Allergic Reaction to Pond Water

[cruznski]

There's a title for you! It's not as bad as I intended- my question is do any of you have sinus inflammation (like a hay fever reaction) after skiing at certain times of the year (like now in my case). It seems to be after trees pollinate and/or algae starts growing in ponds. Never get this in salt water, only contained freshwater sites- and not all sites. And what remedy do you use if this happens to you?

[LoopSki]

My ski partner from years ago would get it bad after skiing almost every time . I got a hint of it yesterday. I rarely take allergy meds as the side effects are worse than the allergy itself .

[Bulldog]

I get it almost every time I have any fall where I cannot control how my head enters the water (uncontrolled). I usually take a good sinus medication and it is easy to manage.

[ScottScott]

I used to get migraine level sinus headaches the day after skiing that progressed to it happening EVERY time. Started using nose clips. That helped for a little while, but was still getting enough water in the nose that the headaches started up again. Then I started using a nasal flush. Netty pots or I got a kit with a squeeze bottle and it came with packets of a saline mix you mix with distilled water. I use a full 8oz saline mix after each ski session (usually wait till I get home unless its going to be much later in the day getting home.) That has all but gotten rid of the headaches/nasal irritations.

 

this is what I picked up at the local drug store

Neilmed

[EFW]

It's prescription. Dymista. Spray it before. I have to laugh at the mfrs. side effects. This does nothing to me except stop the allergic reaction of the water. As an absolute last resort I will sparingly use Afrin or whatever. Years ago I ruined my nose with nasal sprays and had to start allergy shots. They worked.but every once and a while I get in a strange body of water and it doesn't sit well with me. My friend dug a pond from a borrow pit and it just drives my sinuses mad. Nobody else just me. Dymista is so easy.

[igkya]

I'll 2nd @ScottScott on the Neilmed nasal flush, plus the use of nose plugs for the starts.

[ScottScott]

I've been able to abandon the nose clips since using the nasal flush.....

[cruznski]

Thanks ballers, and was thinking the saline nasal flush would work so having that confirmation helps. I do not get a reaction to the point of getting headaches, I feel for you who do. I could go surfing after skiing, will let you know if that helps!

[jjackkrash]

I am allergic to something in the lilly pads. I load up on steroidal nasal spray and Claritin D before, and then netti pot and steroidal nasal spray afterwards, and then just deal with it. Sometimes I have to breakdown and use afrin afterwards, but that stuff is the devil so I try and avoid it.

[dhofert]

I get it most of the summer. Seems to happen most when I fall and the water forces its way into my nose. It is bad enough it keeps me up at night and really have not found anything that helps.

[BraceMaker]

Sucks, we get swimmers itch sometimes during late summer.

[Chef23]

You could try a combination of Flonase and Allegra both over the counter meds now. I have bad allergies to pollen and taking that regularly helps me. I also try to blow out through my nose when getting out of the water. I have been doing it since I was a kid to try to keep the pollen out of my nose so I don't even think about it now.

[shansen345]

The NeilMed squeeze bottle thing is the best thing you can own for any kind of sinus trouble. Same company that makes the Neti Pot, but it works a lot better in my opinion.

[ScottScott]

Not only was it successful for me (as I stated before,) but I would certainly try the flush before medicating. Especially if this is going to be a regular thing, as for me its 2-4 times/week. Why medicate when a saline flush might take care of it.

[HPskier1]

I’ve tried everything, lake water up the nose( even a little) and I stuff up like crazy almost immediately then get a sinus infection. Lived on Afrin a few years... but that bad. Tried all the allergy medicines etc, netipot and no better. I’ve gotten over people laughing at me sking with nose clamp, it’s the only thing that stops it from happening.

[OscawanaSkier]

Had this problem really bad for years - nothing but nose clips worked. Also had terrible head pain when landing during flying. Finally went to Allergist and ENT who scoped my nose. She thought I might have narrow sinus cavities, which would make me more susceptible to problems draining my nose after a fall (fixable with minor surgery). But after allergy tests came back, turns out I had an unknown dust mite allergy. The dust mites (likely in my bed/pillow) inflamed my sinuses all night long, right before I'd go ski at dawn. Allergist put me on daily Flonase and I didn't get "lake allergies" once last year.

 

Go see an Allergist and an ENT! Good luck!

[John Brooks]

I'll second what @ScottScott mentions, using the nasal rinse daily, usually first thing in the morning, year around. It has helped not only with the lake water, but any other virus or pollen in the air. It has really helped reduce sinus issues and head colds.

[GAJ0004]

I have been fighting allergy, ear, nose, and throat problems all my life. I wear a nose clip when I ski, and I also have to wear ear plugs. I was on allergy shots for 11 years, and was able to get off of them at age 19. I was fine until I got in the water, and I would pay the price for the rest of the week. I have not any problems since I have been using the nose clips and ear plugs. I will have a bad day on occasion, but it helps me 99% of the time.

[SkierAtHeart]

I use the same thing as @ScottScott pointed out above and helps.

[wilecoyote]

Glad to hear I'm not the only one. I windsurf as well as waterski and only certain bodies of water at certain times of year affect me, but when they do it's intolerable. I have a fantastic traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and he fixed me up pretty quick last year. I've also done the neti pot and sometimes pseudoephedrine worked sometimes not.

[BobF]

Another consideration is to use antihistamine eye drops. I started using the Wally mart version of Zaditor drops at certain times of the year after finding that something in our lake was aggravating my eyeballs. Super effective.

[A_B]

It never bothered me before, but the last few years, probably due to “sitting deeper” in the water on my deep water starts, when I get water up my nose, it’s a sure stuffed nose and sinus infection.

 

I haven’t tried the Netty Pot, but a ski bud uses it daily. Swears by it.

 

I don’t like messing around with nose plugs with Vice style gloves. Just try to blow air out of my nose but sometimes that doesn’t work against the tsunami of water coming in. I let go when I feel the tip drop back in the water, and that has helped some.

[dchristman]

I highly reccomend trying zinc. Long ago I was addicted to nasal spray. I was always stuffed up after a day of skiing. I have not used spray since the first time I took zinc some 30 years ago. Allergies can be a symptom of zinc deficiency.