From: lrowland@metz.une.edu.au (Lindsay Rowlands)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.swimming
Subject: Re: Snotty question
Date: 5 Nov 92 14:12:04 GMT
Organization: University of New England, Armidale, Australia

To: ljboocke@vela.acs.oakland.edu
Subject: Re: Snotty question

ljboocke@vela.acs.oakland.edu (ljboocke):
> My wife and I swim at a local YMCA.  She has a problem with sneezing and
> sinus congestion several hours after swimming.  She has a lot of
> allergies and goes to an allergist for shots.  Her allergist claims that
> there is no such thing as an allergy to chlorine, her reaction is due to
> irritation rather than an allergic reaction and allergy shots will not
> help.  I wonder if there is some other chemical in the water that she is
> reacting to.
> 
> Does anyone have any suggestions?  Is there something we can tell the
> pool director to do?  BTW, I wear nose clips and have no problem but my
> wife says she can't swim with nose clips. 

	I too have a problem with sinuses etc., after swimming in our
highly chlorinated indoor pool. I start to have severe problems
after 3 or 4 days of regular swimming - I'm in the water for no more
than 1 hour a session. The solution is to take days out from swimming. 
I use an exercise bike on those days instead. It kills me to not swim 
but the alternative sucks!
	I read recently (it may have been in this newsgroup) that
chlorine is absorbed through the mucous membranes. My experiences
certainly bear this out. The lining of my nostrils became very
sensitive and irritated. My nose 'ran', I sneezed a lot and I often 
woke up looking like I had gone a few rounds with a boxer - and 
feeling like it too. It got so bad for a while that I blamed my
work environment (office) and hassled the Health and Safety Officer
to check out the chemicals used by the cleaners every day and I
could not use any scented soap, shampoo or cream without having
sneezing sessions. Spasm! Anyway, it slowly dawned on me that my 
favourite pastime was to blame. I bought a nose thingy but couldn't
cope with the embarassment - never tried it.
	They use chlorine as part of the treatment process of water
for consumption here so constant exposure to it possibly exacerbates 
sensitivity. I use a water filter as well as drinking lots of
bottled water - that seems to help, particularly during and after
a sneeze session. Where do you think the snot comes from?
	It seems a bit pointless to be overly concerned about the 
difference between sensitivity and allergy to things in the environ-
ment. Whatever, our bodies are screaming out that something is wrong.
The snot is they body's way of irrigating the site of irritation in
an attempt to dilute and flush the nasty stuff away. If I had a pill
or shot to stop me sneezing and snotting I would be very worried 
about what the chlorine was doing to me - being dissolved from the
inside out, nostrils first is not an attractive scenario.
	I hope this helps or is at least some food for thought.

	Lindsay Rowlands
	Department of Music       
	University of New England 
	Armidale NSW AUSTRALIA (067)73 3339
	lrowland@metz.une.oz.au 
	=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=
	Ordinary people, it's OK,
	You don't have to wear those wings,
	They're stupid things.
	(Ferente)