Frequent colds and sinusitis??

[EFB]

Hello! I am very very new to scuba and hubby and I took a Resort Certification course in Jamaica last month. Hubby did great..I panicked, quit, tried again..and eventually made it out there. My left ear never cleared. I tried over and over and it just never did. I made it down (it was 40 feet) and stayed down there as long as I could. I motioned to my Divemaster that my ear was bothering me. He brought me up 5 feet and tried to get me to clear it. Didn't work. 5 more feet. Still didn't work. BUT I admit it felt better as I got closer to the surface. I was disappointed with myself..I got over the panic of "OMG! How do you breathe underwater?" and then my ear let me down.

I will admit that I was just getting over a sinus infection (finished the antibitoics a week before the trip). I was looking at the medical questionarre tonight and exactly what is frequent sinusitis? I get one or two a year. I take the meds, it goes away. I moved to Canada 16 years ago and it aggrevates the problem because in the winter it is so dry.

So, will my ears ever clear? OR was it that this was too close to getting over a sinus infection?

Hubby LOVED it. Like a fish to water. He was nervous and was breathing kinda fast the first dive, but he did great. He wants to get certified and I do as well, but is this in the cards for me? When I made it to the bottom, I was in awe of the beauty of the reef, the fish, a really cool eel..just everything. Funny how I was so freaked and once I got down there, it was so tranquil and peaceful.

There are a couple of places here that offer Open Water certification. I think 5 weeks of extensive training would be great and build my confidence rather than a 2 hour crash course and then off into the big blue.

I would appreciate any advice you guys have. Thanks for reading.

 

[EFB]

OH..and one more question please. Do others who panic in the beginning like I did come to love it and never get nervous?

 

[k ellis]

Sinus problems are natural and sadly affect some people more then they do others. It is very possible that having just gotten over sinus issues may have had some residual effect.

Your perfectly fine also to be nervous a little under water because scuba diving is really not something the human body was made for so it will at first have some hesitation. This can be mild to almost non existant in some divers and more noticeable in others too.

Breathing underwater also goes against every thing a human knows about water so there will always be a little fear of that when first diving. As you get into diving more you will find it easier and easier to dive to the point youll be like most of us and have to be told to wait to get in because your trying to jump in too soon LOL.

By the way as your last question I was scared as HECK when I first dove. I could not even swim until I made master Diver (Though I could float and snorkle and thats how I made it) If I could not touch I was scared to death and it showed in my first discover scuba. But as you see I have made it to well over 200 hundred dives with many in some wonderful parts of the world.

I will give you this suggestion as in my profession we are taught never to give medical advice no matter how minor something is. If you had an issue and feel it could cause more problems later on just go see your doctor and take your medical form with you. Explain you want to dive and tell him what concerns you have such as the ear issue. Most likely it will be nothing but get that for sure from a doctor.

Is it in the cards for you? By your eagerness and determination I would be willing to bet it is... Keep us up to date how your doing with it ok?

 

[g1138]

Welcome to the world of scuba.

To answer your second question, yes if scuba is something you want to do, then you'll soon learn to be comfortable in the water, it'll just take time. Being nervous is completely normal, you're entering a world where your mobility is expanded exponentially, your weight is virtually taken away, and life forms are completely alien to what you've ever been exposed to on the surface. It really stresses your mind and body out even if you don't feel it.

On the first note, never ever descend unless your ears are fully cleared. Doing so will actually your Eustachian tubes and make it harder to clear your ears, even if you ascend. Having sinus troubles and being congested will make it hard to clear your ears as well.

I agree with everything k_ellis has said. You should talk to your doctor or an ENT (ears-throat-nose doctor) and have your ears checked out to see if there's anything else that may be hampering your clearing abilities.

But in the mean time welcome to the board, welcome to scuba. Feel free to ask anything you want, no matter how silly it may be.

 

[n733lk]

Stick with it! I did my first Discovery Dive just this past Monday. I, too, had clearing issues but continued on, just like you. It wasn't really bothering me too bad, until I came UP. One ear cleared and one did not; hello INSTANT naseau! Thought I was going to toss my cookies! :shocked2: I was also very disappointed, as though my body was letting me down. My son (10) did great!

