For many years I’ve had an allergic reaction to fresh water in my sinuses. At its worst the problem causes me sinus infections requiring medical treatment. As a result I’ve had to vastly curtail swimming and paddling practice, a real problem for any surf-starved third coaster. I tried several treatments with mixed results. Finally I heard about another treatment. Apparently lots of people share my fresh water allergy. Some of them use this treatment. I tried it and it works. The treatment is elegant in its simplicity. It’s amazing in its effectiveness. It’s right under your nose. Now leading this thread by publishing this treatment would cause two things. 1) Other surfers with fresh water allergy would read it silently, snatch the cure, and never admit to the allergy. 2) Young invincible surfers would mutter “old kook” and wish Swaylock wouldn’t let weirdos like me onto this forum. As a result, fresh water allergies would be officially poopoo-ed, and I would be ostracized like the kook that I am. So if you have my problem and want the definitive treatment, you’ll have to come out… to step up to the plate… to admit your weakness. …or maybe you are already using some workable cure.
…Zicam.Herb
Never had much of a problem except from really polluted sea water until I tried water skiing and now… big problem. Not sure if it’s an allergy or infection or both. It’s been over a year with chronic pain behind my left eye and a toothache that comes and goes. Two CT Scans, all kinds of antibiotics, steroid nasal sprays, colloidal silver, etc but it lingers. I’m an old kook and should have stayed at the beach - Is that out enough? What works for you? I’m trying to avoid surgery which is currently being advised.
Herb hit the best cure. Congrats Herb. However, Zicam costs $10.00 for about 20 doses. Zicam worked so well I was jamming topical zinc up my nose. Worked… okay. Apparently some people have been using salt water, before and after swimming. So I’m like… Duh! Lets see, I don’t have problems in saltwater, but I do in fresh water. Hmmmmm… wonder what the solution could be… Duh! Now I add a pinch of table salt to distilled water, enough that it tastes pretty salty. Walgreens sells a zinc eyedrop. I add a few drops of the zinc eyedrops and… voila! I squirt the solution up my nose before and after swimming in fresh water. No more allergies. John, My son had his deviated septum repaired and it helped him. It didn’t cure him. I think the turbinate covering mucus tissue swelling is the cause of many infections. If the turbinates are close enough to your inside cheek tissues they touch, irritate, and infect. Unfortunately, long term turbinate tissue swelling can become semi permanent. When the doctor goes in to cut, he also crushes the tissue with pliers… OUCH! Maybe the saltwater/ zinc, used over time, could put off the operation. On the other hand, fix it and it’s over… temporarily. You still have the allergy, which could send you back under the knife sometime down the road.
Herb hit the best cure. Congrats Herb. However, Zicam costs $10.00 for > about 20 doses. Zicam worked so well I was jamming topical zinc up my > nose. Worked… okay.>>> Apparently some people have been using salt water, before and after > swimming.>>> So I’m like… Duh! Lets see, I don’t have problems in saltwater, but I do > in fresh water. Hmmmmm… wonder what the solution could be… Duh!>>> Now I add a pinch of table salt to distilled water, enough that it tastes > pretty salty. Walgreens sells a zinc eyedrop. I add a few drops of the > zinc eyedrops and… voila!>>> I squirt the solution up my nose before and after swimming in fresh water. > No more allergies.>>> John, My son had his deviated septum repaired and it helped him. It didn’t > cure him. I think the turbinate covering mucus tissue swelling is the > cause of many infections. If the turbinates are close enough to your > inside cheek tissues they touch, irritate, and infect. Unfortunately, long > term turbinate tissue swelling can become semi permanent. When the doctor > goes in to cut, he also crushes the tissue with pliers… OUCH!>>> Maybe the saltwater/ zinc, used over time, could put off the operation. On > the other hand, fix it and it’s over… temporarily. You still have the > allergy, which could send you back under the knife sometime down the road. have you tried grapefriut seed extract? good for ears too.
Never had much of a problem except from really polluted sea water until I > tried water skiing and now… big problem. Not sure if it’s an allergy or > infection or both. It’s been over a year with chronic pain behind my left > eye and a toothache that comes and goes. Two CT Scans, all kinds of > antibiotics, steroid nasal sprays, colloidal silver, etc but it lingers. > I’m an old kook and should have stayed at the beach - Is that out enough? > What works for you? I’m trying to avoid surgery which is currently being > advised. just curious john, but have you had a dental check-up lately? your problem could be dental in origin as some upper teeth get in close proximity and even touch the sinus lining…
For many years I’ve had an allergic reaction to fresh water in my sinuses. > At its worst the problem causes me sinus infections requiring medical > treatment. As a result I’ve had to vastly curtail swimming and paddling > practice, a real problem for any surf-starved third coaster. I tried > several treatments with mixed results.>>> Finally I heard about another treatment. Apparently lots of people share > my fresh water allergy. Some of them use this treatment. I tried it and it > works. The treatment is elegant in its simplicity. It’s amazing in its > effectiveness. It’s right under your nose.>>> Now leading this thread by publishing this treatment would cause two > things. 1) Other surfers with fresh water allergy would read it silently, > snatch the cure, and never admit to the allergy. 2) Young invincible > surfers would mutter “old kook” and wish Swaylock wouldn’t let > weirdos like me onto this forum. As a result, fresh water allergies would > be officially poopoo-ed, and I would be ostracized like the kook that I > am.>>> So if you have my problem and want the definitive treatment, you’ll have > to come out… to step up to the plate… to admit your weakness.>>> …or maybe you are already using some workable cure. noodle, is this happening in a swimming pool w/chlorinated h2o? maybe you have an hypersensitivity to the chlorine…an allergy to fresh h2o proper is probably not likely, you ingest h2o daily in order to live. have you tried a nose clip while in the water?..
