The world is positively littered with acronyms. There are probably hundreds of thousands (if not millions) in use today. I try to avoid using them as it really annoys me when people talk about CRM, LOL, SAG, APJG, OGS and FGS…. does your audience even understand you? I would suggest that nine times out of ten, the answer is no! I used GMT the other day which I – erroneously – assumed was a well-known one. Apparently not!
This week though, I have learnt a new one. EIR. Not only do the three letters form the end of certain words in the English language, but they also stand for a relatively unknown condition – Exercise Induced Rhinitis. According to an Australian website, Allergy Capital, ‘exercise rhinitis is associated with runny nose and nasal blockage related to autonomic imbalance, chemical mediator release, or both. It affects a significant proportion of athletes and can influence performance.’ Other sites do talk about how amateur and professional athletes suffer from this and so now I know why, every time I run, my right nose and right eye run too. It’s irritating as for 24-36 hours after running (nothing else), I look I’ve taken a beating in a boxing ring! EIR doesn’t affect my performance – I am still as slow as a tortoise sadly – but it does discourage me from doing the exercise which causes it. With running not being my favourite pastime in the world, I need all the positive encouragement I can get and nothing to make me think twice about stepping on the track.
Whilst talking to Ma FWL about my new-found ‘condition’, it would appear that she also suffers from EIR but whilst walking – during, not after. I wonder if it’s a genetic ‘condition’. Maybe mt-DNA testing might tell me more? I wonder how I could go about finding out if my ancestors had the same ‘condition’? Hm…..