Anyway, it took 2 days for my right ear to clear. I went to see an ENT yesterday (who is also an accomplished diver). Got tested to make sure I hadn't done any damage, and I was fine. He told me something new; you need to begin clearing as soonas your ears hit the water. I had waited until about 4-6 feet before trying to clear, andthis was much too late. I had already put my clearing ability at a disadvantage by waiting so long. I and swam deeper than that in swimming pools, so I figured when the pain and pressure began, that would be the time to begin clearing.

I'd recommend going to visit an ENT prior to your next dive. Bonus if you can find one who dives! He gave me some additional recommendations, such as use of nose spray and sinus clearing medication, but I'll leave that up to your doctor.

You may also want to check out Docs Proplugs. I just bought a pair today. I read very positive things about them and how they help with equalization. Me and my son are taking another Discovery Dive tomorrow to make sure I can overcome my ear problem before throwing hundreds of bucks at a hobby I won't be able to enjoy.

Good luck!!!!

 

[merxlin]

Here's a thread that might help with your sinus issues: Nasal Rinsing

 

[EFB]

WOW! Thanks for all the great replies.

I actually have one of those Sinus rinse thingys by Dr Neal, but I only use it when I actually am having a sinus issue. Like I said, one persons "frequent" could be someone else's "normal" when you ask about how many sinus infections you have. I will indeed get in touch with my doctor and get a referral to an ENT doctor.

Yes, I am very determined to make this work. And not that I am happy any of you had issues at the beginning, but I am glad to know I am not alone (my hubby is a freak of nature and I have never seen him try anything and not do it well..darn that guy..if I didn't love him so much, I would have to hurt him ).

We are planning a trip this fall to Walt Disney World and they have a tour there called Dive Quest. I have seen the divers in that million gallon tank before, but I thought they were all WDW employees. I have stood in front of the glass at that aquarium for hours, just hypnotized by the sea creatures inside (rays, turtle, fish of many kinds as well as nurse sharks...which I know are harmeless but they still freak me out...though I did snorkel at WDW's Shark Reef at their water park and thought that was cool and the sharks seemed very shy).

How incredible would it be to be IN that tank? And despite the panic when I first put my face in the water and the issue with my ear (which took two days and a massage to clear...hey, you don what you have to do, right?:blinking, what I remember most about all of it was how quiet and peaceful it was at the bottom. Watching that emerald green Moray eel slink out to investiagte, fish running over my wrists, sea urchins and coral swaying in the current. And all you can hear is the sound of your own bubbles. Pretty incredible. And worth it I think!

 

[EFB]

Here's a thread that might help with your sinus issues: Nasal Rinsing

That's a great thread. Does anyone know what the "sinus surgery" is? Is it when they take the septum in your nose and use a piece of cartlidge to straighen it out or when they scrape your sinus cavaities? I broke my nose when I was 13 in the left side of it just barely works. I saw a surgeon years ago having the septum fixed to increase airflow on that side and potentially help with sinus issues, but that sounded pretty drastic rather than just taking antibiotics once of twice a year.

 

[g1138]

You're going to have a great time! Disney only picks the best divers for their dive program. They all come in from the same agency too, so you can rest assure that they'll all be on the same page and can worry more about their customers' safety.

 

[Easdem]

He told me something new; you need to begin clearing as soonas your ears hit the water. I had waited until about 4-6 feet before trying to clear, andthis was much too late.

You should begin equalizing before your ears hit the water. Its the fifth critical attribute in PADI's descend skill squence.

I suffer from sinus issues from time to time. My ENT, a DAN trained doctor and diver herself, has advised me to do a couple of things to prevent ear/sinus issues.

First, if I am congested and can't clear on the surface I am not to dive.

Second, I am allowed to take 1 sudafed 1 hour before the dive.

Third, descend slowly and equalize often.

Fourth, rinse sinuses after diving especially when dive having not been in salt water. I use a pressurised saline solution bottle called Ocean Sinus Irrigation, its portable and refreshing. Also its without the hassle of messy mix-it-yourself squeeze bottles or neti pots. Google it... a few National Stores carry it.

Good Luck with the class!