Sinus Squeeze Prevention

[greenalien]

I have seen an ENT (who dives) doctor because my left ear had problems equalizing and he couldn't find a problem.

My equalizing problems are better but my sinuses(?) don't seem to like it when I dive 2x/day, several days in a row. Last time I got sinus squeezes starting day 3 2nd dive and on.

 

[Cliff]

John,
I do not know if I can solve your problem but I can definitely understand it. I have always had chronic sinus problems and while usually able to clear my ears OK, a few times the sinus pain has been intense. Going slowly, ascending a bit, etc, all help but the last time I must have broken a blood vessel in the sinus and was snorting/spitting blood (lots) for days. My doctor is not a diver but also has similar problems and he says the key is to get the sinus cavities/passages to drain properly. To achieve that he recommended using an expectorant (Robitussin) and a decongestant, all of which cause drainage - not an antihistamine which dries up the secretions and adds to the problem. The Robitussin (expectorant) seems to work and I now carry it with me whenever I travel or dive.

Another thought which I just got from a freediving forum is to get some Papaya extract pills from a health food store. Stick the pill between cheek and gum about 15-30 minutes before diving and it is supposed to open up both estacheon tubes and sinus passages. I have not tried this yet but it is (theoretically) cheap and harmless so intend to.
Best of luck, Cliff

 

[JDostal]

Would regular robitussin actually help? The only active ingredient in that stuff is Dextromethorphan Hybromide, which is a disassociative anesthetic....it's only real purpose is to make your brain not realize you need to cough.

I guess if you were to go w/ the cough syrup that actualy is more than just a cough supressant.

I know you are not supposed to take drugs to help you clear when diving, but I do know some people that are in the habit of taking sudafed before every dive and throughout the day.

The best thing to do would be to see a doctor though!

 

[Conor]

Add my name to the see a Doctor list.

Up until last year I had never had any problems with sinuses at all. On one dive in Malta I started getting a pain as I descended I paused, ascended a little, it cleared I proceeded, had a lovely dive. Until I ascended again when I got what I guess was a reverse block and I couldn't stay down forever, it took 12 hours to clear, and the pain was exceptional. Ever since I have been having a variety of sinus problems.

For the reason above I won't take pre-emptive degongestants, cos I would rather call a dive than go through that again if it wore off during the dive.

 

[urbanrob]

I have squeeze as well and have tried all the antihistamines - zyrtec, allegra, claritin, etc. - all unsuccessfully. Claritin-D 24 hours seems to work, probably because as it was pointed out here, its a decongestant. Nasonex and those things are long term treatments for post nasal drip (which I'm told I have also). I stay away from most drugs for fear of wearing off. I do take the Claritin-D as recommended, but it certainly doesn't last 24 hours.

I'm going to try out the Papaya extract. It sounds great in theory and my wife skews to herbal remedies anyway.

 

[LuvWarmH2O]

Would regular robitussin actually help? The only active ingredient in that stuff is Dextromethorphan Hybromide, which is a disassociative anesthetic....it's only real purpose is to make your brain not realize you need to cough.

I guess if you were to go w/ the cough syrup that actualy is more than just a cough supressant.

I know you are not supposed to take drugs to help you clear when diving, but I do know some people that are in the habit of taking sudafed before every dive and throughout the day.

The best thing to do would be to see a doctor though!

Robitussin DM has the dextromethorphan in it (hence the DM). Plain Robo is guaifenesin which is just a mucolytic. Mucinex which is available OTC is a little easier to take. I am not sure that a mucolytic is the best idea to take when diving though. The increased mucous viscosity caused by the mucolytic might be more of a hindrence in getting your sinus' to equalize. If there is just a little mucous that is not causing any obstruction the mucolytic might break it up so that it becomes obstructive. Not that I am recommending it, but pseudoephidrine works well for me. Be careful with psudoephidrine aka Sudafed if you have high blood pressure.

I would also be mindful of transitioning between air conditioning and warm tropical air. I find that keeping the temp on the A/C higher then normal and trying to avoid rapid and frequent transitions keeps my sinus' a little clearer.

THIS IS NOT ADVICE FROM ANY KIND OF MEDICAL OR DIVE PROFESSIONAL.

 

[ShakaZulu]

I used to get that too, it hurt's like hell. Didn't really do anything special for it. Over time it went away.......Sure your ENT will be able to shed more light on the subject.

 

[jeferpat]

I had the same problem before. So what I do now is the night before the dive I take 1 Dristan sinus and then 1 hour before the dive I take 1 sudafed. So far is working like a charm.

 

[urbanrob]

Haven't found the Papaya extract to work at all. In fact, I'm told that Papaya is used for digestive issues. Just thought I'd weigh in...

 

[MNJoe]

I had issues with my sinuses also. My ears always equalized, but my left maxillary sinus gave me problems. I would have to equalize my ears several times to get air into the maxillary cavity. Snorkeling it was a real issue as I was descending faster and didn't have an air supply to stop and keep equalizing to get air into my sinus. SCUBA diving I could always get sinus to clear, but it took several times equalizing my ears to get the sinus equalized, obviously something wasn't right. I went to a ENT, had a CT scan, there was a polyp blocking the opening, deviated septum and a chronic sinus infection. The infection was caused by my sinus not being able to drain properly. I was given meds to see if getting rid of the infection, that wasn't enough. So to surgery I went. Equalizing ears and sinuses are a dream now.

MNJoe