swimming and sinuses

[H.S]

Can anyone help - I've been swimming (recreationally) for years, and have just learnt how to do front crawl. This is going ok, but I am having real problems with my sinuses, and find that after a swim, I can't breathe through my nose, which then affects my sleep, etc., etc. Presumably my sinuses are being affected by the chlorine? I have tried a Speedo noseclip but this was useless, and I lost it halfway down the first length. So does anybody know a) of a noseclip that stays on! or, b) any other remedy?

cheers, HS

[Kate]

I know someone who has a similar problem - it is worse in a small warm pool and is due to a gas close to the surface of the water that is produced by the pool chemicals. He uses a nasal spray (similar to that used for hayfever) otherwise it develops into a continuous cough.

[Unfit]

i've always had a problem with my nose - aparently i'm mildly allergic to chlorine! when i was 9 i had my nasal tubes scraped out because they'd got so bad. i was told to stop swimming or it would need to be done again - it hasn't had to yet! anyway, i was supposed to wear a nose clip but i really really didn't like it so i always took it off (it was a speedo one as well, it stayed on but left really attractive marks on your nose cause it was so tight!) i'm afraid i've not got much construtive comments for you though. i assume you learnt to keep an air bubble in your nose when swimming and to breath out through your nose when doing tumble turns? this will at least stop the water going straight up your nose - but if you're not used to it, it does take some practice. i don't seem to be half as bad as i used to be these days - although i always spend the few hours after swimming sneezing and being a bit bunged up!
good luck

[swimusa]

When I was 18 my sinuses swelled shut from an allergy to chlorine, and I had to have major cranial surgery to rememdy the problem. Since then, my swimming hasn't been the same.

[Unfit]

well that was a real cheery reply - not having a good friday?