Doctors Are Warning Wild Swimmers about a Dangerous, But Little-Known Hazard

People are bravely choosing to brave the cold to dive in open waters in the UK. In fact, there are more than three billion ‘wild swimmers’ in England alone in 2021.

But, the doctorsAfter fluid was administered to the lungs, serious warnings about a potentially dangerous hobby-related condition were issued.

The journal features doctors BMJ Case ReportsBe aware that fluid on the lungs, also known as pulmonary edema, can occur even if you are otherwise healthy.

Even so, advanced age, long-distance swimming, exposure to cold water, and sex — which is more common in women — are among the risk factors, as are high blood pressure and pre-existing heart disease.

According to medical professionals there is mounting evidence suggesting a link between wild swimmers and swimmer’s inducible pulmonary edema or SIPE.

SIPE was first reported in 1989. It causes swimmers to struggle to breathe and depletes blood oxygen.

It affects about 1-2% of open water swimmers. However, it is most likely to go unreported by doctors, according to the journal.

The woman who was treated for the condition, which she was in her 50s, was a long-distance swimmer and a marathon runner.

Despite being incredibly fit and healthy, she was struggling to breathe and coughing up blood after taking part in an open water swimming event at night in water temperatures around 17°C while wearing a wetsuit.

According to the report, her symptoms started after she swam 300m.

Despite not having any medical history, she had suffered breathing problems while swimming in open water 2 weeks prior. This forced her to cancel the event and left her feeling short-of-breath for several days.

Her heart rate was racing upon her arrival at the hospital. A chest X-ray revealed that her lungs were filled with water.

Further examinations revealed that fluid had infiltrated into the heart muscle, a sign indicating stress, myocardial Edema. However, there were no signs or symptoms of heart disease.

Fortunately, her symptoms subsided within two hours of her arrival and she was discharged the following morning after careful monitoring.

Doctors aren’t sure what causes SIPE. However, they believe it involves an increase in arterial pressure in the lung due to centralization of blood volume under cold conditions, as well as an exaggerated constriction in these blood vessels in response cold and increased blood flow during physical exertion. “.

Experts recommend swimming at a slower pace in warm water with warmer water. Avoiding NSAIDs such as ibuprofen to lower the chance of developing the condition.

If you are experiencing symptoms for first time, the authors suggest that you stop swimming and get out immediately. Then, sit straight up and seek medical assistance if necessary.

The authors stressed that this was only one case and that the purpose of reporting it is not to raise awareness among swimmers and clinicians about a relatively new condition.

The British Medical Diving Commission published guidelines for divers. There are currently no national guidelines for managing and recognizing this complex condition.