Gag Reflex

[ChrisEdwards]

Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate your concerns about me being in the pool by myself. My pool is very small and only 6 feet deep in only a very small area.

One thing I did notice was that my mouth did not get dry, in the pool, like it did on my two resort dives. I think this plus not doing any activity at the bottom of the pool, other than propelling myself around slowly with my fingertips probably didn't help the situation. I also had nothing to capture my interest, such as fish and pretty coral. I did practice swapping between my primary regulator and the octo several times, repositioned my gauges to various D clips and did the same for the location of the octo. I did about 20 mask drills, removing it, putting it back on, flooding it, etc.

After 40 minutes, I still had 2100psi left and that was after some serious purging, playing with both my primary and secondary regulators. I wanted to get the tank down to 500psi to try and figure out my weight requirements, so I could at least be in the ball park. This I realised would have taken forever using the purge valves, so I aborted, due to boredom.

 

[sasscuba]

Why didn't you just purge the tank down to 500 and to determine buoyancy?

 

[kidspot]

While I'm not prone to gagging I have found that it does happen occassionally to me. It seems to be most common when I swallow salt water (so I just wait for the reflex to go away ... sometimes a couple of minutes.) However I've had two mouthpieces that "encouraged" gagging for me. One was a longer style mouthpiece that came with my Diverite regulator, the other was the comfobite that I replaced it with (and many regs come with standard) It was very comfortable in my mouth, but the little "flap" made me feel like I was swallowing something. I've been happiest with a very basic short mouthpiece. I also find that ones with a slightly rough texture (not the very smooth silicone style) are less likely to cause me to "gag."

Hope you find a solution. And if anyone does know a way to supress the "gag" reflex I've got a friend who would LOVE to try scuba but cannot have anything in his mouth for that reason. He is an ex lifeguard and active waterman... but the "gagging" thing keeps him out of scuba for now. So keep the ideas coming.

Aloha, Tim

 

[ZzzKing]

I remember seeing an ad for a device that actually moistens the air a bit during a dive...

Or you can take your reg out, get a mouthful of water and swish it around and spit it out. Of course I've been known to spit in my mask instead of using commercial antifog products, too. Must be the Scottish blood...

 

[Bowtie22]

Hey I just had an idea........ A full face mask...... nothing goes in your mouth to give you a gag reflex. I am not a real fan of them but yet I have no real need for one...... Hey maybe it would work for you.......

 

[ChrisEdwards]

Hey I just had an idea........ A full face mask...... nothing goes in your mouth to give you a gag reflex. I am not a real fan of them but yet I have no real need for one...... Hey maybe it would work for you.......

And a very good 10 cents worth!

 

[JahJahwarrior]

If you felt you just had to get it out of your mouth, take it halfway out and hold the purge down. Wait a few seconds and try popping it back in

 

[MB]

Info about gagging:

A gag reflex is a real thing. Its not in your head or just anxiety. Of course you can promote it by taking a hit of salt water, but that's not the only way.

The gag reflex is primarily controlled by the tongue. In different people the gag is very close to the tip of the tongue, or can be toward the back of the tongue. Frequently, pressure on the side, toward the back of the tongue, or even dead center, will trigger a gag reflex. Sometimes just a light touch will trigger it. There's a good chance that the mouthpiece is brushing the trigger and causing the reflex. Its quite awful, as you well know.

But all is not lost. You can actually "move" the gag reflex trigger with some de-sensitization exercises. First, you need to find the trigger point. You can do this by pressing a pen or popsicle stick in to different locations of your tongue. Imagine (or draw) a picture of your tongue. Now walk the pen back and forth, and to each side, until you can reliably put a mark on the picture that indicates the trigger points.

Next, over a few weeks, practice walking your pen or pop-stick up to, and then just a bit past the triggers. Do it slowly, but deeply. Don't trigger the gag, just get close to it and apply pressure. Stretch your tongue at these points. Walk back out, and use pressure in the non-gag points. Keep breathing when you do the exercises, and relax the muscles in your jaw and neck and shoulders.

Over time you can push the trigger back so that different mounthpieces don't trigger the gag. In the meantime, you can also trim the mouthpieces so they don't touch the trigger.

This has been very useful for desenitizing the gag for people, and it might work for you as well. Good luck, and of course, please post a progress report!

Cheers

 

[HappyFunBoater]

I also suffer from a horrible gag reflex, and MB has some great suggestions above. Sitting here in my living room if I stick a regulator or a snorkle in my mouth, I will immediate gag. It's the feel of the rubber coated in warm slobber ... just thinking about it makes me almost gag. No kidding.

But when I'm diving it rarely affect me. I think it's simply because my mind is on other things. In maybe one out of 20 dives I might gag at the surface, either at the beginning of the dive or at the end, but I almost never gag at depth. If I start to have a hint of a gag coming on, I just cough and it goes away. In fact, my most frequent gagging situation is when I'm coming up the ladder. I try to keep my mouthpiece in (as you learn in class), but I end up spitting it out in disgust once I'm almost in the boat.

I also use a small mouthpiece without the middle bridge thingy attaching the sides. If I start to gag, or my mouth just gets sore, I move it around in my mouth. I put it at the front of my teeth, behind my teeth, turn it sideways, etc. And I move my tongue around. It always works, and I've never had a problem at depth.

 

[MSUnderwater Divers]

Ya a good friend owned the shop as well as an appliance repair shop and I helped him out with both. Of course I was certified as a junior diver 10 years previously. When he went to the hospital due to a heart condition I ran both. Unfortunately he never came out of the hospital and I and his DiveMaster inherited the shop. Enough off topic though.

Try looking into the bathroom mirror when you do the above described exercises to pinpoint exactly where it is. You could even figure out where the mouthpiece is touching. But try to stay off your gear until you receive proper instruction. Don't want you getting hurt.