noodle, is this happening in a swimming pool w/chlorinated h2o? maybe you > have an hypersensitivity to the chlorine…an allergy to fresh h2o > proper is probably not likely, you ingest h2o daily in order to live. have > you tried a nose clip while in the water?.. …I have to agree with doc here my problem seems like an allergy ,but in fact it’s the chemicals in the pool that are stripping the lining out of my nose,mouth,throat,and sinuses…better known as posioning…It was also giving me bad heartburn afterwards. …The Zicam stopped all that…nose clips never worked for me,but I might try some N.S.(normal saline 0.9 na)next time.Herb
Thanks for asking Docned… that was actually my first stop since it was the worst “tooth ache” of my life. My dentist (Dr. Ding - Mike Janich of Cooperfish tiger stripe fame) checked it out and suggested the sinus thing. The CT Scan showed the roots of one of my upper teeth to be up in the sinus cavity along with a whole lot of crud.
So is Zicam a prescription item or over the counter? I’ll try to hit my M.D. for some real soon. Thanks!
I don’t swim much in surface water. I’ve tried the nose clip in the pool and it doesn’t work. I get water through my nose and mouth while exercising. Since becoming sensitized though, I’ve had the same reaction from accidentally aspirating shower water, even distilled drinking water. Yes, there are lots of people like me who’s sinuses are sensitized to pure H2O. I recognize that many members of the medical community call such sensitivities “histamine reactions”, and not really allergies. Most of this sentiment comes from emperical medical definition, as “allergies” can only be caused by allergens, like mold and pollen. However, the body’s reaction to “allergens” is identical to the body’s reaction to hystemine reaction causing agents. I think doctors should quit listening to each other so much, and start listening more to their patients.
Zicam is an over-the-counter cold remedy. It contains water, salt, zinc, and a suspension gel. The gel is for holding the other ingredients against your nasal tissues for a longer time. If you use Zicam for swimming, you should probably use it before AND after swimming. I use Zicam when I forget, or can’t get to the saltwater spray. It’s a little more effective… more cure, less treatment. Good luck.
Noodle - thanks very much. I’ll give it a try.
So is Zicam a prescription item or over the counter? I’ll try to hit my > M.D. for some real soon. Thanks! …Zicam is non-script,and can be bought over-the-counter at your local drug store like Savon’s(Costco has it at time’s but I won’t go there).Herb
I don’t swim much in surface water. I’ve tried the nose clip in the pool > and it doesn’t work. I get water through my nose and mouth while > exercising. Since becoming sensitized though, I’ve had the same reaction > from accidentally aspirating shower water, even distilled drinking water.>>> Yes, there are lots of people like me who’s sinuses are sensitized to pure > H2O. I recognize that many members of the medical community call such > sensitivities “histamine reactions”, and not really allergies. > Most of this sentiment comes from emperical medical definition, as > “allergies” can only be caused by allergens, like mold and > pollen. However, the body’s reaction to “allergens” is identical > to the body’s reaction to hystemine reaction causing agents.>>> I think doctors should quit listening to each other so much, and start > listening more to their patients. sorry, didn’t mean to “overlook” your condition, just thinking conservatively of something simple that may have slipped by…
sorry, didn’t mean to “overlook” your condition, just thinking > conservatively of something simple that may have slipped by… Me too. I shouldn’t have been so short. This exact subject is kinda like a chip on my shoulder. My wife is allergic to iodine. I can’t tell you how many medical people have told her that she knows nothing about her condition. If she did, she would know that no such allergy exists. The good doctors have either researched the subject, and discovered that lots of people are allergic to iodine, or they believed her, or they asked more about the allergy and studied up. Yes, iodine allergy is also a histamine reaction. Thanks for your help.
Me too. I shouldn’t have been so short.>>> This exact subject is kinda like a chip on my shoulder. My wife is > allergic to iodine. I can’t tell you how many medical people have told her > that she knows nothing about her condition. If she did, she would know > that no such allergy exists.>>> The good doctors have either researched the subject, and discovered that > lots of people are allergic to iodine, or they believed her, or they asked > more about the allergy and studied up.>>> Yes, iodine allergy is also a histamine reaction.>>> Thanks for your help. …went swimming with my daughters this evening.Tried the saltwater trick.Seems to be working,so far anyway.I’ll know better tommorrow morning.Herb
Herb, glad to hear the saltwater helped, so far anyway. I’ve had fresh water allergy so long now. I was becoming like so many grandparents you see. “Grampa will just sit by the pool while you kids swim.” I wouldn’t be surprised if fresh water allergy is nearly universal. If you don’t have it yet, just wait. Discovering the saltwater treatment has been great! I’m no longer in constant pain, I can think and relate to other people better, I’m saving lots of money on antihistamines and analgesics, and …I can swim again!
THIS STUFF WORKS!!! i use grapefruit extract nasal spray all the time… i’ve had a LONG LONG LONG history or sinus infections, ear infections, and allergy problems. i’ve tried shots, and this and that, and nothing works, but i swear by the grapefruit nose spray. i use it when i feel like im gettin sick or my ears feel full of water, when my sinuses are feeling clogged, etc. and this is the only thing that works for me. i hate using it cuz i end up with watery eyes and with 20 minute bouts of sneeze-attacks, but it’s well worth it. i highly recommend this stuff, IT WORKS. (ps: i think it’s made by Nutribiotic or something like that) good luck -STEVE