Stop the Congestion!

While crowded roads and traffic back-ups are certainly annoying, this isn't what I'm referring to.....



......rather I'm referring to congestion in this area......



Yep....   I'm getting absolutely sick and tried of having almost continuous nasal congestion.

Ever since I was a kid (and that's a loooooong time ago!) I have suffered with nasal congestion after swimming in chlorinated pools.   Almost inevitably, within an hour or so of getting out of the pool my nasal passages are blocked and it can often last 48 hours or more.   I used to also get terribly red eyes, but thankfully that seems to have passed!

Now that I am working hard on my swin and increasing the number of sessions that I am spending in the pool, I am basically "blocked-up" pretty much all week 24/7 and I hate it!!!    Not only is it generally unpleasant, but it also hampers my bike and run workouts and, worse, I have had a somewhat "paniced" feeling a couple of times when I have gone to bed because of the feeling of not being able to breathe.   Not a nice sensation I can assure you!

So what to do?

I have added two weapons to my armory....

The first is this stuff:



Basically a pH balanced saline rinse that you squirt up one nostril and it comes out the other.  Not neally as bad as it sounds once you get used to it!   I tried it after my last swim and my observation was that it seemed to delay but not prevent the onset of congestion.  I will keep trying.

The second weapon is this:

Kind of a freaky picture!

Yes, a nose clip.   I haven't tried it in the pool yet and I already hate the way it feels, but it must be better than the congested feeling, so I'm willing to give it a try!   First outing tomorrow - I'll report back!