Ok, so have you had to call a dive for this . . .

[WebmasterJ]

Had a sinus issue once or twice underwater and personally I take my mask all the way off (to the top of my head) do my business, then do a regular mask clear/purge. Obviously if you are not comfortable doing that it is not a good idea, I would try it next time your in 2 feet of water =).

 

[iluvtheocean]

Something i've noticed in the past year or so is that most of my allergies have ended up being food aggravated. Since switching to no wheat in the diet, my sinus issues have dramatically decreased. I've had several friends say something similar. only time i now notice it is after i've had some regular wheat based product - (i admit we had pretzels while at disney! - who can say no to a mickey shaped pretzel?) but after i did, my sinuses started acting up.
I'm not saying particular foods will cause the sinus issues for me or anyone -- but they contribute to them .


The old adage is that we are what we eat is true - which leads me to what really is in a Big Mac?

 

[Rich Keller]

If you are taking Sudafed every day STOP NOW! Sudafed is highly addictive. If you use it too much your sinuses will not function normally without it once you are addicted.

 

[Ysuboy]

I am really REALLY new to diving, but that being said I would like to make a quick comment on an observation I made over some of these posts. In my OW class we talked about placing your mask on top of your head as a sign of distress. I know this was typically associated with being on the surface, but I would still be compelled to be concerned about someone of they did that underwater as well. Needless to say I would be a little annoyed if I "came to rescue" to find someone blowing a "snot rocket" toward me. I think if you guys do this the mask should be brought around your neck or removed completely, if only for new people like me who have that technique fresh in their minds and are still not the most confident divers and still have fear instilled in our minds set forth from the honesty of our instructors. Just my .02, not trying to pick at anyone, just an observation.

 

[Kitty_Kat]

I am really REALLY new to diving, but that being said I would like to make a quick comment on an observation I made over some of these posts. In my OW class we talked about placing your mask on top of your head as a sign of distress. I know this was typically associated with being on the surface, but I would still be compelled to be concerned about someone of they did that underwater as well. Needless to say I would be a little annoyed if I "came to rescue" to find someone blowing a "snot rocket" toward me. I think if you guys do this the mask should be brought around your neck or removed completely, if only for new people like me who have that technique fresh in their minds and are still not the most confident divers and still have fear instilled in our minds set forth from the honesty of our instructors. Just my .02, not trying to pick at anyone, just an observation.

Having your mask on your forehead is really only going to be a sign of distress for a diver on the surface. A panicked diver in this environment is going to try to clear everything away from their face in an attempt to breathe easier or get away from the water.

Underwater, any diver having a problem probably isn't going to take their mask off. A mask is such a helpful tool for us as divers since we become blind and helpless without it. Correct me if I'm wrong, but most divers that are found underwater either during or after a serious incident have their masks still on. It's just not our natural instinct to remove this piece of equipment underwater.

I can see how this would be confusing after you've had this "rule" pounded into your head Think of it this way though: would you try to save someone sitting on the boat pre-dive who has their mask on their forehead? Chances are they're trying to get the rest of their gear settled while still keeping track of their mask. Having your mask on your forehead is just a big no no on the surface!

 

[boulderjohn]

I wonder how many times over the years I have had to write about the mask on the forehead misconception. It is sad that this myth is so widely spread and so often repeated.

If you read your instructional materials carefully, you will see that there are a number of signs that night be present in a panicked diver. One of them is equipment rejection. The diver might discard the regulator and might push the mask off the face. If so, it might end up on the forehead. The instructional materials do not in any way say that a mask placed on the forehead is by itself a sign of panic. Sadly, many instructors repeat the foolishness that they themselves were taught when they were first certified.

So, if you see a diver thrashing around in the water with the regulator out, the eyes wide in panic, and the mask askew, yes, you can assume the diver is in a state of panic. On the other hand, if the diver is relaxed on the surface and chatting with a friend with the mask placed purposefully on the forehead, only an idiot would think that diver is in a state of panic.

