These headaches are killing me !!

[String]

Would agree with the others. This is absolute text book CO2 retention caused either by faulty regulators, over exertion or more commonly poor breathing technique.

Breathing should be slow and deep. In...two...three...four...Out...two..three.four..five... repeat or similar.

It could also be related by trying to overuse the lungs for buoyancy control - i was doing this a lot early on and resulted in the same thing. Lungs are for small fine tuning only not for more than that.

Its worth practicing proper breathing techniques, making sure your weighting and buoyancy is correct (as less effort required to move then) and it should help. Nitrox wont help at all - we're talking CO2 retention here not lack of oxygen.

Its worth noting that as well as headaches CO2 retention can also increase the effects of narcosis, oxygen toxicity and in extreme situations can cause blackouts. Its not healthy and has to be stopped.

 

[diver 85]

I had the same problem, until I was told to check my mask. I loosened it and the headaches went away. The headaches were brutal and lasted for hours after the dive, so I was glad to get rid of them.

sounds like a squeeze somewhere....good advice here to start with......

 

[RonFrank]

If you are a better breather than most of you companions with just 50 dives, you are likely getting CO2 buildup from not getting enough O2 in your system when diving. I've had this happen once in close to two hundred dives, and it was an intense headache starting during the dive. I realized I was not breathing enough, so started doing so during the dive, and while I did get a headache, it did not last all that long.

I'd skip the skip breathing. Instead breath very slowly. I tend to breath in more quickly, and out very slowly, but still slowly in both directions. Do NOT hold your breath, just exhale VERY slowly, and inhale when you feel you need air. An average breath should take between 5~12 seconds including breathing both in and out. I likely breath in for 4 seconds, and out for maybe 7 or more seconds.

A tight mask strap could also be the issue, but that would be one uncomfortably tight strap. You would have total mask face (we all get it now and again), and so that is the symptom.

I can stretch a tank out for a long time if I choose to do so. I now am comfortable knowing my air consumption at all rec depths, and no longer stretch tanks, but rather just make sure I have enough air for the planned profile. I can surface after an hour on a shallow reef (20~40ft) with over 2000 psi of air, but lately it's been more like 1500 psi because what is the point, and I no longer try and stretch tanks.

If you are worried about not hitting NDL, or planned dive time with an AL80, go to a 100. I tend to dive 100's on flat deep profiles especially with divers I know push NDL. I also push NDL after a lot of experience doing so, but I ascend VERY slowly, and do 5 minute shallow stops as well as a deep stop, or VERY slow ascent, usually the latter.

 

[don Francisco]

Ask any doctor, including headache specialists, and they'll tell you how hard headaches are to diagnose. And that's after taking a detailed medical history.

The problem is that there are so many types of headaches, with so many subtle causes.

Ruling out migraines, here are a few possibilities.

1- if the headaches are up front , above and around the eyes, suspect barotrauma from poorly clearing sinuses. At threshholds way below what causes local pain, pressure in the sinuses can cause a headache. Vision strain from efforts to focus under water can cause similar headaches.
2- If they're to the back of the head, at the base of the skull, suspect a tension headache. You're thinking or worrying about all kinds of stuff, and get the same kind of headache as when all your credit card bills are due.
3- CO2 buildup is always a possibility, as described above, and often causes migraine like symptoms.
4- if you're prone to migrains or headaches in general, the changes in blood pressure caused by imersion and temperature changes can cause headaches.
5- dehydration, or change in blood volume also causes headaches for some who are sensitive to it.
6- nitrogen, or other inert gas buildup also causes headaches at levels below the threshold where you'd call it DCS.
7- mild ear pain from agressive clearing, or jaw pain from clenching the mouthpiece, can translate to a headache, as can the weird mis-alligned bite you get after removing the mouthpiece. These often feel like dental headaches from a molar cavity, or TMJ issues. The pain is centered either behind the ear or in the temples.

That's just a partial list, I suggest you keep a log and see if you can pin down the symptoms better. If you can qualify the nature and location of your headache it might point you to a specific cause. Don't forget that you can get different headaches on different days, which is what makes diagnosis so much fun.

Otherwise get used to taking aspirin after surfacing.

Yes, I also get headaches after diving and have classified about five types, including that old standby the migraine , which fortunately is rare when I'm diving.

 

[LeadTurn_SD]

jjacobsen22, you've gotten good advice so far in this thread. Incorrect breathing is probably the culprit in your case, but here is a short list to consider as you try to diagnose the problem:

1. Sinus squeeze (you'll often get a little blood in the mask, but not always).
2. Forgetting to equalize mask as you descend, or
3. Mask strap too tight, or
4. Improperly fitted mask
5. Breathing improperly leading to CO2 buildup, as has been already discussed in this thread
6. Muscle tension headache, caused by muscle "tension" in your neck and shoulder muscles
7. Vascular headache, caused in this case by....? See number 5 above. Dehydration will can also do it, so make sure your drinking lots of water on dive days.

Good luck.

Edit: Refer to don Francisco's great list above! I'm a very slow typist, and his list is more complete!

 

[Mark Michaud SELAUSAR]

Here's what I have found out through personal experience: I used to get these headaches every time I would dive. The headache would last a few hours and would not go away with any kind of meds. When it did go away, it was "all of a sudden". I felt the need for more air when diving, owned my own regulators, and breathed better than most with a similar amount of dives. An older commercial diver (started in the early 1980's) told me to try something because he felt it was CO2 buildup. He said that is why the headache doesn't respond to meds. CO2 has to metabolize and the CO2 has to leave your system. The suggestion he gave me, and it worked, was this: Every 3 to 4 breath purge your regulator with a 2 - 3 second burst. Some regulators trap CO2 more than others. This practice came from the days when there was no oral / nasal in a full face mask or dive helmets. This practice is still used by some when working hard. I started doing this and sure enough, no more headaches. I got rid of the old Dacor Pacer regs and went to Scubapro 250's and have not had headaches since. With the SP's (in good working order) I don'thave to purge them, just dive. This is not a plug on regs, just what worked for me. Mark

 

[String]

I cant see any regulator trapping enough CO2 to be significant (full face masks are a different thing altogether). I really wouldn't recommend purging a reg every few breaths either - especially in cold water.

CO2 retention is in the lungs and airspace there and can only be cured by proper deep full breathing.

 

[Nemrod]

It could be as simple as your mask is to tight and pressing on your forehead.

N

 

[tomboyy]

My headaches were caused by skip breathing and I only just now tried to see if this was the probelm. I went on my 2 night check out dives and TRIED to just breath normally. I thought to heck if I used all my air , I had always been pretty good about it anyway. well my dives weren't that long maybe 40 mins maybe 35 mins but I went in with 3200 and came out with 2100. I tried to breath more and guess what no headaches on either dive. But thats just me, It might be something else thats causing your problems.

Tom

 

[String]

Its not about trying to breathe more - its trying to breathe properly. That is slow, deep and fully.