headache/compressed air?

[greenone]

I did my last confined dive last week.Before class I had a small headache it was no big deal. For our last confined dive we went through all of the drills we learned and then had time to swim around for a while. We did not surface for about an hour and 15 minutes. By the time we were done my headache got so bad I was nauseous,could it have been from breathing compressed air for that length of time or just a coincidence.

Thanks,greenone

 

[DandyDon]

No, I don't think so...

Why not try a SB Search. Click the [Search] button above on this page, then click Advanced, the run a Search for "headache." After you've read a few threads, maybe you can examine this better, and ask more specific questions...?

 

[rmediver2002]

An hour and 15 minutes is quite a long time, what depth were you at?

Have you thought about your breathing pattern at all? Are you breathing slow or shallow maybe trying to hold you breath a bit between breaths to conserve air?

I would suspect CO2 toxicity from the limited information given, when you surface does it seem to increase in intensity and then slowly wane over the next :30 to 1 hour?

Did you have any trouble clearing? Any blood in your mask or spit after the dive?

It is not normal to get a headache from compressed air.

 

[DocVikingo]

You may wish to start by clicking here---->

http://www.scubaboard.com/search.php?searchid=422029

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[artdive]

how was the air?, does it smells bad?, or tastes?, could it be CO intoxication?

 

[OceanusDC]

I am not a doctor in any strech of the imagination....that said, the evidence is lacking to blame the air. To rule the air in or out, I would ask, "did other divers that day experiance the same thing?" I think it would be unusual to get 1 bad air fill from an assumed otherwise good air station. If others experianced a similar problem then I would suspect the air. Working at a dive shop I have had the occasional person come in and complain about the air. Although we have the air tested quarterly, I always have the air immediatly tested when someone complains. I feel good that I have never had a bad test result. We fill from banks so if one person were to get a bad fill, everyone would. If only one person complains, chances are...its not the air and you should investigate elsewhere.....But... I'm not a doctor and thus, could be wrong.

 

[artdive]

its true if it was the air other divers breathing from the same air would have had the symptoms

 

[Scuba_Jenny]

Hey Doc- Link is no good.

 

[Mako Mark]

CO2 build up is often the cause of headaches in beginners as they try to figure out the correct way to breath so breathe deep and slow making sure you flush the CO2 out of your lungs.

One other thing is that our natural nervousness about being underwater the first few times can cause refered pain from jaw fatigue, did your teeth feel funny after the pool session?