Headaches=quitting Scuba

[Oily]

First off let me just say hi to everyone as this is my first post, put I'm posting out of desperation.
Ive started getting headaches while scuba diving and i dont know why, it gets to the point that i end the dive after about 15min and then feed the fish either through my reg on the safety stop or on the surface waiting for the boat.

At first I thought it was deep dives but still got headaches at shallow depths
Breathing to deeply is the most common one but I'm always the guy with the most air at the end of the dive.
I've tried eating different foods/no food before a dive, a slow descent, headache/sea sick tablets, paying attention to equalise my ears, checked my breathing, just done shore dives but nothing seems to work.

It got to the point that I don't want to ruin anyone else's dive so my only option is not to dive.

I love scuba and don't want it to stop, I'm in st lucia as we speak on a scuba diving holiday so any advice would be most appreciated.

 

[tstormdiver]

There can be many different causes for your problems. Don't give up just yet, there's a few other things to consider. First thing I would suggest is go see a Dr. familiar with diving. Diver's Alert Network (DAN) can point you to a physician near you. Get a thorough checkout to make sure it isn't anything physical like blocked sinuses, ear problems or such. Next take a look at your equipment. Is it good quality, good fitting, well maintained equipment & is it adequate for the diving you're doing? Also check out the quality of the air you're breathing. Many toxic gases are not detectable through smell or taste.

 

[ianr33]

Breathing to deeply is the most common one but I'm always the guy with the most air at the end of the dive.

This makes no sense to me. Breathing deeply is fine. Shallow or "skip" breathing can cause CO2 buildup which can cause headaches.

If you always have the most air at the end of the dive your breathing pattern is a possible cause of the headaches.

 

[Ghanguss]

You mentioned you dont use much air. I used to get serious headaches while diving years ago. I was a pack a day smoker also BTW. Just curious do you smoke?

Anyway, I was advised to breath more by an experienced diver / shop owner who's boat I was on at the time. The next dive I didnt have any headache at all.

In my case I think I was shallow breathing which caused CO/CO2? retention and was giving me the headaches. Ive since quit smoking, but I havent had a headache in over 100 dives since.

Beat me to it.

 

[stairman]

It could very well be the way you are breathing as stated with co2 buildup occurring. If your not breathing out completely before a short pause and taking the next breath in fully. A too tight mask or dehydration could also contribute. Even neck muscle strain from looking straight ahead for a long period of time. I like to eat fruit before a dive and I often pop a Goody powder with plenty of water before a dive. Good luck with it.

 

[Oily]

No I don't smoke, but I have tried breathing deeply too plus could you get nitrogen build up after only 15 minutes? I've passed my nitrox test recently but have never dived anywhere that uses it in the hope this might help as when I did the test I had no headache but then again I didn't do any long dives using it.

My equipment is my own and my regs and first stage are scuba pro and have been serviced recently.

 

[Oily]

@Starman, not thought about a tight mask, like that idea though.
Common theme seems to be my breathing to shallow, I'll try again to breath more deeply and see what happens, it could be getting to the point where I'm over thinking this too much and bringing on the headache!

 

[spectrum]

Oily,

It sounds to me like you breathing pattern has become too relaxed. Try moving a little more air whether you feel you need it or not.

I have reasonably low usage too and have caught a headache creeping in a few times. Breathing just a little more aggressively took care of it all. Fundamentally you need to breathe deep to get the air changes in your lungs. If you're a mellow diver the natural interval may not be enough. In the end my usage was not measurably different.

You may also be entering more advanced buoyancy control, breathing from the top or bottom of your lungs. This too can result in stagnation over prolonged periods. Be sure to manage long term buoyancy needs with your BC and fine tune with lung volume.

Pete

 

[Cave Diver]

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[Oily]

Oily,

It sounds to me like you breathing pattern has become too relaxed. Try moving a little more air whether you feel you need it or not.

I have reasonably low usage too and have caught a headache creeping in a few times. Breathing just a little more aggressively took care of it all. Fundamentally you need to breathe deep to get the air changes in your lungs. If you're a mellow diver the natural interval may not be enough. In the end my usage was not measurably different.

You may also be entering more advanced buoyancy control, breathing from the top or bottom of your lungs. This too can result in stagnation over prolonged periods. Be sure to manage long term buoyancy needs with your BC and fine tune with lung volume.

Pete

Your right Pete I do find I use my lungs as buoyancy control, maybe I do it more often than I think, something else I'll be aware of next time.