Yellow nasal discharge?

[donacheson]

Hi all - Apologies for having to describe this rather nasty condition, but facts are facts, right?

I just finished 3 two-tank dives in Key West. My assumption is that everyone gets clogged up to a certain extent, but my nasal discharge after surfacing and blowing my nose can only be described as a brilliant yellow! One DM didn't seemed too concerned, referencing the fact that your sinuses are cleared out, etc. Ever experienced this? Am I normal?

I should mention that I'm heavy on the allergies and never really have totally clear nasal passages. (Yes, I can clear my mask; no, I wouldn't dive if I couldn't breathe through my nose at all).

Thanks!

I'm not an MD, but I have a similar discharge after some dives, especially the first few dives in a week of diving in the tropics.

I causes me no discomfort, although occasionally voluminous enough to 1/4 or 1/3 fill my mask upon ascent through the last 10 or 15 feet of water. I've attributed it to mild sinusitus with the air in my sinuses expanding above a pool of mucus tainted with a bit of blood and driving the fluid out of my nose into my mask. I suppose a good test of this hypothesis would be to try ascending feet first sometime, but I've never done that.

 

[crispos]

you guys are "cracking" me up

 

[UWSojourner]

Hi Eggman,

The yellow discharge you described doesn't sound normal to me. I wish I could help, but I'm not really sure who you need to talk to.

I DO KNOW that all the kings horses and all the kings men won't help a bit so don't bother.

Good luck

 

[H2Andy]

darn i'm all scrambled now... this board can be so hard-boiled

 

[Uncle Pug]

I live in Sunset Ridge... but if I lived over in Sunnyside do you know what that would make me?

 

[Firefyter]

I live in Sunset Ridge... but if I lived over in Sunnyside do you know what that would make me?

Yep...Sunnyside U.P.

LOL

 

[Uncle Pug]

My apologies to those thus afflicted for making light of the condition and tastelessly hijacking this thread.

This apology is not the result of any PM scolding me... just my own realization that the fun I might be having is at someone else's expense.

 

[crispos]

My apologies to those thus afflicted for making light of the condition and tastelessly hijacking this thread.

This apology is not the result of any PM scolding me... just my own realization that the fun I might be having is at someone else's expense.

Judging from his past posts, I don't think eggman would be offended by abit of lighthearted ribbing.

My own opinion is, his combination of 2 asthma drugs might have caused deeper, never before reached parts of his sinuses to clear themselves, to the benefit of his equalization ability.

I would check the drug combination he has cited earlier, for relative cross side effects and contraindications to diving

Reverse block developing during the dive is the most obvious practical danger. A visit to the ENT specialist is in order, if not already done. I would ask one of the MD's on the board to comment.

 

[beche de mer]

Hi all - Apologies for having to describe this rather nasty condition, but facts are facts, right?

I just finished 3 two-tank dives in Key West. My assumption is that everyone gets clogged up to a certain extent, but my nasal discharge after surfacing and blowing my nose can only be described as a brilliant yellow! One DM didn't seemed too concerned, referencing the fact that your sinuses are cleared out, etc. Ever experienced this? Am I normal?

I should mention that I'm heavy on the allergies and never really have totally clear nasal passages. (Yes, I can clear my mask; no, I wouldn't dive if I couldn't breathe through my nose at all).

Thanks!

Sounds to me like a bit of reverse sinus squeeze.

The way it works is this. You have allergies and probably have chronic or subacute sinusitis. On descent, air under pressure enters the sinuses. The sinuses also contain pus, (the yellow gunk) from chronic infection. On ascent, the air expands out of the sinuses, bringing the pus with it.

It shouldn't be harmful. It is probably therapeutic. The danger is that air under pressure enters the sinuses but, due to blockage, is unable to expand out. If that happens, there will be pain.

 

[Niftynorm]

My apologies to those thus afflicted for making light of the condition and tastelessly hijacking this thread.

This apology is not the result of any PM scolding me... just my own realization that the fun I might be having is at someone else's expense.

Some think its funny but its SNOT, I'm sorry - the devil made me say it. It sounds like a possible sinus block/infection. A visit to an
ENT is in order as this is not normal.