Why You Get Headaches After Swimming in Pools & How to Prevent Them

Why You Get a Headache After Swimming in a Pool

It's not unusual to develop a headache after spending time in a swimming pool. But what exactly triggers this unpleasant post-swim symptom? Here's an in-depth look at the potential causes and how to prevent and treat headache pain after pool time.

Chlorine Exposure

One of the most common culprits behind pool headaches is chlorine - the chemical used to disinfect pool water. Some people are particularly sensitive to chlorine and can develop headaches after breathing in chlorine gas above the water or absorbing it through the skin and hair.

Chlorine binds with organic matter from swimmers' bodies like sweat, skin cells and hair oils. This reaction forms chloramine compounds that vaporize into the air and irritate eyes, lungs and nasal passages for some. This respiratory irritation sparks sinus headache pain.

Dehydration

Vigorous swimming leads to fluid loss through sweating. And even leisurely paddling around can cause subtle dehydration. Add in the fact that dry air above the pool also saps fluid, and you have a recipe for headaches.

When your body lacks sufficient water, rapid fluid shifts occur after leaving the pool. Blood volume drops while blood viscosity and salt concentrations rise. This electrolyte imbalance strains vessels in the brain, triggering vascular headache pain like migraine.

Muscle Tension

The physical nature of swimming can cause neck, shoulder and scalp muscle tension. Kicking, turning your head to breathe, goggle pressure and even poor body position puts strain on head and neck muscles.

Accumulated tension later manifests as tension headache or migraine pain. The intensity depends on your stroke mechanics, kick style, breathing patterns and baseline muscle health.

Hunger Headaches

Vigorous aerobic exercise like swimming ramps up energy expenditure quickly. So calories get burned faster, causing blood sugar levels to drop. This can spur misleading hunger and headache signals, even if you ate recently.

Skipping meals before swimming or not refueling properly afterwards leaves some vulnerable to reactive low blood sugar headaches too.

Eye Strain

Staring at the bottom of the pool and surface glare off the water can overwork eye muscles and strain your vision. Lingering facial tension from squinting and constantly focusing underwater manifests after leaving the pool.

Likewise, some goggles create uncomfortable pressure. And exposure to chlorine may irritate eyes and provoke ocular headaches indirectly.

Ear Issues

Getting water trapped in your ear from swimming may lead to headaches. Having excess water in your ear canal muffles internal sounds and pressures delicate eardrum tissue.

This strains nerves linking the ears and brain, sparking referred pain. Plus drying ears are itchy, another minor headache trigger. And outer ear infections from dirty pool water can cause worse otic headaches.

Chemical Sensitivity

On top of chlorine, properly maintaining pools requires balancing pH levels using acids and chlorine stabilizers. These added chemicals like muriatic acid and cyanuric acid bother some people.

Inhaling fumes or absorbing traces through your skin provokes irritation, inflammation and headaches in the chemically intolerant. The spike comes on suddenly after swimming then may linger for hours.

Preventing Headaches After Swimming

Now that you know the common causes behind pool headaches, here are some tips to help prevent them:

Shower Before Swimming

Rinsing skin and hair before entering removes pollutants that react with chlorine to form headache-inciting irritants. This lowers the chloramine burden your body has to deal with.

Moisturize Hair & Skin

Coating your body in moisturizer forms a protective barrier, keeping skin and hair from rapidly absorbing chlorinated water. Petroleum jelly around ears prevents water entering canals too.

Wear Swimming Goggles

Donning goggles prevents ocular strain and irritation from highly chlorinated water. Comfortable pairs don’t leak or apply excess pressure on your eye sockets either.

Hydrate Well Before & After

Drinking plenty of water before and after swimming prevents dehydration fluid shifts underlying some headaches. Electrolyte drinks also help restore mineral balance.

Address Muscle Tension

Stretching tense neck and shoulder areas before swimming prepares muscles and prevents strain. Massage or trigger point therapy afterwards loosens accumulated tension.

Adjust Breathing Pattern

Exhaling fully underwater and inhaling gently above water reduces chloramine gas exposure. Breathing bilaterally also lowers neck strain if new to swimming.

Maintain Proper Form

Using efficient stroke mechanics, kicking correctly and holding proper spinal alignment while swimming all minimize unnecessary muscle strain and headaches.

Treating Post-Swim Headaches

Even taking precautions, you may still develop headaches after swimming sometimes. Thankfully some simple home remedies can ease the pain...

Drink Water & Snack

Rehydrating after swimming replaces fluids and electrolytes lost. Eating a balanced snack stabilizes blood sugar lows too if hunger is the culprit.

Take OTC Pain Relievers

For moderate headaches, over-the-counter NSAID medication like ibuprofen, aspirin or acetaminophen offers quick relief by blocking inflammatory signals.

Use Hot/Cold Therapy

Applying something hot or cold like compresses, packs or showers to tense neck and shoulders encourages muscles to relax, easing that tension headache strain.

Get a Neck & Shoulder Massage

Getting a professional therapeutic massage after swimming loosens up painful muscle knots and nudges the body to release its own pain-relieving endorphins too.

Try Essential Oils

Menthol-containing rubs provide a cooling analgesic effect on contact. Other oils like peppermint, eucalyptus and lavender relax muscles and calm headache triggers when inhaled.

Take a Nap

If headaches occur post-swim from hunger or general fatigue, getting extra restorative sleep allows the body to recover faster - easing headache pain in the process.

Preventing Pool Exposure Headaches Long Term

For frequent or severe swim headaches, consider taking supplemental steps in addition to general prevention tips...

Improve Pool Ventilation

If indoor pool air seems heavily chlorinated, improving ventilation and air exchange rates dilutes concentrations so less chloramine gas is inhaled.

Use Safer Disinfectants

Salt chlorination systems or supplemental UV, hydrogen peroxide or mineral disinfection methods produce fewer volatile chemicals than conventional chlorine.

Get Water Tested

Ensuring pH, alkalinity and mineral balances are optimized for your pool setup minimizes the chlorine needed to maintain sanitation.

Consider Alternate Sites

Trying freshwater lakes, rivers or saltwater beaches eliminates chemical irritants completely. Open water swimming prevents build up of chloramines.

Filter Air & Water

Personal protective gear like masks, ear plugs and swimming caps limit eyes, airway and skin exposure to chlorine and sprayed up chemicals during pool use.

Pay attention to headache triggers and be proactive with prevention. But if debilitating swim headaches persist despite your best efforts, seeking expert medical advice is wise.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.