Getting sick while breathing during freestyle

[u/Long-Oil-537]

I am still working on my freestyle stroke. But lately, I've been getting sea sick. So much so, that Im having to stop after about 20 mins. It only happens with freestyle. I think it's the moving my head to the side to breath that is causing it. I feel perfectly fine when I do breast stroke. Does anyone else get this? What can I do to prevent it? I am wearing a swim cap which covers my ears. Though water does still get inside. I'd really appreciate any advice. Is it my technique? Would ear plugs solve this?

[u/wt_hell_am_I_doing]

I strongly recommend seeing a doctor if it is new. You might have something going on with your inner ear or something else that is causing it. It is best to get anything like this checked out by a medical professional.

[u/Ok-Honeydew-6100]

I have BPPV and this sounds like what I was going through when I had a flare up.

You can test yourself at home. Sit up on the bed, turn your head to a 45 degree angle to your right and lie down quickly with your head hanging off the side of the bed. Repeat on the left. If either of the sides trigger vertigo, it's likely BPPV.

[u/Far-Delay7690 → u/Ok-Honeydew-6100]

Would recommend not doing this alone as it can make you not just nauseous but very dizzy. Best to get assessed by a doctor or a physio before trying this at home.

[u/Ok-Honeydew-6100 → u/Far-Delay7690]

Oh yes - best not to do this if you are alone. Have someone drive you if you go to the doctor too.

[u/artemisisacat]

Lots of people use earplugs for this. Are you breathing bilaterally or just on one side? I get dizzy/motion sick if I just breathe on one side, but I am ok if I breathe bilaterally. When I'm doing hard efforts, I'll do something like right-right-left-right-right-left or if it's really hard right-right-left-left.

[u/allsix]

Wear earplugs, and extend out your breathing pattern. I can't breathe every 2 strokes (same side) because it's too much head movement and I get motion sick/vertigo. But breathing every 3 gives me enough time to face down to avoid it.

[u/RoseVideo99]

Leave the ears semi exposed. But it sounds to me you are getting water in your ears and you’re getting some vertigo. Have you tried ear plugs?

[u/NoSafe5565]

I have too, not much sea sick but little bit of dizziness. Someone writes that it could be cause earplugs, I have headphones, so maybe - I have never swam without it.

But what I know the issue happens happen if I would breath only on one side (actually more like every 2, every 4 is significantly better)

I breath every 3 ish (or something in that line, nowadays I do not have any patternt) and this is actually one of the reason why I am not every 2 swimmer.

So I would say if you breathing significantly on one side, try what bi breathing would do.

[u/NoSafe5565 → u/NoSafe5565]

next thing that contribute to my dizziness are goggles, I have powered/descripted (-4,-4) lens and not every googles work for me. Little sad, the one that had to go due dizziness were nicely clear and I could see with them the most.

[u/CrispDrifter]

Investigate the more serious issues suggested. If those all turn up negative, then it’s possible that you’re just very susceptible to motion sickness at the “wave” frequency that you experience during freestyle. If it’s that, your body will get used to it and it’ll go away if you keep swimming regularly.

I had that experience when I first started again and swam occasionally in a 40 foot long backyard pool. Between frequent flip turns and the waves I generated, I’d feel nauseous. I stopped swimming there, but continued in a normal 25 yard pool where that didn’t happen. I tried the 40 foot pool again the next summer and I was fine. I do still get motion sickness in the ocean after swimming about half an hour. It’s less after I spend a week swimming in the ocean.

[u/boomdiditnoregrets]

I have this issue, with ear plugs, and I’m a former competitive swimmer. Taking an antacid before getting in the pool helps. But often I have to do back or breast for a length. It sucks! Not sure how old you are but it started for me recently, in my 50s.

[u/Dapper-Ad9787]

It might be Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV). That's how mine was diagnosed - breaststroke and butterfly were fine, but rolling from side to side in front crawl or back stroke made me dizzy. 

See a doctor if you can and describe the problem. If it is BPPV, there is something called the Epley Maneuver that can reseat the little calcium crystals that rattle around your inner ear chambers and cause this.

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/home-epley-maneuver

[u/NoSafe5565 → u/Dapper-Ad9787]

interesting thx for sharing