Swimmers Face a Little Known Danger: Fluid on the Lungs

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter

The swimmer came to shore struggling to breathe andcoughing up blood.

A keen competitive long-distance swimmer and triathlete, the woman was fit and healthy when she started a nighttime open water swim event.

But a couple weeks earlier, she'd hadbreathingdifficulties during another open water swim that had forced her to abandon the event. She'd felt breathless for days after.

The woman, in her 50s, had fallen prey to what's becoming better known as a hazard associated with open waterswimming–fluid on the lungs, orpulmonary edema.

Open waterswimminghas become very popular, but mounting evidence points to a link between the activity and a condition called swimming-inducedpulmonary edema(SIPE), according to Dr. James Oldman, lead author of a study published Jan. 9 inBMJ Case Reports.

Oldman is a cardiologist with Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust in the U.K.

First reported in 1989, SIPE leaves swimmers struggling to draw breath as fluid collects in the air sacs of thelungs. It affects an estimated 1% to 2% of open water swimmers, but cases are likely to be underreported, Oldman and his colleagues wrote.

Older age, long distances,coldwater, female gender,high blood pressureandheart diseaseare among the risk factors for SIPE, the researchers said. However, it often occurs even in those who are in good shape.

The water temperature was chilly for the woman's event, around 62 degrees Fahrenheit, but she was wearing a wetsuit, researchers noted. Nevertheless, by about 300 yards of swimming her symptoms had started.

She was rushed to a hospital, where achest X-rayrevealed pulmonary水肿. Worse, the fluid had infiltrated theheartmuscle, a condition called myocardial水肿.

The woman was lucky, however. Her symptoms settled within two hours after arriving at the hospital, and she was discharged the next morning.

Recurrence of SIPE is common, and has been reported in 13% to 22% of scuba divers and swimmers – suggesting that some people are predisposed to the condition, researchers said.

No one's sure what causes SIPE, but it's likely some combination of increased官网地址bwinin thelungs在体力消耗,高血流量,coldweather causing blood vessels to constrict, researchers said.

The researchers advise people prone to SIPE to swim at a slower pace with other people in warmer water. To further minimize their risk, these swimmers should avoid tight-fitting wetsuits and shouldn't take non-steroidal anti-inflammatorydrugslikeibuprofen.

Those experiencing symptoms for the first time should immediately stop swimming and get out of the water. Sit upright, and if symptoms persist call for medical assistance.

更多的信息

The Mayo Clinic has more aboutpulmonary edema.

SOURCE:BMJ, news release, Jan. 9, 2022

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