Should women who lift eat pop tarts or do more cardio?

pucenavel
pucenavel Posts: 972 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Apparently having an actual question on something other than if women should lift, cardio v. lifting, sugar v. eating clean, showing your boobs, or whether or not pop tarts are food doesn't garner any attention, so the subject line of this topic is intentionally misleading just to see if I can get some discussion going on my situation.

If you have any experience with swimming, open water swimming in particular, please read on.....

Here's my situation and questions:

In less than a month, I'll be participating in a 10k open water swim. As part of my training, I've been upping my mileage in open water to around 6000m three times a week, with two shorter pool swims each week. I'm spending about 2 hours in the water on the long, open water swims and about an hour for the shorter pool swims.

Over the winter, I'd been doing one 2-hour swim in the pool and the two shorter pool swims.

Over the last few weeks, as I've built up my distance to over 20,000m per week, I'm noticing that my right nostril is congested for 1-2 days after the lake swims. I've never had a problem with this before in the pool. It's only the right side (I am a left side breather & don't bother telling me to alternate breathing - tried and failed at that several times over the last 30 years, it just ain't happenin' - something about my physiology just doesn't allow enough air to come in with my head turned to the right)..

I'm going to try using a nose plug this weekend to see if that helps, but I loathe the idea of wearing it - just feels odd, and I've got the ability to breathe in and out through my mouth and nose at the same time, so I'm a little concerned that I'll be reducing my air supply in doing so.

Here is my questions: Anybody else have this problem? Do you have any suggestions for avoiding it? Could it be allergies to something in the water?

Thanks

Replies

  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    It's probably not an allergy (otherwise it would be both nostrils) but a reaction to water getting in your nose (if you ever want to see something gross watch scuba divers taking off their masks after a long dive).

    BTW - 10K. open water swim? My goal is a 3K swim a year from now. I'm seriously impressed!
  • granitendirt
    granitendirt Posts: 76
    I also am impressed by the 10k open water swim. Criminey!

    I've spent a lot of time in the pool and have never experienced prolonged nostril congestion (I breathe on both sides). That being said, I have heard people receive significant relief using netty pots for congestion, whether it's brought on by a cold or allergies. Seriously, people swear by these things. I'd say do some research on them and maybe give it a try.
  • __Di__
    __Di__ Posts: 1,658 Member
    It's probably not an allergy (otherwise it would be both nostrils) but a reaction to water getting in your nose (if you ever want to see something gross watch scuba divers taking off their masks after a long dive).

    BTW - 10K. open water swim? My goal is a 3K swim a year from now. I'm seriously impressed!

    I agree with Brian ^

    ALL of Brian's posting! 10k swim? Dang, running 10k is enough, let alone swimming those six and a quarter miles!!!

    ps OP the title of this thread cracked me up as did the reason you gave for it in your first paragraph :laugh:
  • micheleb15
    micheleb15 Posts: 1,418 Member
    May not be an allergy, but more of an intolerance. I am not a big open water swimmer, but I know a lot of swimmers/divers that swear by netipots. I always wanted to do the swim around Key West, but never got around to it while I was there. This sounds like a great event. Best of luck!

    My issue has always been my ears during swimming and shallow dives, but I don't think that would cause a clogged nose, more of the opposite.
  • Witchdoctor58
    Witchdoctor58 Posts: 226 Member
    See an ENT. You might have a polyp or something that can be removed, and fix the problem. Alternately, you could have other conditions that need to be addressed.
  • thepiratemd
    thepiratemd Posts: 65
    you admit to having (most likely) some degree of right septal deviation to begin with.

    In addition, I believe the lake water swimming (or some other irritant) is causing your nasal turbinates are inflammed, making the problems worse in recent times.

    so it's a combination of the two. ENT would be a good referral. Dont start using nasal sprays until you talk to one-- many people abuse the sprays and have rebound congestion and rebound growth of the turbinates
  • djtessatessa
    djtessatessa Posts: 54 Member
    try using a neti pot to clear it out
  • bronnyd
    bronnyd Posts: 278 Member
    I also am impressed by the 10k open water swim. Criminey!

