Chlorine Allergy?

[Cantucan2]

Sometimes, but not all the time, when I swim I have a major case of
allergy-like sinus symptoms....stopped up, sneezy, runny nose. This occurs for
several hours afterwords. Does anyone else experience this, or have a
solution?

[mather callaghan]

if i understand the science correctly, chlorine is not an allergen, so you
can't actually have a "real" allergy to it. i get the same runny nose
sometimes, though, and so do lots of people, so it must be irritating in
some way. maybe because it dries you out so much?

mike "don't mind givin' 'er a farmer blow in the pool, either" callaghan

[TriGuy]

I have the same problem. At times the sneezing and runny nose will lasr over
24 hours. I thought it might be a problem with over clorination but the
comment that clorine is not an allergen shoots that theory in the butt. I
have heard that using a nose clip will solve the problem but I haven't tried
it. Any other solutions out there?

Cheers,
Bernie "I'm running out of hankerchiefs" Sher
Cantucan2 <cant...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19991029223855...@ng-cp1.aol.com...

[Butch Forsyth]

I work part time at a pool. In addition to the chlorine, we occasionally put in
a clarifying agent (can't remember the name) to help water clarity. You may
want to check with the pool maintenance and ask them if they also use a
clarifier, and see if a pattern exists between days used and your sinus
irritation. Myself, I don't remember having any sinus irritation other than
when I forget to exhale during flip-turns.

Hope this helps..............Butch

[bruce snell]

mather callaghan wrote ...

Mike - Chlorine may not be an allergen, but it sure is an irritant. Just
ask anyone who has ever dealt with chlorine gas - the whole point is to make
your eyes and nose run and your throat itch. My guess is that some people
are just more sensitive to the irritation effect.

Bruce Snell it...@hotmail.com

[CHARLES J GREENDALE]

I also have this problem and am not sure why but the other day i had a bad
case and had a meeting to go to so took an antihistamine and it seemed to
clear it up pretty fast.
Chip

[Allen Smith]

I don't have a sneezing prob but I do know that my sinuses / throat was
irritated almost every time I hit the pool. I am certain it was/is the
chlorine. It may not be an allergen but it is an irritant. Our "Y" pool
uses a lot I think as I have ruined 2 speedos in it. The rubber just
disintegrates after a few months even though I rinse them after every
workout. I finally tried a nose clip and it worked fine (for the irritation
prob not the Speedo). I don't use it in races and have had little or no
probs since.

Allen

[rock_...@my-deja.com]

I too finally tried a nose clip and it worked fine. I estimate that the
clip reduces the Chlorine irritation about 95%. That means just 1
cleanex after a swim instead of 20 !

Rock Cogar.
Oak Ridge, TN.

Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.

[cs...@my-deja.com]

I have some seasonal allergies, but usually never bad enough to take
antihistamines. When I swim, however, it seems to amplify any seasonal
allergies I have. When I'm sneezing and runny-nosed after a swim, I
check the pollen count web pages and can see a change. Claritin clears
it right up for me.

In article <19991029223855...@ng-cp1.aol.com>,

cant...@aol.com (Cantucan2) wrote:
> Sometimes, but not all the time, when I swim I have a major case of
> allergy-like sinus symptoms....stopped up, sneezy, runny nose. This
occurs for
> several hours afterwords. Does anyone else experience this, or have a
> solution?
>
>

[TriGhost]

On Sat, 30 Oct 1999 21:59:23 -0700, "CHARLES J GREENDALE"
<CGREE...@prodigy.net> wrote:

>I also have this problem and am not sure why but the other day i had a bad
>case and had a meeting to go to so took an antihistamine and it seemed to
>clear it up pretty fast.
>Chip
>

>Cantucan2 <cant...@aol.com> wrote in message
>news:19991029223855...@ng-cp1.aol.com...

>> Sometimes, but not all the time, when I swim I have a major case of
>> allergy-like sinus symptoms....stopped up, sneezy, runny nose. This
>occurs for
>> several hours afterwords. Does anyone else experience this, or have a
>> solution?

Occasionally when you swim, you will run into one of two things that
can cause this. The pool was just chlorinated (Which you can usually
smell), or you get some water into your sinus cavities. In either
case, the chlorine irritates the mucosal lining and produces the
"allergy" symptoms. Worst I ever felt was when I turned turtle
waterskiing in a lake, and filled both cavities with lake water...Took
3 days to drain out...igh..

John

"Ad astra per aspera"
"A rough road leads to the stars"

[Stacy Hills]

Try a nose clip. It may make you look like a moron but, for me, its better
than not swimming. My reaction to the same problem was so bad that I had to
stop swimming in indoor pools.

--
Stacy Hills
Reston, VA

[jk...@nwol.net]

Yep,...I have only 2 words..."nose clip".

A bit difficult to get use to at first. But, easy to adapt to after a
few work outs. I use the wire nose clip (without the neck chain)...buy
more than one...they are easy to lose...but, after a you get use to
them you find that special place in your bag to put it. Btw, make sure
your goggles are on tights...you can get the same sinus prob. with
chlorine in the eyes....fwiw Joe Moya

In article <19991029223855...@ng-cp1.aol.com>,
cant...@aol.com (Cantucan2) wrote:

> Sometimes, but not all the time, when I swim I have a major case of
> allergy-like sinus symptoms....stopped up, sneezy, runny nose. This
occurs for
> several hours afterwords. Does anyone else experience this, or have a
> solution?
>
>

[LiteBrnEyes]

Nose clips!!! They are a sinus's miracle. The whole point is to keep
the water out of your nose in the first place. That's kind of hard to
do without looking like a kid with a bad cold, which is why they were
invented...lol, wish I had thought of it! Would be rich now!=)

* Sent from RemarQ http://www.remarq.com The Internet's Discussion Network *
The fastest and easiest way to search and participate in Usenet - Free!

[Geoff Nash]

I have this problem all the time when swimming indoors. Yesterday, after
1600 M in the pool, I sneezed all the way through a 38 mile bike ride.
I heard something awhile back about the chlorine levels in the air 12 inches
above the water (the normal breathing zone). I forget the numbers, but they
were incredibly high. It's just one of those things about swimming that I
choose to ignore. Personally, I would prefer pools to go to a saline
disinfection system, but I understand that the conversion is very expensive.
my 2 cents.
Geoff *IMC Y2K-bound* Nash
OTN
1600M swim
38 mile bike
8 mile run

CHARLES J GREENDALE wrote in message
<7vgi81$2520$1...@newssvr04-int.news.prodigy.com>...

>I also have this problem and am not sure why but the other day i had a bad
>case and had a meeting to go to so took an antihistamine and it seemed to
>clear it up pretty fast.
>Chip
>

>Cantucan2 <cant...@aol.com> wrote in message
>news:19991029223855...@ng-cp1.aol.com...