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vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts
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 2011-02-06 8:35 PM |
Extreme Veteran  643    metro DC |  Subject: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS startsI just started racing last year, and despite my (relative!) confidence in the swim, found myself incredibly nauseous after the beginning of the swim starts....not right away, but after some time of start/stop as I played dodge-the-bodies and tried to avoid swimming over people (ok, maybe too polite. whatever!). I never thought I was all that nervous, but figured I must've been more nervous than I realized. I was telling a swim coach about that tonight, and he asked if I was prone to motion sickness (very), and he suggested that my issue with the OWS mass starts could be due to vestibular issues. Squats, or rapid jumps on the spin bike make me dizzy/nauseous, too. Anyone ever experienced this, or prevented it? He suggested maybe starting with breaststroke to keep my head/body position fairly constant until I get clear of the packs might help, but I'd welcome any other opinions & pointers, too. thanks! |
| 2011-02-06 8:49 PM in reply to: #3342191 |
Pro 4174 Keller, Texas | Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts I suffer from pretty severe motion sickness. Once I started wearing ear plugs I have not have any more issues. |
| 2011-02-06 8:54 PM in reply to: #3342191 |
Extreme Veteran 3177 | Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts earplugs are a good call for that. I do not regularly get nauseous but when i do swimming those work. the other thing to do, with OWS is just start swimming, set your pace and don't worry about hitting others, it is triathlon, we are used to it mostly so just swim over people or around them if you can. if you are starting and stopping to see around then it might be a better idea to practice your sighting while swimming so you do not have to and can navigate while swimming. |
| 2011-02-07 7:29 PM in reply to: #3342215 |
Extreme Veteran 643 metro DC | Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts dodgersmom - 2011-02-06 9:49 PM I suffer from pretty severe motion sickness. Once I started wearing ear plugs I have not have any more issues. Never in a million years would've thought of that - thanks! I wonder what the science behind that is? |
| 2011-02-07 7:34 PM in reply to: #3342224 |
Extreme Veteran 643 metro DC | Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts bel83 - 2011-02-06 9:54 PM earplugs are a good call for that. I do not regularly get nauseous but when i do swimming those work. the other thing to do, with OWS is just start swimming, set your pace and don't worry about hitting others, it is triathlon, we are used to it mostly so just swim over people or around them if you can. if you are starting and stopping to see around then it might be a better idea to practice your sighting while swimming so you do not have to and can navigate while swimming. I'm such a girl...and a southerner to boot...don't mind getting kicked or otherwise jostled in the water, but not real keen on just on just plowing over/thru any/all in my way... reckon I need to get over that, eh?! I hear what you're saying, though - and I don't stop to sight bc I can sight pretty well while swimming (tho usually just see or feel the legs as I'm swimming up on people, so that's what pulls me up short), and I stop to tread to figure out how to go around them. Really appreciate the advice - again, do you know why earplugs work? Coach suggested I just breaststroke until I get to more open water, so that's an option, too....though I probably need to get over whatever hesitation or manners I have & barrel through........! thanks, y'all. |
| 2011-02-07 7:57 PM in reply to: #3342191 |
Master 1402 Cumming, Georgia | Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts Ear plugs might help. If the water is cold and I don't wear earplugs I get vertigo coming out of the water. |
| 2011-02-08 5:01 AM in reply to: #3342191 |
Pro 6011 Camp Hill, Pennsylvania | Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts Bumping into people is one thing, but intentionally swimming over someone when you could have gone around is unnecessary and potentially dangerous. I get motion sickness, and thanks to the Mythbusters TV show, have discovered ginger as an effective way to treat it. Just pop some ginger pills, some crystallized ginger, or pickled ginger before you do anything that is likely to make you sick. It works as well as traditional otc motion sickness medicine, but without the drowsiness. |
| 2011-02-08 5:54 AM in reply to: #3344076 |
| Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts MarlaS - 2011-02-07 8:34 PM again, do you know why earplugs work? Your body uses your inner ear for balance. When both ear drums are the same temp both ears are getting the same data input (temp only) but when one gets significantly colder or warmer than the other it throws your entire balance detector off. Then add the rolling motion of your swim stroke, the gentle waves of the lake and the jostling of other swimmers and it's a wonder you can swim at all. Ear plugs simply keep the water out of your ears and your body has a better baseline for balance because both ears are the same temp internally. |
