Oregon Health Authorities Investigating 'River Nose'

June 16, 2008 — -- Water sports enthusiasts have enviable attributes, from six-pack abs to a smooth tan. But for the windsurfers and kitesurfers who populate the Columbia River Gorge near Portland, Ore., a summer of high-impact recreation may have health impacts, too.

Prompted by years of complaints of "river nose," the Oregon Public Health Division is currently conducting a survey to determine the cause of a problem that has plagued surfers who skim across gorge waters for about two decades.

Brian Schurton, owner of Brian's Windsurfing in Hood River, Ore., said his "river nose" can keep him up at night.

"If I get water up my nose, I can't sleep for two nights," Schurton said. "It's hard to breathe and clogs up sinuses."

"River nose" describes a host of symptoms that includes runny nose, congestion, gastrointestinal irritation, and cuts and bruises that seem to take unusually long to heal.

Although the condition has been known to area windsurfers and kitesurfers for many years, a spike in reported symptoms last year led the Columbia River Keepers, a river watchdog group, to conduct a survey to determine the extent to which windsurfers were affected by respiratory and other problems as a result of their sport.

Oregon's Department of Health Services conducted its own survey on the same topic and found that 37 percent of respondents experienced symptoms of "river nose" more often in the Columbia River than in other bodies of water.

Pollen in the water from plants in the area might compound the problem, according to Tim Mayer, president of the Columbia Gorge Windsurfing Association and a surfer of 20 years who thinks allergies might be to blame for his "river nose."