Bloody Mucous After Dives

[Littlerayray]

On a side note my stepdaughter is 9 years old and about once a month she gets horrendous blood gushing you think she is gonna die type nose bleeds with huge blood clots. The nose bleeds don't hurt her and their is a lot of blood I've seen about an 1/8 of a cup full. This is more common in children and it is because the blood vessels in her nose are super close to the surface and they happen sometimes because the air is dry or pressure changes in the atmosphere all kinds of reasons the doctor was going to cauterize the vessels in her nose but she hates things touching her nose she will eventually outgrow it.
The reason I mention this is because this may also be what is happening to myself while diving

 

[TONY CHANEY]

I think that what MAY cause the problem is that you are pinching your nose too hard. Very easy to do with cold weather thick gloves. It could also be an ill fitting mask that is pressing too tight on the nose. Again both of these are traumatic. Leisure Pro has a write up about it.

 

[dberry]

I do have a moderately large proboscis, but I don't think the mask fit or squeezing it too hard is the problem. The blood clots seem to come from further back, as far as I can tell.

 

[dberry]

On a side note my stepdaughter is 9 years old and about once a month she gets horrendous blood gushing you think she is gonna die type nose bleeds with huge blood clots. The nose bleeds don't hurt her and their is a lot of blood I've seen about an 1/8 of a cup full. This is more common in children and it is because the blood vessels in her nose are super close to the surface and they happen sometimes because the air is dry or pressure changes in the atmosphere all kinds of reasons the doctor was going to cauterize the vessels in her nose but she hates things touching her nose she will eventually outgrow it.
The reason I mention this is because this may also be what is happening to myself while diving

My (now 22 y.o.) daughter has been subject to spontaneous, gushing nose-bleeds for more than 10 years. Doesn't seem to matter whether it's winter or summer, and I can attest she isn't picking her nose when it starts. As a matter of fact she just recently made an appointment with an ENT for a look-see and possible cauterization. I guess I'm hoping my dive-related bloody snot can be traced to one weak blood vessel that might also be fixed by an ENT with a soldering iron

 

[fmerkel]

I have an Rx for Flonase (nasal steroids) with the vague understanding that shrinking the tissues can help, although I'm not sure if this really effects the more distant sinuses. How long in advance of a dive trip is one supposed to start using the spray for any effect, and how often?

It's a steroid anti-inflammatory. It's no longer RX (in the US). You can get it OTC now. The stuff can take 1-2 weeks to be fully active. It is not Afrin, or even remotely like it. You don't spray it up your nose and breathe freely 15" later. Read the RX for directions and side effects. If you are a very easy bleeder it is possible the Flonase could actually make it worse. Bleeding is a side effect for some people. Take the minimum dose you require to get the effect you want. That part never gets discussed in the dosage administration.

It probably doesn't have to reach the deep sinuses if you don't have pain. If all you do is bleed without pain it's likely in the surface turbinate mucosa. On single day dives you may actually do as well with Afrin. BUT, due to rebound Afrin isn't much good for more and 1-2 days of diving before it comes back to bite you.

 

[diver0008]

It is not unusual and not dangerous. The pressure underwater forces some blood through the capillaries in the sinuses. It does not happen to everyone, and to those that it does, not all the time.

Hork it out, and enjoy the rest of your day.

I too was concerned about it, and sat down for an exam and consultation with a highly experienced ENT doctor and he provided me with the information above.

I also found that the more I dove, and the better I got at gentle equalization, or perhaps more likely the more my body got used to the process, and the less effort it took to equalize, the less it occurred.

For anyone worried about it, consult an ENT, partucularly one familiar with the pressures of diving on the sinuses, etc.

As long as there is no pain, put your mind at ease.

 

[dberry]

I think that what MAY cause the problem is that you are pinching your nose too hard. Very easy to do with cold weather thick gloves. It could also be an ill fitting mask that is pressing too tight on the nose. Again both of these are traumatic. Leisure Pro has a write up about it.

+1. I originally dismissed this suggestion as being too mundane, but I was recently thoroughly scoped and checked out by an experienced ENT. He thought it very unlikely the blood came from the sinuses (no pain) or turbinates, and suggested the plexus of vessels near the front of the septum was the culprit. I was advised to treat my nose more gently, keep it moisturized with a little vaseline inside, and to stop squeezing it so hard on descent. I'll follow his advice and see if I stop grossing out my buddies post-dive. The mundane answer would be just fine with me.

 

[urbaneve71]

im curious to what everyone found out -- i get that on rare occasions I just use an ice pack after my dive. but I am always looking for something better..

 

[Steve_C]

Question: Do you get nose bleeds when you are not diving? I get some whenever I am in a dry climate for a couple days. If you get the nose bleeds anyway then maybe just a vessle issue. If they are only when diving then that is another thing.

 

[TONY CHANEY]

+1. I originally dismissed this suggestion as being too mundane, but I was recently thoroughly scoped and checked out by an experienced ENT. He thought it very unlikely the blood came from the sinuses (no pain) or turbinates, and suggested the plexus of vessels near the front of the septum was the culprit. I was advised to treat my nose more gently, keep it moisturized with a little vaseline inside, and to stop squeezing it so hard on descent. I'll follow his advice and see if I stop grossing out my buddies post-dive. The mundane answer would be just fine with me.

Thanks and glad to be of help