Headache after diving?

[Cave Diver]

Hum...I'm interested to hear a little bit more about how to resolve CO2 headaches, I usually have a very very slight headache and have a good amount of fatigue after diving. I was willing to deal with it to keep diving, but if I can elminate it that would be awesome!

Resolving them can be a bit of a problem. In my experience CO2 headaches are among the worst and the only thing I've found that helps is time. As someone who suffered with migraines when I was younger and chronic sinus issues now, I'll take either of those over a CO2 one.

I seem to recall reading that breathing pure O2 can alleviate the symptoms quicker, as it flushes the tissues out, but I haven't had the chance to test that personally.

The best cure for a CO2 headache is to avoid it in the first place. Proper breathing, with long full exhales and inhales and being aware of your breathing rates and stopping rapid, shallow breaths as soon as you notice it is your best bet.

 

[TSandM]

I'm with Cave Diver. CO2 headaches are HORRIBLE. I've had headaches most of my life, and I think the worst I've ever had were after diving Devil's Ear in Ginnie Springs.

I don't know what makes them go away, although hydration seems to help. Much better to prevent them by learning an effective, rhythmic breathing pattern that keeps your ventilation where it needs to be.

 

[Cave Diver]

Here is a website I ran across with some information on various headaches experienced after diving: diving headaches

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

For freeflydenny: on the dives where you got the headache, did you and all your buddies get your air from the same source?

 

[lowviz]

Here is a website I ran across with some information on various headaches experienced after diving: diving headaches

Add 'vacuum headache' to the list.

See an ENT specialist, get imaged. Could be as simple as a benign polyp interfering with a sinus chamber. Headaches as intense as you describe should be investigated for root cause.

 

[scubadiver888]

RonzoTheGreat,
the few times I went out I had the worst sinus headache of my LIFE after the first dive. I wasted 2 out of the 3 trips laying on the boat in pain because of it.
Thanks a lot for the Great advice, I didn't even think of that. I think I will keep the fins, mask, snorkel and booties. That way I can still rent if I ever want to go again. I will have to edit the add and if you have any advice on how much is fair for all the other gear let me know. Thanks

Headaches happen for a number of reasons. If you have medical confirmation it was a sinus headache then maybe scuba diving is not for you.

On the other hand, if it is a headache from CO2 poisoning it would be appreciated by others to know as well. When your scuba cylinders are filled with air, the compressor could be adding a small amount of CO2 to the air. There should be standards and procedures in place to insure this. If the shop which supplied you air does have contaminated air, someone could die using it (deeper dives increase the CO2 exposure; longer dives increase the CO2 exposure; so even though you lived someone else might not).

Before we go accusing a company of bad air, you might want to see if it is something else. Being dehydrated is a strong possibility. A good shop will have virtually no moisture in the air they provide. You want 0% moisture otherwise, the moisture in the air can rust the tank from the inside out. When you go diving, breathing air with no moisture in it will dehydrate you. If you are slightly dehydrated already, you could develop a headache. You want to avoid things like coffee, tea, cola or anything which will contribute to dehydration. You want to drink more fluids before you go diving.

If you are worried about CO2 poisoning, you could approach the shop or get a tank filled there and bring it to someone to analyze. The important thing to remember is that what would be considered safe to breath above water might not be safe below water. Recreational scuba can go to 5 atmospheres. This means if 400 ppm is considered lethal then 400 / 5 or 80 ppm is lethal for scuba diving.

Hum...I'm interested to hear a little bit more about how to resolve CO2 headaches, I usually have a very very slight headache and have a good amount of fatigue after diving. I was willing to deal with it to keep diving, but if I can elminate it that would be awesome!

This sounds like you are slightly dehydrated. Read my third paragraph above to see what you can do to eliminate this.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Headaches happen for a number of reasons. If you have medical confirmation it was a sinus headache then maybe scuba diving is not for you.

On the other hand, if it is a headache from CO2 poisoning it would be appreciated by others to know as well. When your scuba cylinders are filled with air, the compressor could be adding a small amount of CO2 to the air. There should be standards and procedures in place to insure this. If the shop which supplied you air does have contaminated air, someone could die using it (deeper dives increase the CO2 exposure; longer dives increase the CO2 exposure; so even though you lived someone else might not).

