Dizziness & panic!

[Storm]

TSandM

Im just spitballng here, as Im far to new to be giving advice on this, but would shooting an SMB and keeping you eye on the reel and line not get you oriented in low vis water.?

 

[TSandM]

Any vertical reference helps. When I had the worst problems with this were on descent, where you don't have an SMB and line, and on ascents before I (or the people I dove with) knew how to shoot a bag.

NW Grateful Diver has a truly evil navigation exercise in his AOW class that is designed to give people like me and the OP the willies -- you have to swim a given pattern of headings and times in midwater. I've tried it once and failed spectacularly -- ended up standing on my head, completely disoriented, and gave up. One of these days, I'll go back and challenge it again.

 

[HilaryRN71]

I think there are some elements of her story that make it unlikely that it's an inner ear, but I think it's safe to check out that as a source anytime dizziness is experienced. I'm an ER nurse and that's one of the first things we check anytime dizziness is a complaint.

I at first dismissed my problems as inner ear because it seemed to happen in lower viz and cold water (west coast dives) and had not happened to me at all in a tropical dive. As I mentioned, I assumed that it was task loading (drysuit, extra weights, poor viz, etc etc etc) CO2 buildup, felt it as lightheadedness vs. vertigo. When it happened for the first time in tropical clear water, it really scared me. It took awhile to clear, my buddies (who are not very attentive buddies because I like my space underwater) had gathered because I was not acting normally, and it was REALLY scary. I had to talk myself down from a panic...because I very much wanted to bolt. That time I was on a pretty high O2 enriched mix and figured it could not possibly be from hyperventilating so that was when I called DAN (as well as talked to some other friends and physicians who concurred). I never followed up with an ENT because after that, I experienced it again and was patient and cleared a few extra times, and it cleared immediately.

I'm not sure what she meant by tumbling to the bottom, that doesn't really fit in...so it seems not very cut and dried...but I still think given her symptoms, inner ear is a worthwhile suspect.

 

[Freds@Aquanauts]

I had a problem insta-buddy who had exactly the same issues as the OP. I was meant to be leading him round a deep dive site, but the water was dark and murky that day viz only about 5m. He got all messed up on the first asent after only a few metres. But we came up and started again, I held onto him with both hands on his BCD straps, and looked him in the eyes all the way down...He was fine second time around.

Freds

 

[Scottri]

I had a student that had the same problem and it did turn out to be an inner ear infection. I would still get it checked out just to be safe. It could be cold water that is getting into your ear making you dizzy until it warms.

 

[imasleeper]

Hi Diver Girl,

Seeing a physician for an exam is sound advice. It will rule out a number of potential causes of what you experienced. Assuming your ears are normal you probably experienced the correct response to what is known in the neurologic business as a "cold caloric test". Essentially vertigo is induced by flushing the ear with cold water. The important thing to remember it is a normal response and as you noted passes quickly. It can however be quite intense and scary. One thing you might try is filling your hood with warm water before you dive in cold water which will lessen the temperature gradient as ambient water mixes inside your hood.

Cheers,

imasleeper

 

[Zero]

As a number of divers have suggested, it sounds as thought you have experienced a variation of a clinical caloric examination. This is a standard procedure used to evaluate vestibular function, more specfically the canals which sense head orientation. The examiner usually pours warm water into one ear canal while pouring cold water into the other. This is a rather disorientating experience even with a solid visual reference frame. In your situation, you may have cold water leaking into one ear which may generate a similar reaction which is even more unpleasant in a visually poor environment.

A doctor's examination will ensure that both ear drums are intact.

Please let us know how things proceed!

Cheers!

 

[Crimson Ghost]

No time to read the posts in this thread (read the first few)….because it only happens when you are deprived of visual benefits it sounds like CO2 build up. Did you come out of the water with a headache? You probably get slightly panicked and forget to exhale completely thereby building up C02 and causing the spins -- if you exited the water with a headache this is more than likely your answer. If you did not have a headache then its probably not. My wife suffered headspins and it was due to calcium deposits behind her eardrum becoming dislodged when we started diving – your regular doctor would be able to see these (no need for an ENT). Worth asking on the next visit (actually, I think that goes for all divers). I wish you luck in solving this problem - -clearly the next time you descend your buddy needs to be aware of this potential occurrence to ensure that you do not end up at the bottom ever again.

 

[diver_girl]

I just want to thank you all for the advice and stories! Its nice to know I'm not alone. A few points though, I wasn't wearing a hood on the dive in question, so the water would have hit both ears at the same time. Crimson Ghost - I didn't have a head ache when I came out, but the calcium deposits sit with a couple of the other suggested resons - so maybe I should get my ears washed out! As to making sure my buddy knows in future. It is in my log book, and will be discussed in advance. As to having a burst earm drum, I have no pain in either ear, and haven't had any during my dives.

Again just want to thank everyone for their help!

 

[wreckchick]

To me this is a pretty clear cut case of vertigo induced by the lack of visual reference. It does seem to be medically induced. The same symptoms can appear in either very reduced vis or in absolute clear blue water as long as there isn't anything for the brain to lock onto as a reference.

Use a line, a sloping bottom, anything to descend and ascend and the problem will greatly abate. As you get more experience and your ability to "trust your gauges" increases, you'll find it less of a problem.

Obviously, I'm not telling you NOT to go to the doctor. It can't hurt... blah blah blah <disclaimer>

Rachel