that’s where I’d go first. Stay along the shore, bring a swim buoy, and get on with it! I practiced in the ocean when I camped at St. Andrews State Park awhile back and absolutely loved it, while of course still embracing a healthy fear of sea creatures that lurk below.
As you’ve trained for races (triathlons, marathons, mountain bike races, cycling, etc), what physical hurdles have you come across that you needed to overcome? Comment below!
-Out of the Wilderness
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