EXPERT ADVICE ASK THE EXPERTS
Sometimes you just have to ask for some help… Questions to our experts can be submited by email to
experts@h2openmagazine.com or posted on our Facebook page.
HOW CAN I CURE “THAMES TUMMY”? I recently completed a 14km swim in the Thames which was a fantastic experience but I swallowed a lot more water than I’ve ever done on my usual shorter swims. The next day I came down with severe diarrhoea that lasted for seven days and couldn’t be halted with Imodium. You hear a lot of stories about horrible diseases you can pick up in the water (particularly in rivers) and several suggested but unverified cures or preventative measures. In a previous issue you debunked the myth that drinking Coca Cola aſter swimming would help, so what can a poor swimmer do? Reg, by email
Our high-performance swimming expert Steven Munatones says… This is a huge subject that most people never even think about until they get sick. Swimmers can pick up a wide variety of illnesses through various means (water or airborne). However, resulting illnesses are especially prevalent if you swallow water in rivers where a variety of pollutants exist. These can come from boats, ships or residences, or industrial, agricultural and commercial
David Walliams also suffered from "Thames Tummy" during his swim
facilities along the river or any body of water. The risk is especially high aſter rainfall and even minute amounts can cause problems. Fortunately, there are inoculations that open water swimmers can take with the consent of their doctors in order to minimise the risk of illness or
infection.These can include hepatitis A, typhoid (occasionally combined with hepatitis A), hepatitis B, yellow fever, tetanus, diphtheria and polio (combined), and gamma globulin. Rifaximin is used on cruise ships and among travellers to treat diarrhoea caused by pathogenic E. coli. Swallowing these tablets the day before your competition can also be used as a precautionary measure. When I was swimming around the world, I took these precautions and never once got sick. But I might have just been lucky. I also used mentholatum ointment on the insides of my nostrils when travelling, just to be extra safe. This is a prevention used by physicians and relief workers in disaster areas to lower the risk of airborne viruses. But, of course, you should first check with your physician before using any medication, and make sure to test rifaximin in practice so you do not experience any side effects on race day.
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Photo © Rhian Ap Gruffydd
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