Head Aches and Vomiting...........

[cavemanxxx]

Well here it comes.......

Have been diving for about 8 years now, about 700 + dives . I used to get some really bad head aches every now and then, but for the first time, I have vomited after a dive ( 2x this quater ).

I am confused, why after 7 years?. About the head aches, I have heard all sorts of stories, i.e.

1. CO2 build up - I breath my lungs completely empty every 10 mins ( so not an issue )
2. De-hydration - I have drunk my self silly on water , pissed like an elephant, but did not help much. ( nice and warm wet suit though ! )
3. Decend slowly feet first, and come up slow - done that, did not seem to helo.
4. I wear a hood to keep my head warm, and it does help some what, but this dive my head was nice and warm.


My gut feeling is it is my Sinus. Anything I can do without having an operation ?

 

[beserker_77]

Well i'm not very sure of your situation caveman, but i did heard a myth that for commercial divers they tends to retire quite early due to nitrogen retention within the body. So whether does it apply to hard core recreational divers, i have no idea.

Regards

 

[John Reinertson]

You're correct that sinus illnesses can be a cause of diving-associated headaches. Unfortunately, there are a number of other potential causes for headache that occurs when diving. These are impossible to sort out without a much more detailed history and examination.
Usually diving's effect on sinuses occurs when the pressure changes on air-filled sinus cavities are affected by the compression and decompression of our bodies with depth change, and the sinus spaces don't communicate freely with the nasal passages to equalize pressure.

A sinus chock-full of snot won't hurt, as it doesn't compress any more that the surrounding water column.

People with sinus-related barotrauma usually have at least moderate sinus problems apart from diving.

Headaches from CO2 retention can and do occur, and can't be easily avoided by breathing lungs empty every ten minutes.

CO2 headaches occur when a person unconsciously breathes a little too shallowly to clear the carbon dioxide from the bloodstream. This is something that normally is the primary respiratory drive.
For most people, significant air hunger and the feeling that they need to take a breath is driven by even a tiny increase in the amount of CO2 in the blood. For some people, this reflex doesn't seem to function as well when diving and they will retain CO2 at depthin their bloodstream, not in their lungs.

Migraine headaches can be associated with diving. Dental pain can be associated with diving and may not be felt directly as tooth pain.

Heat losses can be associated with headache, as anyone who has ever tried diving without a hood in hypothermia-generating conditions can testify. (hey, I was young and ignorant)

Headache and diving is a tough problem to sort out and can't be solved simply without an exam, a past medical history, and a lot more detail.

Start with a consultation with a local doc that has at least some knowledge of diving, or visit with DAN over the phone to get a reference.

Once your doc narrows the range a bit, he may be able to clearly identify the problem or at least point you toward a couple tests or theories.

Good luck. Headaches and diving make for a poor mix, especially when we don't know the cause and the seriousness.

John

 

[cavemanxxx]

Thanks for your great write up. I am, in my oppinion , over relaxed in the water, and a nudibranch moves faster than I do. RMV's on a typical photo shoot dive are between 9 and 10 (true!), and as such, I am getting more of a feeling is co2. My friend told me today that he had 100% the same symptoms as I described , and in his case it was CO2. I will try to find a doctor, but again, it should be someone who knows diving very well.

Any recommendations on how to prevent co2 build up ?

 

[WreckWriter]

caveman once bubbled...
Any recommendations on how to prevent co2 build up ?

You threw me a bit with your statement about "breathing your lungs empty every 10 min". I would hazard a guess that your problem IS CO2 buildup as it sounds like you might be using some sort of "breathing trick".

Maybe I'm totally off-base on this but one should be breathing deeply, slowky, and continuously at all times. You should be "breathing your lungs empty" on pretty much every breath.

WW

 

[cavemanxxx]

Thanks, but the the opposite is true. I dont try any breathing tricks ( ie skip breathing) which is not correct. I suffer from what most divers suffer.......... " total immersion" ....... meaning I get so full of my environment and everything, I dont even pay any attention to my breathing, and it does what ever it does.

My friend says that you will get a build up of co2 in your lungs, but is it really in the blood ? I assume the blood co2 levels is a function of what is in the lungs. ( sorry, engineer , not doctor, so not sure)

If shallow breathing creates co2, then whay dont we get it in normal daily life? I mean, most people do not breath fully in and out ( look back after the last few minutes reading this, how many times have you done a complete inhalation and exhalation ? ). So why is it different during diving ?

Interested to know........... ( over to the medical experts )

:wacko: