Years FIRST silliest question...

[cybordolphin]

Interesting.

I know that when I do it now.. it hurts like hell in my chest area....
and since I am taking up diving... I am working to break this habit... lol.

As far as the balloon theory... I do believe you can still burst a balloon if the pressure outside the balloon is less than the pressure inside the balloon (last time I checked), and the additional volume of air being compressed into the lungs during this type of sneeze could indeed exceed the 2-3lbs pressure increase limit on the lungs. Thus introducing air into places of the chest cavity.. it just weren't dog gone meant to be.


Now.. that into consideration.. if indeed air were forced into areas outside the lungs.... would that increase the danger of a very unfortunate diving accident.

Hmmmmmm wonder if any past diving fatalities were ever linked to "nose holding" sneezers!

 

[Liquid]

I know of a case of a diver that sneezed in a dive and had a punctured lung. Not anything to seriouse, just couldn't dive again for a LONG time.

 

[Arduous]

Cybordolphin:

I agree with Drew Sailbum , if you have any doubt about your fitness to dive, seek the advice of a physician and call the Divers Alert Network.
Dive Safe …………………….Arduous

 

[Dr Deco]

Dear cy

There do appear to be cases where individuals have gas trapped I the chest cavity. One of my colleagues here in Houston related a story about this. If the gas were trapped in the cavity while individuals were at lower pressure, the gas would expand and press on the lungs (partially collapsing them) when they went to lower pressure. This could occur with a diver at depth or a passenger on an airplane during ascent to altitude.

This would be noted as shortness of breath. None of these appears to be anywhere close to a common event, to my knowledge. :deadfish:

In the United States alone, there are 23,000 commercial flights per day. If there were only 10 passengers on each plane, we would be considering a quarter of a million people each day presenting as possible candidates for some thoracic problem involving a gas-trapping lesion. The only incidence of this occurred a couple of years ago, and the pneumothorax developed at altitude. (It was [unnecessarily] reduced at altitude.):doc:

Dr Deco
:doctor:

 

[devjr]

Some years ago, my wife remarked that I "sneezed funny". She was right but I had been doing it that way for so long that I was no longer aware. I'm a veteran freediver and decades ago, as a teen, I had to train myself to sneeze through the mouth, more of a cough than a sneeze.

Due to numerous rapid descents and ascents, my eustachion tubes remain partly open or subject to opening with almost no effort. Sneezing in the normal way can (and has) caused my "tubes" to crack open causing ear pain from pressure. With a cold, mucus can result in a partial but temporary loss of hearing.

For the same reasons, I dare not tilt my head to look up if there is some water in my mask. The water flows into my nose and directly into the inner ear causing pain and loss of hearing. It also disables me for further diving that day since my ears not only hurt but will not equalize for several hours.

Some divers, especially hardcore, may have to develop certain accomodations to their amphibious way of life. When pain is involved, don't be shy to ask questions.

The issue of pain in the chest will be harder to self diagnose than my particular situation and should be directed to professionals. However, I do have one observation. During my early weight lifting years I developed pain in the sternum related to bench pressing. This persisted for more than a year and appeared to be the result of expansion of the sternum and possibly pulling of pectoral muscles. The central part of the chest would actually make clicking and cracking noises while pumping the bar. It eventually resolved itself.