General Discussion Triathlon Talk » My swimming pool is making me ill Rss Feed  
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2005-09-23 3:44 AM

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Stirling, Scotland
Subject: My swimming pool is making me ill

Three weeks in a row I went swimming on Thursday lunch time and by about 5 O’clock Thursday night I had a virtually non stop stream of snot coming out my nose. This would continue until about lunch time on Friday when, after some physical exertion, I would feel fine again. I stopped going to this pool for two weeks but went again yesterday and hey presto the same effect. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for the lunch time cure.

 I’m trying to decide whether I should tell my tale of woe to the swimming pool or if I should pass my comments on to the council.



2005-09-23 6:05 AM
in reply to: #252248

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Subject: RE: My swimming pool is making me ill
Sounds like you are allergic to something there.  I don't know.  Many times when my nose was running non-stop, it was pollen/dust/cats hair, which I am allergic to. 
2005-09-23 6:44 AM
in reply to: #252248

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Subject: RE: My swimming pool is making me ill
2005-09-23 8:30 AM
in reply to: #252268

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Stirling, Scotland
Subject: RE: My swimming pool is making me ill

Thanks amiine, these links are ideal. I'm pretty sure it must be a reaction to something in this pool as I go swimming at other times in two other pools and have never experienced a problem there. This pool is also very cloudy compared to the other two.
I have written to the pool asking them to let me know when they change the water as I'm not going back until then. I will miss the lunch time swims but not the runny nose.

2005-09-23 12:54 PM
in reply to: #252315

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Subject: RE: My swimming pool is making me ill
Sounds like a genuine public health issue to me if you're not reacting to other pools. If the council doesn't act there's probably a licensing or state public health body you can go to.
2005-09-23 6:59 PM
in reply to: #252248

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Niagara Falls, Ont
Subject: RE: My swimming pool is making me ill

cloudy water is not a good sign. european standards for swimming pool sanitation tend to be pretty damn strict, so i would contact the local health authority (especially if its a public facility) and bring this to their attention.

here, the standard is that if you cannot see a object on the bottom of the pool in about 3m of water that is approx 1ft square in size, the pool cannot be opened. turbidity is usually a sign of inefective filtration or sanitation, and i would steer clear.

good luck. 



2005-09-23 9:07 PM
in reply to: #252248

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Subject: RE: My swimming pool is making me ill
Two words...

nose clip...

Allergies to Chlorine are common.

If it occurs at this pool only, it is mostly likely because there is a higher concentration of Chlorine than other pools.

Joe Moya

Edited by Joe M 2005-09-23 9:07 PM
2005-09-24 3:55 PM
in reply to: #252248

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Subject: RE: My swimming pool is making me ill
When I worked out at Lifetime Fitness I would get these same symptoms because the water was "dirty". Once they drained and cleaned the pool it went away. I have been swimming at a YMCA pool now and have not experienced this at all.
2005-09-24 9:17 PM
in reply to: #252699

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Subject: RE: My swimming pool is making me ill
Joe M - 2005-09-23 10:07 PM

Two words...

nose clip...



One word:
NO!

Nose clips will reinforce the innefficient breathing pattern of in the mouth and out the mouth. You may not notice it on a shorter swim, but anything over .5 of a mile, your muscles are going to be EXHAUSTED from not getting the O2 they need because of this breathing pattern.
2005-09-24 10:59 PM
in reply to: #252955

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Subject: RE: My swimming pool is making me ill
OK let me see if I have this right...

Your concern is about proper breathing pattern when the key problem from the original poster was regarding his bodies reaction to chlorine (or some sort of allergen) resulting in his inability to swim at all.

What exactly is the priority? IMHO, it's the inability to swim... which pretty much eliminates any of the sub-issue of innefficient breathing pattern.

Now, regarding your concern about breathing in and out through the mouth.

I have never seen a study that indicates your concern. In fact, my personal experience dealing with OW Swimmers or extreme distance swimmers is contrary to your suggestion... the longer in the water, the greater the potential of allergic reaction to occur. This allergic reaction has more of a direct correlation to the inability to swim on a regular basis because of the excess mucous/inflamation caused by the allergic reaction. Again, contact by the mucous membrane to allergins decreases the ability to swim on a regular basis. IMO, that's the key problem - not a breathing pattern vs. a "exhaustion" symptom.

From personal experience, this also seem to hold water. I've been swimming for about 25+ yrs. and almost 20 yrs. of those with a nose clip... and, at different times in my triathlon carreer... I've been a FOP swimmer to a MOP swimmer (regardless of IM distance or sprint distance)... and, none of that performance difference has been a result of wearing a nose clip. In fact, without it I would be a DNS triathlete.

