How sick is "too" sick to dive?

[dive2deep]

Ever heard of a reverse blockage? That's what happened to me one day when I was just a little under the weather. Equalizing wasn't a problem going down, but coming up It just didn't want to clear out (This is after a lot of Sudafed). I was fine at depth, but when I surfaced I was miserable. The blockage lasted for about a day, but was one of the most painful things I've had to deal with. The trapped air finally came out of my eye (yes my eye), and then I felt better. After that little incident, I now know why my instructor asked me to sit that one out. I stubbornly wanted to dive that day. I have learned my lesson. It's better to reschedule that checkout dive.

 

[KidK9]

I was supposed to dive this weekend on Sunday at Gilboa Quarry, being that I only live 90 minutes away. I got obliteratedly (sp?) drunk Saturday night and couldn't walk until 1pm on Sunday afternoon due to my hangover. I'm deemed that too sick to dive.

 

[LuvDaOcean]

Well, I called my instructor and told her what's going on. In the voice message I left, I told her that I was going to show up tomorrow night for the pool session anyway and let her decide what to do with me. She hasn't called me back yet.

I took a nap this afternoon and woke up with one side of my nose fully clogged, a moderate headache, stiff neck, itchy throat, and itchy ears that I keep having to pop. It's not looking good.

This isn't much different than someone who suffers allergies though, right? At the moment this is clearly a sinus issue with me. I know there are quite a few of you here who have allergies...what do you guys do?

 

[suthnbelle]

Well, I called my instructor and told her what's going on. In the voice message I left, I told her that I was going to show up tomorrow night for the pool session anyway and let her decide what to do with me. She hasn't called me back yet.

I took a nap this afternoon and woke up with one side of my nose fully clogged, a moderate headache, stiff neck, itchy throat, and itchy ears that I keep having to pop. It's not looking good.

This isn't much different than someone who suffers allergies though, right? At the moment this is clearly a sinus issue with me. I know there are quite a few of you here who have allergies...what do you guys do?

I have bad allergies, which usually leads to bad sinus infections and bad ear infections. I get the itchy/popping ears a lot and (for me) it usually means I'm getting fluid in my ears. If I don't get some rest and start taking a decongestant then I'll eventually get an ear infection. Last year I went diving when I wasn't feeling well and ended up with an awful ear infection. Took over two months to resolve. Also, toward the end of my OW class I had to miss a night of class because of stuffiness/congestion, I just came back a week later when I was better and worked with the instructor to make it up. If you don't feel 100% I wouldn't do it. Like Natasha (I think it was Natasha ) said earlier you've got the rest of your life to dive so don't push yourself during your OW class. Your instructor will understand.

 

[pasley]

A little sick is too sick to dive.

Reverse Blockage is the fear here. You could blow an ear drum on the way back up. Or maybe a little lung congestion and you blow a lung. Yes we are talking serious consequences for a little congestion.

I have cronic allergies. When I am stuffy, I don't dive.

Not worth the risk. Talk it over with your instructor and if you are not well and having any suffyness, skip the diving for now.

 

[spectrum]

Well, I called my instructor and told her what's going on. In the voice message I left, I told her that I was going to show up tomorrow night for the pool session anyway and let her decide what to do with me. She hasn't called me back yet.

I took a nap this afternoon and woke up with one side of my nose fully clogged, a moderate headache, stiff neck, itchy throat, and itchy ears that I keep having to pop. It's not looking good.

This isn't much different than someone who suffers allergies though, right? At the moment this is clearly a sinus issue with me. I know there are quite a few of you here who have allergies...what do you guys do?

If your colds are like mine it will be in your chest in a few days, maybe not but be honest with yourself when the time comes.

Pete

 

[LuvDaOcean]

How about just for the last pool session tomorrow night? Since it's no deeper than 12', is there any way that I can at least get that finished? Or is that just as potentially dangerous as diving?

(called my instructor again w/ the same ? but got her voice mail again)

 

[Damselfish]

Even if you can get down, you still have to come back up, and as a few people have said a reverse block (normally uncommon) is something else to worry about. As annoying as it is to have trouble descending, being unable to ascend is even less fun. I've had that happen just twice in 15 years and both times was able to equalize while ascending eventually, but it can take quite a while so hopefully you've got enough air if it happens, and good bouyancy control - you really don't want to have to deal with this on your cert dives. On cert dives it's also possible there may be a couple descents and ascents on one dive as you practice things, unlike a regular dive, which would make things even worse.

 

[latitude]

How about just for the last pool session tomorrow night? Since it's no deeper than 12', is there any way that I can at least get that finished? Or is that just as potentially dangerous as diving?

(called my instructor again w/ the same ? but got her voice mail again)

It's just as dangerous as going deeper... You have to remember that the greatest pressure gradient is in the first 15-20 ft of water. I've heard that an adult can burst an eardrum in as little as 8 ft of water (children less than that).

Also, even if you can clear, you'll be shoving crap up into your middle ear when you valsalva. What you have now sounds like it could clear up in a few days or a week at most. If you get a middle ear infection it could be a month or more! I'd play it conservative and sit it out for a week rather than wind up with an midele ear infection, or a ruptured eardrum. (but again, check with your doc and instructor...)

 

[LuvDaOcean]

It's just as dangerous as going deeper... You have to remember that the greatest pressure gradient is in the first 15-20 ft of water. I've heard that an adult can burst an eardrum in as little as 8 ft of water (children less than that).

Also, even if you can clear, you'll be shoving crap up into your middle ear when you valsalva. What you have now sounds like it could clear up in a few days or a week at most. If you get a middle ear infection it could be a month or more! I'd play it conservative and sit it out for a week rather than wind up with an midele ear infection, or a ruptured eardrum. (but again, check with your doc and instructor...)

Thanks, latitude. My instructor still hasn't called me back. Don't know what's up with that. I'm such a newbie that I didn't realize that problems could crop up in a relatively shallow pool same as they could during the deeper ow dives.

Guess I'll have to wait this one out, cancel $$ travel reservations, etc., etc.. Figures I'd get a cold when the juiciest of all carrots is dangling right in front of my face....

N.Y. is right..."the devil plays with best laid plans". pish!