| 2011-02-08 7:52 AM in reply to: #3342191 |
Veteran 444 | Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts Ditto on what everyone said about earplugs. When I was training for a tri last september I swam in really cold water and was so dizzy I could barely walk, felt like crap the rest of the night which freaked me out because the tri was in less than a week. I picked up some earplugs the next day and went for another swim, same water, no dizziness at all. Just recently I started swimming at the gym and was having minor dizziness after short sets, popped the earplugs in and swam 600 yards this morning non stop and not a bit of woozy feeling. Mostly its the cold water affecting your inner ear, but it can also be the water sloshing around in your ear as you turn your head. Earplugs also cut down on that annoying feeling of having water stuck in your ear, no bouncing around on one foot for me! |
| 2011-02-08 8:32 AM in reply to: #3342215 |
Master 9705 Raleigh, NC area | Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts dodgersmom - 2011-02-06 9:49 PM I suffer from pretty severe motion sickness. Once I started wearing ear plugs I have not have any more issues. Same here. For me severe motion sickness means that I don't fly well, I don't do roller coaster or any upside down ride, flip turns make me ill, etc. My husband thought I was exaggerating until he sat next to me on a plane. Ear plugs have been great for swimming! |
| 2011-02-08 9:03 AM in reply to: #3342191 |
Master 1929 Midlothian, VA | Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts Another vote for earplugs (for colder water!) I forgot to make sure I had some for my first race and sure enough, I was extremely dizzy when I got out of the lake. I walked sideways, limping up the beach. Temperature matters though. At my fourth race, later in the season I stopped at some point and removed them, sticking them under my cap. I can't remember if it was at the dock or out in the lake, but the water was warmer and sound was more important to me at that point. I also swim with music, so earplugs give me a more consistent feeling to what I train with anyway. Pick up a set and try them out. VERY inexpensive as triathlon accessories go... -eric |
| 2011-02-08 9:11 AM in reply to: #3344677 |
Master 9705 Raleigh, NC area | Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts Rite Aid carries the Mack's ear plugs. I use the small ones -- Mack's Pillow Soft Earplugs - Kids Size.  |
| 2011-02-08 8:30 PM in reply to: #3342191 |
Extreme Veteran 643 metro DC | Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts again, really appreciate all the suggestions. I've always been a swimmer, and swam in lakes, rivers, etc as a kid, but was never quite so prone to motion sickness as I am now. Never thought about the temps in my ear(s) making a difference, either, but since my experience with swimming induced pulmonary edema in my last race, i'm a lot more conscious of the impact of water temperature in lots of ways. made an appointment with an ENT, too, but will start experimenting with ginger & earplugs, too. |
| 2011-02-08 8:40 PM in reply to: #3342191 |
Extreme Veteran 421 Central Connecticut | Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts Yup, earplugs for nausea. I swore by them for my first 2 years in triathlon. Oddly, I grew out of it over time. Also, my coach told me that I overturned my head too much betten strokes...too much head movement surely added to my nausea. |
| 2011-04-21 3:31 PM in reply to: #3342191 |
Regular 111 Indianapolis | Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts So glad I found this thread. I tried my first long swim today and, although I was in a pool, I got a mild case of motion sickness. I wasn't walking right and I felt kind of nauseous. I usually just swim a few hundred yards then take a break and start again. Today I wanted to put in a long workout so I did an hour continuous swim. I will try the ear plugs and see if that works. Thanks for the tip! |
| 2011-04-21 10:09 PM in reply to: #3342191 |
| 4 | Subject: RE: vertigo, motion sickness, start/stop OWS starts If ear plugs don't help, you may want to press the hydration pre-race. I recently had been pre-syncope (fancy latin for "on the verge of passing out") on EXITING THE WATER after workouts. the cardiologist took an ECG-- clear, but, as with most athletes, I had a low resting HR. He went on to explain the parasympathetic nervous system....long story short: vaso-vagal pre-syncope. How to deal with it? Press the electrolytes, day before and morning of. Just did a super sprint tri this past weekend -- nary a blip on exiting the water! Awesome. Moral of the story: get thee to a doc (not necessarily a cardiologist) if the problem persists. And GOOD LUCK and have fun!
Rick |
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