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Swimming has almost all advantages – it is good for your health and shapes your body. However, swimming in the pool can cause sinusitis. Chlorine is the culprit, which disinfects the water but irritates the sinuses.
Recurrent sinusitis very often teases those who go to the swimming pool. This ailment is often accompanied by a runny nose and headache.
Sinus functions
Man has several sinuses: two maxillary ones at the level of the cheeks – the size of large plums, two frontal ones, slightly larger than beans, and a deeply set sphenoid bay the size of a large cherry, and a tiny sieve located between the eyes. Some people joke that the sinuses are only there to make them sick. Laryngologist Dr. Maciej Wątróbki assures that they have several other functions. Because they are filled with air, they make the human skull lighter. They also act as shock absorbers that protect the brain in the event of an injury. They warm and moisturize the air reaching the lungs. The musicians add that the bays are the perfect soundboard for the human voice. When the nose is stuffy, the voice is uglier.
The causes of sinusitis
All sinuses open into the nose. So they are constantly ventilated. The site where they connect to the nose, called the mouth-ductal complex, is most often responsible for sinusitis. – The immediate cause of sinusitis is swelling, which blocks the air supply – explains Wątróbski. The bacteria in the sinuses then begin to rage. The mucus they produce does not drain away and becomes inflamed. The patient has a blocked nose and a headache.
Swelling of the mucosa
Swelling may appear as a result of an attack by viruses. We then have a typical cold and stuffy nose. Chlorine or its vapors may also be the cause of the swelling. Irritated by this compound, the mucous membranes of the nose and sinuses swell and cause obstruction.
Sudden changes in temperature also cause physiological swelling of the mucous membranes. – When the temperature outside is close to zero, the very entrance to the pool, where it is usually around 26 degrees C – is already a thermal shock. The water in the pool is another change in temperature, and when it comes to our minds to use the sauna, the temperature swing becomes a huge challenge for our mucosa. When we go outside after all this, the confused membranes swell – explains the ENT specialist.
Treatment of sinusitis
Treatment of sinusitis is primarily based on opening the nose. It is best to do it with drops for a runny nose. – However, we should remember that drops used for too long have the opposite effect, i.e. they clog the nose – warns Dr. Wątróbski. – The optimal time of using the drops is 3 days – he adds. Sinusitis is treated with antibiotics or steroid drops.
It is recommended to warm the sinuses of the home remedies. – It is good as long as we open our nose. With a stuffy nose, it can only aggravate the symptoms, the doctor warns. Folk medicine recommends placing oven-heated rag bags filled with e.g. mustard seeds on the forehead.
Surgery may be necessary in the event of anatomical changes. Surgical improvement of nasal patency in 90% of cases relieves patients from chronic sinusitis.
The bays and the pool
– In winter, I do not recommend the pool, especially for people with a crooked nasal septum, which causes the minimal swelling of the mucosa to block our nose – says Watróbski. If we insist on the swimming pool, let’s use ozone ones rather – he adds. Nasal plugs can also be used, although they are not always fully effective. Before entering the swimming pool, it is good to protect your nose with over-the-counter preparations available in the pharmacy to lubricate the mucous membranes. After leaving the water, it is best to rinse your nose with saline or sea saline. They are available for sale and are very convenient to use, dosed in aerosols. Before you go outside, you need to wait at least an hour in the room for the mucosa to recover from the bath. Dr. Wątróbki adds that although bays do not like swimming in a pool, they feel great in salty seas.
Text: Halina Pilonis
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