    I've spent a lot of time in the pool and have never experienced prolonged nostril congestion (I breathe on both sides). That being said, I have heard people receive significant relief using netty pots for congestion, whether it's brought on by a cold or allergies. Seriously, people swear by these things. I'd say do some research on them and maybe give it a try.

    i second the neti pot suggestion. :smile:
  • pucenavel
    pucenavel Posts: 972 Member
    you admit to having (most likely) some degree of right septal deviation to begin with.

    In addition, I believe the lake water swimming (or some other irritant) is causing your nasal turbinates are inflammed, making the problems worse in recent times.

    so it's a combination of the two. ENT would be a good referral. Dont start using nasal sprays until you talk to one-- many people abuse the sprays and have rebound congestion and rebound growth of the turbinates

    That makes a lot of sense (along with post before it). Now that you mention it, when I have a cold the congestion is always worse on the right. Been that way as long as I can remember. I'm not using any nasal sprays but will take a decongestant when it gets really bad. I do have a Sinus Rinse (the more powerful big brother of the Neti pot) that does help if I can do it soon after I swim. The lake is, however, 30 minutes from the house. Those of you who have a Sinus Rinse know that the bottle isn't exactly something you can load up and toss in a swim bag. I suppose I could pre-mix and store in another bottle....
  • thepiratemd
    thepiratemd Posts: 65
    Yea man using a saline spray is fine, but I doubt it will do much.

    Temporary relief of the turbinates is achieved with medicated sprays, but as I said they must be used with caution.
    Other (permanent) options are to a.) avoid the irritant or b.) surgical tear-down of the turbinates (has a chance of recurring anyway after this, and you can't do the procedure too often or you end up with "empty nose syndrome".

    but yea. best of luck. an ENT will have the tools to really get up in your nose and take a good look.
  • jconnon
    jconnon Posts: 427 Member
    Poptarts!
  • erinsueburns
    erinsueburns Posts: 865 Member
    Sounds like a deviated septum and/or polyps. I'll second or third seeing an ENT. If it is polyps in part, a sinus spray can sometimes help minimize them without surgery.

    I'll also heartily recommend neti pot. They are extremely effective for clearing out the sinuses.

    Here is a link for the appropriate methods, I'd suggest doing both stage 1 and stage 2.

    http://www.jalanetipot.com/how.html

    And only use distilled water for neti.

    As for neti vs sinus rinse bottle, if you can manage stage 2 neti with that then it should work fine. For on the go use, I keep some mixed in a capped water bottle, clearly labeled, to fill my neti pot.
  • arathena720
    arathena720 Posts: 449 Member
    What? Wait! WHERE THE HELL ARE THE POPTARTS?!?!?!
  • pucenavel
    pucenavel Posts: 972 Member
    Update:

    Bought a nose clip.

    It lasted all of about 50 yards before I discarded it.
  • ChrisR0se
    ChrisR0se Posts: 1,855 Member
    Eat poptarts while on the elliptical
  • chad_phillips1123
    chad_phillips1123 Posts: 229 Member
    Try a neti pot for awhile. I don't like nasal sprays ,but when ever I'm congested/stuffed up a neti pot has always got me to feeling better.

    That said, it is just treating a symptom. If there's some irritant in the water or something seasonally where you live, it'll still bother you.

    My suggestion, use the neti pot for relief and if you keep getting congested and doesn't get better, go and see an ENT.
  • CallMeCupcakeDammit
    CallMeCupcakeDammit Posts: 9,377 Member
    One of my friends here is allergic to the chlorine, so she has to find a pool that doesn't use a lot and suffers through it, so an allergy isn't out of the question. Is that the only time this happens? I had horrible congestion for a while, and no matter what I did, nothing helped, until my cousin suggested a neti pot, so I'm thirding or whatever the neti pot. Basically what Chad said. Good luck with your swim!

    Also, Pop Tarts. Always Pop Tarts!

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