Pressure equalizing, pollen effects and sinus talk

[Dane@Scuba-Now]

Hello everyone. Lately on the past few dives, I have had some issues with equalizing the pressure in my head. I hold my nose and blow and that helps, but the pressure keeps coming back and getting worse. It's not unbearable or hard to deal with, but it's just like one of those annoying headaches that wont go away until I get out of the water completely. I'm healthy as an ox, but I've been talking to some of the guys in the shop and it seems like it may be the pollen effecting my sinus' and causing that to be the issue. Does anyone take any Mucinex or any type of nasal spray before dives? I think I'm going to try that when I go through my advanced certification, but I'd like to get everyone's input on it.

 

[TMHeimer]

Obviously you don't want medication to wear off during the dive and cause a reverse block. I've heard that some medications may be OK, others definately not. Best thing is to see a Dr. who knows scuba. You have to do something because unlike a cold, allergies don't go away in a week or so.

 

[Mike126]

Not a Dr so this is not qualified advice....

I have sinus issues and allergies so I take Claritin every day along with Nasonex. When I dive I take Mucinex a day or two before and then about 20 minutes before I dive I do 3 sprays each nostril of Afrin. I wait 10 minutes and do two more each nostril. This is what my ENT (diver) prescribed and it seems to work. If this is something you are just beginning to notice as an issue it is probably related to seasonal allergies. You can also try adjusting your diet the day or two before you dive to limit milk products as they are known to create mucus. Also, drink lots of fluid a day or two before to keep yourself hydrated which will help to thin any residual mucus.

Also, for me when things get really bad with pollen I use a sinus rinse. This should not be used 5 days prior to diving since it will leave saline in your sinus area.

Maybe see and ENT or talk to DAN for professional advice.

my 2 cents....

 

[Primalchrome]

<-- Not a Doctor, but I loved to play it during my youth.
I have had allergy/sinus issues my entire life. So much so that when I was a kid I thought it was normal to blow out an ear occasionally when snorkelling down to abandoned cars in the quarry.... Nowadays, it rears its ugly head from time to time, but Sinus surgery has largely limited that to pollen season. I still occasionally have challenges that line up with dive trips. Generally one of three things get me where I need to be...
- Nasal rinse every day during heavy pollen with a warm water solution of 1tsp salt and 2tsp baking soda.
- 12 hour Pseudo-epinephrine based decongestant an hour before the dive.
- Sinex decongestant spray for last minute.
The only drawbacks I've heard from docs and dive pros were that you need to keep yourself uber-hydrated with these meds and that you should pay particular attention to your judgement. If you think it is making you a little loopy, thumb the dive and enjoy the boat ride.

 

[FM1520]

I don't have sinus issues and/or allergies and it doesn't sound like you do either. I take Sudafed an hour or so before I splash if I think there may be a problem or if I'm feeling a little stuffy. Works great.

 

[mbs]

Bitchin allergy season on the east coast for sure! I used to use Afrin sprays with great success. But it will wear off so careful if you are diving all day and night dives! I started using Allegra-D 24 hour and I love it! Neither me nor the wife/buddy have any negative effects and it keeps on working all day. I am also not a doctor, and I believe the wise advice is to try anything new out on land first to see how you react to it.

 

[Ricky B]

Try NeilMed sinus rinse every day (not just the day before you go diving). It can help clear out mucus and probably reduce your total allergic load, which would reduce the production of histamine. You can buy it on Amazon for a little more than the 2-packet intro pack at Walgreen's.

Amazon.com: NeilMed Sinus Rinse, Premixed 50 Sachets: Health & Personal Care

Check out the reviews. I use it every day along with the generic for Zyrtec (a one-a-day non-sedating antihistamine), which I buy at Costco ($15 for a bottle with 365 tablets). These things help me.

Worst comes to worst, it doesn't help you, but you are at no risk of a medication wearing off, affecting your judgment, or having a rebound effect.

 

[tangfish]

I do nose spray and take a 12 or 24 hour sudafed every dive day. I also clear out all the snot I can right at the end of each dive. Doesn't look pretty but it works.

 

[Ricky B]

I forgot to mention the name of the generic for Zyrtec that I buy at Costco. It's Aller-Tec.

 

[TSandM]

I appreciate all the good experiences folks have shared with you, but we don't have any kind of a diagnosis here. It's unclear to me whether you are feeling these sensations while descending or ascending, or after diving. It's also not clear if the discomfort is in your face, in your head, or in your ears. Just because the folks at your dive shop think you might have sinus issues does not make it so, and recommending treatment depends a lot on what you have and why. For example, people with chronic allergic problems can develop polyps in the nose which can cause obstruction of the sinus ostia; no amount of nasal rinsing will fix that.

I would highly suggest you visit a physician and describe your symptoms -- where you feel pain, when you feel pain, and whether there are any other symptoms like post-nasal drainage, congestion, sore throat, cough, or fever. That person can do a good examination of your nose and pharynx and decide what treatment is appropriate.