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Can You Go Swimming With A Cold? And Can It Make You Sicker?

Perhaps swimming with a cold can make you feel better. Or perhaps not.

We shall find out!

Since the COVID-19 Pandemic, colds are no longer reserved for the cold and flu seasons. Almost every other day, there is a nasty flu outbreak.

So, is it possible or okay to go swimming with a cold?

You can swim with a cold if it is an above-the-neck cold, but be careful about infecting other swimmers. Also, swimming in freezing water might make the cold worse. If your cold is below the neck, that is, the respiratory system (including lungs), don’t swim when sick.

In the past, we have looked at various conditions that might hinder you from swimming. For example, we said that you can swim while on your period.

In the case of getting into the water when you have a cold, the decision is entirely up to you. For example, when some people get cold, chilly weather and conditions such as icy water make them worse.

If this is you, you will most likely not want to swim in chilled water.

When you might opt not to swim in a cold

Perhaps it is better not to swim when you have a cold. There are some reasons for this.

For instance, if you have an above-the-neck cold, the chlorine in the swimming pool makes your nose start dripping mucus.

The mucus is infected, so you will affect other people using the pool. At the same time, you might get this incessant urge to spit. If you do it in the water, the saliva contains the virus or bacteria that caused the cold.

Since you do not know how your “cold” might react to the chlorine in the water, you might want to keep away from the pool until you feel well.

Remember, in another article, we said you should not swim in a public swimming pool when you are sick.

People’s bodies behave differently when they are infected by a cold. For instance, some people’s energy levels are not affected.

Some people’s energy levels diminish. In that case, if you just feel too beat to swim after one lap, just don’t swim when you have a cold.

It is even riskier to try and swim in open water if you know that cold really lowers your energy levels.

Can swimming make a cold worse?

Swimming can make a cold worse. But it cannot make you sicker; it will just increase the discomfort.

The reason for this is that viruses and bacteria cause colds, and so the weather does not matter.

However, the discomfort accompanying the cold, such as swollen sinuses, blocked nose, and wheezing can become worse if you are exposed to cold water.

Should a child go swimming with a cold?

Do not let the child go swimming when they have a cold because they can infect other children.

However, if they just have a slight cold above the throat, it is well. They can go swimming. But the chlorine can make them start dripping virus-laden mucus in the water and infect other children easily.

What should you not do when you have a cold?

Many things. You should not allow yourself to be dehydrated, so you should not avoid drinking water. If you cannot drink cold water, warm it up, but stay well hydrated throughout the day.

You should not avoid exercise when you have a cold. If the cold is not too bad, you should not miss your swimming cardio workouts.

You might also get on the treadmill and run to keep your heart rate and lung health in check.

You should not take alcohol, sweet/sugary drinks or coffee. All of these are going to dehydrate you, and it is a feeling that you really do not want to experience when you have the flu.

Can you get a cold after swimming?

Studies show that even a good number of people who do not have a cold can get congestion from swimming. Thus, you can imagine just how much worse the congestion will get when you have a cold.

You can also develop a cold after swimming. If another swimmer has a drippy cold, the Chlorine in the water is not going to kill all the viruses. So, you are going to catch a cold after swimming.

When you take a dip, and you feel a cold approaching from afar, you might feel too stuffed up.

Can you swim when you have a cold sore?

The HSV-1 virus that causes oral herpes is responsible for causing the cold sores too. Thankfully, these sores are contagious through water.

Therefore, you can swim just okay even if you have a cold sore. The chlorine in the water kills the cold sore virus instantly, thus eliminating any risk of transferring the virus to other swimming pool users.

If you can swim with a yeast infection without any risk of making it worse, and you can swim with a herpes infection too, you can definitely swim with a cold sore.

There is a limit, though. If you have open lesions caused by herpes around the mouth, don’t swim.

The chlorine in the water is going to irritate these open sores. Besides, the other swimming pool users might not love the idea of swimming in the same water as you.

Swimming in saltwater or Chlorine pools can irritate lesions. If the cold sores have broken open, it is best to wait until they are healed.

Can you catch a cold by swimming in cold water?

Unless your health is already compromised, you are not going to catch a cold by swimming in cold water alone.

The reason why many people associate catching colds with cold water is because of share the pool with other people.

These people might be sick with a flu virus, and they can spread it to healthy swimmers. Sometimes, even the people with the virus don’t know they have it.

But just because you cannot catch a cold from swimming in the cold water, this does not mean you or your child should swim in very cold water.

There is a limit. Remember, there are issues such as hypothermia, where if the water is too cold, the body starts losing its heat.

Also, avoid swimming in cold water when you have asthma attacks. This is likely to happen when you take a sudden jump into a very cold pool.

Starting with the basics, your body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius (98.6 degrees Fahrenheit). The temperature of the water in the public swimming pools is 29.4 degrees Celsius (85 degrees Fahrenheit).

If the water in the swimming pool goes below 21 degrees Celsius (70 degrees Fahrenheit), it starts to feel very cold, and you want to wear a wetsuit for swimming.

If the water is colder than this, say, at 5 degrees Celsius, you should not swim in it. However, swimming in cold water can help with weight loss.

Thus, you should take a dip and get out of the water in a minute before hypothermia sets in and you go numb.

If you must continue swimming in winter, you should use a heated swimming pool, most likely an indoor pool.

Should I avoid swimming with a cold?

This is entirely up to you. If you have congestion, the cold water and the chlorine might make it worse. There is also the risk of spreading the cold to other people through the air.

If chlorine comes into contact with your nasal membranes, it can cause inflammation of the membranes, thereby giving you swimmers sinusitis.

If your cold symptoms are above the neck, the general advice is that it is okay to swim. However, if the signs are below the neck, that is, the chest feels congested, the arms feel numb and achy, do not swim.

If your child has a cold, it is best to keep them at home until they are completely healed. You do not know whether the chlorine is going to aggravate the symptoms.

For adults, they can swim with a cold at their discretion. If it is a viral cold where you feel all achy, you should rest. If the weather is sunny, all you are going to want to do is bask in the sun.

If you feel good enough to swim, go ahead and hit the pool or take a break and relax by the poolside.

Does swimming in the ocean help a cold? Yes, a bit

To lower the symptoms of a cold in children, experts recommend washing their noses with cold water.

But despite the seawater being salty, swimming in the ocean is not going to help with the cold. However, this does not mean that you cannot swim in the sea.

The ocean water is colder than the swimming pool water. Therefore, swimming often in the sea will boost your metabolism a great deal. This will, in turn, help to lower infections.

The seawater also contains minerals like iodine, salt, magnesium, and others. These might help your body’s ability to absorb oxygen. While this affects your well-being, it will not heal your cold.

If you experience congestion when you catch a cold, the seawater might help with that. Inside the nose, on the nasal membranes, there are small, hair-like substances called cilia.

Their work is to moisten the air you inhale before it can go to the lungs. But when you have a cold, the cilia are affected, and they do not do their job properly.

But ocean water helps to activate the cilia, making them more effective at their job.

Also check out my helpful articles on swimming:

Poor chap never learned how to swim

Can you swim if you have a UTI

I Pee In Pools – What it means