I'm Not Sick, I Just Have Lake Nose

During a phone conversation, I sneezed three times in quick succession, prompting an “oh, no” response. I replied with the title of this blog post. I’ve been swimming in lakes in the Seattle area every summer for years, and I don’t remember it ever being this bad. Every time I swim, I start sneezing and suffering from bad nasal congestion about 12 hours later.

When it happened after my first swim this season in May, I got alarmed. How could I have caught a cold? I’ve been sheltering in place and only venturing out to walk or run in my neighborhood and go grocery shopping. I’m careful to wear a mask, keep my distance from people, and wash my hands when I get home. If I picked up a cold, I could pick up something much worse. But my symptoms disappeared quickly, and I figured it was just an allergic reaction to something in the lake.

In early July, I went for a morning swim in a different lake than my usual favorite. The water was lovely—the water temperature was near 70 degrees with no waves—but by bedtime, my congestion was worse than it had ever been. When I lay down, I couldn’t breathe through my nose at all, so I did what most people do when they can’t sleep because something is bothering them. I took out my phone and did a Google search. I came across a thread where someone complained about “lake nose.” Exactly!

Anecdotal evidence (i.e., talking to friends) suggests that congestion related to swimming in Seattle-area lakes is worse this year than in previous years, but I can’t find any data on this phenomenon. While it is somewhat worrisome to think of what is lurking in the water that clogs my sinuses, I don’t want that to keep me from swimming. And, overall, the water is clean. Bacteria levels, which the county measures weekly, have remained low at the lakes where I swim.

My late-night research uncovered not only the term “lake nose” but possible remedies, one of which is the neti pot. The concept is simple: cleanse the nasal passages with a saline solution. The pot looks like a cross between a teapot and a genie’s lamp. The ancient technique originated in India as part of the practice of yoga. It appeals to me as a more natural approach than squirting prescription medications into my sinuses. If something in the lake is bothering my nose, I can just flush it out with salt water.

I’ve used saline nose sprays before, the kind that come in a plastic bottle that you just spray into each nostril. The neti pot process is a bit more involved and slightly uncomfortable. After filling the pot with distilled water mixed with a bit of table salt (non-iodized), insert the spout into one nostril. Then tilt your head to the side and slightly forward so that the mixture flows through the upper nostril and out of the lower one.

The pot that I bought is made from ceramic and states, “For the cleansing and moisturizing of nasal passages according to the traditional practice of neti.” Pouring salt water through my nasal passages really does help. It doesn’t completely eliminate the symptoms, but at least it alleviates them enough so that I can swim during the day and still breathe at night.

It is possible to avoid lake nose entirely by avoiding lakes. I wondered about swimming in salt water and whether I would experience the same congestion problem. If the neti pot involves salt water, shouldn’t swimming in the ocean be safe? The closest body of salt water is Puget Sound. There are some drawbacks: 1) the need to drive almost 45 minutes to get there, compared to ten minutes to the closest lake, and 2) the water temperature that hovers in the mid-50s all year round.

I decided to overcome the barriers and swim in the Sound with a friend. After all, I do own a full wetsuit and a neoprene swimming cap. My friend and I stayed a safe distance from each other: far enough apart to avoid virus risk but close enough for her to keep an eye on me in case the waves or cold water wore me out. The water was indeed cold, especially on my face, hands, and feet, but I got used to it. The warm sun was glorious, and the waves were gentle, no higher than what I’ve experienced in lakes on a windy day. We swam for nearly an hour, even though it was my first cold water swim since 2018.

My hypothesis about lake nose held true: no congestion. I have since swum two more times in the Sound, including one day where the outdoor temperature hovered around 60 degrees and I really wished I had brought sweats to change into after the swim. The more frequently I swim in cold water, though, the more accustomed I become to the temperature.

I sometimes wish that I lived closer to the salt water. Then I could swim in the Sound regularly and become one of those hardy swimmers who go in without a wetsuit. While I appreciate the warmth and buoyancy that a wetsuit provides, I can do without the struggle of getting the thing on and off. By August, the lakes have warmed enough that I jump in just a swimsuit and the water feels cool and refreshing. But lake nose is still a problem.

With that in mind, I just booked a rental in West Seattle for a few days. It’s close enough to drive there in my Nissan Leaf (I’ve previously written about some of the challenges of owning a vehicle with a 100-mile range), and the apartment is walking distance from a swimming beach. There’s Wi-Fi, so I’m bringing my laptop and making this a working staycation. I’m looking forward to a change of scenery. Even though I will be working, I’ll make sure to allow plenty of time to enjoy the salt water.