Clogged Sinus Question

[Runkby]

I have a question. I am currently in the middle of my open water certification class and I have only completed my first confined water dive in a pool. I had troubles equalizing my ears, which I find to be odd because I used to free dive and have no problem doing this. I have recently had a cold and I also have allergies. My sinuses are not yet cleared from the cold and I have been taking Afrin, Nasacort, and Benedrill every day to alleviate the symptoms. I am planning on doing my second confined water dive tonight, but should I be taking Sudafed before I dive to help clear my ears and is it a problem to be taking Afrin with diving? I made an appointment with and ENT to get a doctors opinion before my open water dives, but before I see the ENT does anyone have any advise?

 

[muddiver]

I have had a diving doctor tell me that it is the least risky to use Sudafed. The other medications you mention can cause drowsyness and other bad things that can be intensified under pressure.

I use the 12 or 24 hour non-drying type to avoid the possability of it wearing off during the diving. That could result in a reverse squeeze, which is really a blockage of the sinuses which can cause a lot of pain.

If you can not clear it is best to reschedule you dives. Having a reverse squeeze or the inability to clear on descent can be more dangerous than one would first think because you will now be incapacitated and unlikely to recognize and react effectively to a life threatening situation under water.

 

[Runkby]

Yeah I think that I'll try taking Sudafed a little before my second confined water diver later tonight, but I'll just see what the ENT says tomorrow about doing my open water dives this weekend.

 

[doctormike]

I have a question. I am currently in the middle of my open water certification class and I have only completed my first confined water dive in a pool. I had troubles equalizing my ears, which I find to be odd because I used to free dive and have no problem doing this. I have recently had a cold and I also have allergies. My sinuses are not yet cleared from the cold and I have been taking Afrin, Nasacort, and Benedrill every day to alleviate the symptoms. I am planning on doing my second confined water dive tonight, but should I be taking Sudafed before I dive to help clear my ears and is it a problem to be taking Afrin with diving? I made an appointment with and ENT to get a doctors opinion before my open water dives, but before I see the ENT does anyone have any advise?

Hey, Runkby.... welcome to diving, and thanks for writing!

There is a lot of controversy about this stuff. Many people do take Sudafed for problems equalizing, even though there isn't a lot of medical evidence that it actually works. Afrin is terrific for nasal congestion, but really doesn't affect Eustachian tube dysfunction and ear ventilation. You will find many many people here swearing by one drug or the other - part of that is that this condition is often self limited, and whatever you were taking when your ears equalize gets credit for the cure..!

The issue that people have with taking drugs to help equalize is that they wear off, and in some cases (like with Afrin) leave you more congested afterwards (rebound effect). This can be a problem if it happens during a dive, especially if it happens on ascent and you are low on air, and don't have time for more leisurely equalization. Fortunately, reverse blocks are less common than regular ear blocks (it's easier for the ear to get out of a poorly ventilated space than it is for it to get in).

Go slow...watch this video, and make sure you equalize early and often. It may be more of a training issue than a medical one, and you just need to get used to a new form of diving now that you are bringing extra air along with you!

Best,

Mike

 

[Runkby]

Thanks a lot guys I really appreciate your feedback.

 

[gypsyjim]

I find that when I am having problems with allergies, and planning on diving soon, it helps to start using a product like Sinu Rinse, daily, to flush out the congestion, rather than relay of a decongestant. This has been quite effective for me.

As said above, clear early, and clear often. Start clearing immediately, when you first begin your descent, and do not wait until you feel the need. By then it could be too late. Keep clearing continually, every couple of feet, and you will avoid having issues, normally.

 

[Runkby]

And btw DoctorMike the video link you sent me is great thanks!pd:

 

[TSandM]

Just one additional note . . . the concerns about the drug wearing off are less acute with what I would imagine will be a limited, hour and a half or so in the pool. In addition, you are less likely to find yourself on the bottom of the pool with a severe inability to surface. On the other hand, the repeated descents and ascents in pool diving are pretty stressful even to normal ears -- I know pool nights often end, for me, with some ear stuffiness. So I don't think it's bad to try to use some medication to make your pool sessions, but be prepared to abort if you have trouble equalizing anyway. (And if your pool sessions are at night, be aware that Sudafed may cause significant difficulty sleeping!)

 

[AggieDiver]

Afrin shouldn't be used for more than 3 days in a row. If you use it longer than that, you will definitely get a rebound episode of congestion, and the rebound effect will be worse the longer you use it. I would stop using the Afrin, start using sudafed, and reschedule the dives if necessary until you get over the rebound from the Afrin.

 

[Web Monkey]

I have a question. I am currently in the middle of my open water certification class and I have only completed my first confined water dive in a pool. I had troubles equalizing my ears, which I find to be odd because I used to free dive and have no problem doing this. I have recently had a cold and I also have allergies. My sinuses are not yet cleared from the cold and I have been taking Afrin, Nasacort, and Benedrill every day to alleviate the symptoms. I am planning on doing my second confined water dive tonight, but should I be taking Sudafed before I dive to help clear my ears and is it a problem to be taking Afrin with diving? I made an appointment with and ENT to get a doctors opinion before my open water dives, but before I see the ENT does anyone have any advise?

I'm not a doctor, but I paid several a lot of money.

Afrin is like crack. It's great until it isn't, then you're scre***. It stops working after a few days, but if you stop taking it, the rebound is worse than what you took it for.

The nasal steroids (Nasacort) didn't seem to be a ton of help (to me), although when my allergies are bad, they're better than nothing.

Sudafed dries you up (which keeps the gunk in your sinuses, in your sinuses) as well as jacks up your heart rate and blood pressure and give you dry mouth. None of these are especially great for diving.

My ENT recommended Mucinex, Nasal Steroids, the Neilmed Saline Rinse and keeping well hydrated. It's worked nicely so far.

Good luck!

Terry