 

[Absolutbill]

Allegra-d 24 hour for me and my allergies, also see about getting an ex for nassonex instead of Flonase, it is much more expensive ($49 instead of $5 for me) but it helps me out a lot. A dr even prescribed it for my wife to use for three days before diving to avoid bloody noses after a dive.


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[Ysuboy]

So, if you see a diver thrashing around in the water with the regulator out, the eyes wide in panic, and the mask askew, yes, you can assume the diver is in a state of panic. On the other hand, if the diver is relaxed on the surface and chatting with a friend with the mask placed purposefully on the forehead, only an idiot would think that diver is in a state of panic.

That's interesting, about you making the point about instructors teaching old or misconceived methods because they definitely made us consciously aware of mask placement and every time someone put their mask "up" they would ask them if they were in distress or in trouble until the person realized what they did.

You have more experience than me, heck 99.9999% of people on this forum have more experience than me. That being said, what if someone surfaced and they were in shock or euphoria from some sort of dcs? I have obviously never been in the situation, never saw it in person, nor know the signs more than how I would personally feel if I had it. I would think there could be situations where obvious gestures might not be the only indicator. As previously mentioned, I'm not trying to argue, go off thread topic, but in fact hoping for better understanding. Especially for when I start going on trips, I want to know how to show someone I'm in trouble with the least amount of effort possible to be able to conserve all the energy I can in case it's needed to fight current, waves, etc. I know they make those sausage things but the way some people talk about them, they use them for the ship to find them to pick them up. If that's the case, I recollect the boy that cried wolf, and a less than expedient process of retrieving me because it's thought I just need "picked up" vs in trouble.


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[spectrum]

As I approach an hour underwater I usually have the same loading of my air spaces which begins to wreak all sorts of havoc. I just press one nostril closed and exhale then do the other. The congestion clears and on goes the dive. For me it can be almost like clockwork. The exhale seems to clear the nose pocket just fine.

Pete

 

[boulderjohn]

That's interesting, about you making the point about instructors teaching old or misconceived methods because they definitely made us consciously aware of mask placement and every time someone put their mask "up" they would ask them if they were in distress or in trouble until the person realized what they did.

I'm sorry. I am truly sorry that you had this experience.

You have more experience than me, heck 99.9999% of people on this forum have more experience than me. That being said, what if someone surfaced and they were in shock or euphoria from some sort of dcs? I have obviously never been in the situation, never saw it in person, nor know the signs more than how I would personally feel if I had it. I would think there could be situations where obvious gestures might not be the only indicator. As previously mentioned, I'm not trying to argue, go off thread topic, but in fact hoping for better understanding. Especially for when I start going on trips, I want to know how to show someone I'm in trouble with the least amount of effort possible to be able to conserve all the energy I can in case it's needed to fight current, waves, etc. I know they make those sausage things but the way some people talk about them, they use them for the ship to find them to pick them up. If that's the case, I recollect the boy that cried wolf, and a less than expedient process of retrieving me because it's thought I just need "picked up" vs in trouble.

You are asking questions a lot of people in your situation would ask, and I will try to help out.

First of all, the panicked diver/mask on forehead situation has nothing to do with DCS. It is all about a diver who is struggling in a panic on the surface to avoid sinking below the surface and drowning. This is not a dire situation, as I hope you will learn if you take rescue diver. It is honestly a pretty easy situation to handle.

Next, DCS symptoms vary dramatically in their presentation. If a diver is so very, very bent that symptoms present on the surface before getting on the boat or the shore, you are dealing with an extremely serious case, the kind rarely seen. They don't thrash or show the classic panicked diver signs. In your OW class, you were taught to give such a person oxygen and send for help.

Finally, a person who has gotten separated from the boat and inflated a SMB is not signalling an emergency in most cases. In most cases, the boat will see it and acknowledge seeing it. They will come around to pick you up when it is appropriate. There will be no concern about you calling wolf, and they will help you get your SMB up on the boat without a mention of it. It is only an emergency if you don't have your boat in the vicinity, in which case they will be very happy that you raised it when you did.