Before we go accusing a company of bad air, you might want to see if it is something else. Being dehydrated is a strong possibility. A good shop will have virtually no moisture in the air they provide. You want 0% moisture otherwise, the moisture in the air can rust the tank from the inside out. When you go diving, breathing air with no moisture in it will dehydrate you. If you are slightly dehydrated already, you could develop a headache. You want to avoid things like coffee, tea, cola or anything which will contribute to dehydration. You want to drink more fluids before you go diving.

If you are worried about CO2 poisoning, you could approach the shop or get a tank filled there and bring it to someone to analyze. The important thing to remember is that what would be considered safe to breath above water might not be safe below water. Recreational scuba can go to 5 atmospheres. This means if 400 ppm is considered lethal then 400 / 5 or 80 ppm is lethal for scuba diving.



This sounds like you are slightly dehydrated. Read my third paragraph above to see what you can do to eliminate this.

Sinus headache is not necessarily a contraindication to diving. The root cause may be, as was brought up by another poster (e.g. nasal polyp or some other sort of sinus obstruction that needs surgical intervention), but it's far more likely that, if sinus problems are the cause of the OP's headaches, he is suffering from seasonal allergies or another condition that's easily mitigated with OTC decongestants or other pharmacalogical intervention.

An air compressor does not normally add excess CO2 alone. If air is bad, often it's due to byproducts of combustion being sucked into the compressor intake. Of these, carbon monoxide is the most hazardous. If the OP is suffering from CO2 poisoning, it's more likely that he's been either skip breathing or breathing too rapidly and without sufficient volume, as another poster has pointed out.

Dehydration is certainly a possibility and you gave sound advice to mitigate that. Plain water is fine, sports drinks should be cut 50/50 with water due to the high sugar content.

 

[Cave Diver]

Headaches happen for a number of reasons. If you have medical confirmation it was a sinus headache then maybe scuba diving is not for you.

On the other hand, if it is a headache from CO2 poisoning it would be appreciated by others to know as well. When your scuba cylinders are filled with air, the compressor could be adding a small amount of CO2 to the air. There should be standards and procedures in place to insure this. If the shop which supplied you air does have contaminated air, someone could die using it (deeper dives increase the CO2 exposure; longer dives increase the CO2 exposure; so even though you lived someone else might not).

Before we go accusing a company of bad air, you might want to see if it is something else.

Just as a reminder, CO2 doesn't necessarily come from a contaminated tank or air source. Excess work load, not breathing properly and failing to get a good gas exchange can cause buildups of excess amounts of CO2. Rapid, shallow breathing, or feeling that you can't get enough air from your reg can be indicators of excess CO2.

 

[freeflydenny]

Thanks for all the input. I never sat down and thought about how I dive until now. It may be my breathing after all. I took a private one week crash course open water class because I was going on a trip to Maui and needed my padi license before I went. I don't remember going over any breathing technique except for how to control your bouncy by keeping the tips of your fins on the bottom of the pool and breathing in to lift and out to sink.
Now that i think about it, I seem to take long breaths in, hold it for a 2 to 3 seconds then blow out shorter faster to control my bouncy so I don't sink or float.
I ALWAYS have more air left then any one on the boat when we surface.
When Im diving, my breathing isn't uncomfortable to me. I feel like I get plenty of air and not struggling at all.
But the only focus on my breathing has been my bouncy not long smooth breaths like others have commented on.

 

[TSandM]

I ALWAYS have more air left then any one on the boat when we surface.

This can be a red flag.

It's been shown that some people tolerate elevated CO2 levels without symptoms while diving -- but that doesn't mean that they don't get post-dive headaches. I know I'm one of those people, and I have to watch my breathing closely to avoid skip-breathing (which is what your description of your breathing pattern sounds like to me). Skip breathing extends your gas supply, but results in high CO2, which increases narcosis and can lead to anxiety, and at best, post-dive headaches and nausea.