dizziness & nausea on ascent

[aquagirl]

Hi. I'm a newly ceritified diver. I can't pinpoint it but I tend to get dizzy and nauseated as I ascend.
When I first did the pool dives, I noticed when we went down to 12ft, on the ascent I got dizzy but I thought looking up made me dizzy. When I got certified, the first dive (30ft) was fine although I was feeling a bit disoriented (part my fault as I was looking and turning all over the place) but when we ascended I began feeling nauseated. Our dive master thought it was the motion on the boat. I continued on the second dive (20ft), feeling a little dizzy and nauseated but handling it. The next day, we went down 50ft in over 3ft swells. I was fine while down but when we stopped at 15ft for 3 minutes, I began to get dizzy. I could hardly wait to the 3 min to end before we finished our ascent and as soon as I was at the surface, I threw up. And if you know me, I RARELY EVER vomit, so it was a surprise. Our dive master thought it was because I was looking up when ascending - I'm not convinced of that because I became sick while waiting at 15ft. Despite that I continued on to the fourth dive (30ft) but again began feeling dizzy and nauseated but this time down while diving. I fought the feeling until I felt I couldn't handle it and then notified my dive master which brought me up to the surface. Again, I threw up once I reached the surface. I don't have any problems clearing my ears or equalizing. I didn't have a cold or any other illness nor was I under any medication. And other than the nausea and dizziness, I felt no other pain. As far as sea sickness, I've never thrown up while on a boat but have become nauseated in long and extreme circumstances. Could it just be motion sickness as I ascend? Or am I reacting to the pressure? Any thoughts?

 

[ssra30]

I had similar episodes on my last live aboard trip. The first 2 days, I pretty much threw up every dive, especially as I ascent to the surface. I am not sure what the exact cause was but a few things that I did seem to help and I was fine during the last 2 days of the trip. I tried not to eat too much an hour before a dive and ascend as slowly as possible. I have a dive com and try to ascend at only 20-40% maximum rate. May be the rapid change in pressure might have something to do with it.
When you did safety stop, were you holding on to a bouy line or something. If the surface is quite rough, you could get thrown around a lot and probably one of the easiest way to get nauseous. Also make sure when you ascend, nobody else is right below you, sometimes lots of bubble floating up, passing you can be a bit disoriented. Just a thought, hope this is useful for you.

 

[Wendy]

When I first starting diving I too would get queezy at 15' during my safety stop and the second my head broke the surface I would dry heave (never threw up but one time). I figured I was just feeling the motion of the ocean more at 15' and like you said suffered from motion sickness. I also noticed this happening on a shallow shore dive that had a bit of a surge. I started taking Bonine the night before my dive and the mornng of the dive and that seems to have helped alot. Bonine doens't make me drowsey, but a few hours after the dive I am completely wiped out. You may want to try this and see if it helps you. Also try to focus on something like your fins, etc so you aren't looking all around.

 

[Groundhog246]

Not sure about the dizziness. I used to have some stomach upset/nausea. I concluded I was swallowing too much air while diving. I had originally put the burping down to the upset tummy, but read an letter in a dive mag (I think Alert Diver, but not sure) that discussed swallowing air. I "observed" myself the next dive. When my mouth was getting too dry I would find myslef swallowing and trying to get saliva flowing. Once I noticed the behaviour, I have been able to reduce it substantially.
I've also read of dizziness being brought on by being too forcefull when equalizing, causing overpresssure in the middle/inner ear.
I'm not an MD, I only know what works for me.

 

[jbd]

try looking through some of the post during the past 3 months or so. Some posts were made about swallowing air and pressure on the lower esophogeal sphincter. I don't recall who made the posts. The nausea and vomiting could be related to motion sickness. I had that happen at the end of my first ocean dive. I was fine at depth but waiting on the line for my turn to board the boat in 6 foot seas got me. I take meclizine now if I'm going out on a boat in the ocean. I also don't hold on to the line at the surface when the waves are are rocking and rolling.

Also try a search for alterno baro vertigo. There have been several posts about this that may be of some help to you.

 

[VitaminSea]

Try a reverse Valsalva manuver (sucking air against a closed mouth and nose), becauce it maybe that your eustacian (sp?) tubes are not equalizing on ascent (which is queit rare, but happens) and that's what cuases virtigo...

hope it works for you

Dive safe

 

[Exorcist]

You're suffering from alternobaric vertigo. It can be pretty scary when it happens and you don't know what's going on. On ascent, higher pressure air is exiting one of your middle ears at a different rate than the other for some reason. This causes a pressure imbalance and affects the inner ears, which leads to vertigo. Stop your ascent and the feeling will go away. Have noticed that am more prone to this when the water is colder and when I'm deeper where the rate of pressure decrease on ascent is not as dramatic. Please don't attempt the "reverse valsalva." You could injure the round window, or, if shallow enough and still ascending, you risk an overexpansion injury because the airway closes when an equalizing manuever is performed.
Exoricist

 

[aquagirl]

Thank you to all who have responded thus far. I wasn't sure if what I was going through was common or not. It's good to get some feedback and I will look more into this. I do intend to use some type of motion sickness med the next time I go just in case its that but I will also look into the vertigo thing. If anyone else have some thoughts, I still would love to hear it. Thanks.

 

[wreckchick]

if I ascend close to or beyond the 60 ft/min rate, my ears equalize at vastly different rates and can leave me with vertigo for up to a couple days. I've fixed this by ascending VERY slowly and I haven't had any problem since.

I had this problem on a couple dives recently and talked to DAN and they said that sinus problems can cause it and living in the allergy capital of the world here in southern Ohio means that I will probably have to contend with some sinus inflammation from about March to November. They suggested a decongestant to relieve the symptoms after diving (Sudafed) but I hate that stuff so instead of a 24 hour resolution, I have 48 to 72 hours to resolution. Like I said, slowing down my ascent had made it a non-issue.

Rachel

 

[Laser]

Exorcist once bubbled...
You're suffering from alternobaric vertigo.


I thought alternobaric vertigo produced vertigo, not just nausea? I experienced it once and I was spinning in my head to beat the band. Quite a bit different than nausea.