So, until I see where the original poster sighted a breathing rythm issue being the problem... I will stick with my suggested solution - a nose clip. I think it is important to segregate a swimming form issue from a physiological issue.

Along the same line, I don't think it makes much sense to suggest to a person without a foot (for example) to not use a prosthetic foot because it will distrupt his running form by using a prosthetic. ... the same goes with using a nose clip. A nose clip allows some swimmer to swim without negative and swim-ending consequences. This is specially true since I've never seen this muscular to oxygen intake problem you noted in any study (but, then again there may very well be such a study I've missed or don't remember).

The nose clip is simular to a prosthetic device that allows some to swim in a situation that would normal prevent a person from swimming. And from that perspective, it is a very viable device to use.

FWIW Joe Moya
2005-09-25 3:01 AM
in reply to: #252248

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Subject: RE: My swimming pool is making me ill
First off even though it's off topic, cool avatar, secondly I have always wanted to trace my family history which leads back to Stirling, Scotland. I'll be going on vacation there soon. And most importantly it does sound like an allergic reaction of some sort. Your histamines are going crazy caused by an allergic reaction. The key is it stops after you get out of the pool. If you were still sick after fininshing your swim I would say you have a cold.


2005-09-25 5:26 AM
in reply to: #252248

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Stirling, Scotland
Subject: RE: My swimming pool is making me ill

Thanks again for your comments and suggestions. The email I sent to the swimming pool was bounced back as undeliverable so I have now written to the council.
Until such time as the pool is cleaned I can maintain my swimming training levels by going to some dreaded early morning training at a different pool instead. I may experiment with the nose clip thing as if it's an allergy to chlorine then it will probably reoccur elsewhere at some point.

Moving off topic, have a great time when you visit Scotland smokeater1833. I've done a bit of geneology stuff myself and the site www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk is great. This is a chargeable site though and a lot of the initial digging around can be done free at www.familysearch.org. Only trouble with this site is you need to be back to around the 1870's before it becomes any use.

2005-09-25 8:29 AM
in reply to: #253005

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Subject: RE: My swimming pool is making me ill
A few issues that might make your situation different...

First of all, it is mostly likely a form of allergy... and, the common form of allergic reaction is caused by chlorine.

The reason one pool might cause this reaction is perhaps two fold:

1) ... the amount of chlorine used.
2) ... how well the water is circulated. If the pump fans are old, it's not uncommon for water circulation to be poor. Thus resulting in higher concentrations of chlorine in certain portions of the pool.
3) ... and finally, are you sure all the pools are using chlorine? Some pools use other methods/chemicals to keep them clean.

FWIW Joe Moya

Edited by Joe M 2005-09-25 8:29 AM
2005-09-29 11:04 AM
in reply to: #252248

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Stirling, Scotland
Subject: RE: My swimming pool is making me ill

Recieved a reply from environmental health. I've replaced the name of the pool with the word pool, although I don't know why I'm not at the name and shame point yet.

The pool is sampled monthly by Environmental Health.  I take two samples from the pool.  One sample is submitted to a laboratory to be examined for bacteria (total count, coliforms and E.coli).  The other sample has chemical analysis performed on it at the poolside.  Here I check the disinfection levels, pH and cynuaric acid.

The samples I have taken from the pool within the last 2 months have been satisfactory - both chemically and microbiologically.

I have spoken to the pool with regards to your complaint, and they could not offer me a reason as to why the water was murky, or why you had cold like symptoms after swimming there.  I asked what their results were for Thursday 22nd Septmeber, as the pool carry out routine chemical analysis (they perform at least 5 tests a day).  The results were satisfactory that day and gave them no cause for concern.

We have not received any complaints of a similar nature, and our monitoring will continue on a monthly basis.

Kind of feels unsatisfactory, I'm severely tempted to go back in and take some samples myself so that I can find out what the actual readings are. I would also like to try and figure out how clear/murky the pool actually is, the pool is only 1.2m (from memory) deep.

Thanks again for everyones input.  Joe, you sure know a lot for someone that looks so young.

David

2005-09-29 11:37 AM
in reply to: #252248

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Subject: RE: My swimming pool is making me ill
It really doesn't sound like there is anything fishy going on here. Poor sanitation causes illness, gastrointestinal and otherwise, not allergy-like symptoms. My training partner reacts strongly to one pool, not to others. Perhaps it's an additive in the brand of pool chemicals they use or a cleaning product. I'll have her try a nose clip to see if that helps.
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