Lightheadedness on ascent

[Tigermoth]

Hi all,

I do plan on going to the doctor about this as soon as my insurance gets sorted, but it may be a couple weeks and I was hoping to hear if anyone has had the same problems.

About a month ago, I started feeling lightheaded when ascending. It happens mostly at depth (>30m) and when ascending vertically. If I keep my head down and ascend slowly horizontally, it is alleviated, but still present. It is also still present on shallow dives (<30m).

History: I quit smoking right before this started happening. I also started taking iron for my anemia (very borderline case, but I don't eat a lot of red meat and I started getting fatigued - feel much better now). I also have a history of blacking out, although have not blacked out in about 3 years. I discussed this with my dive centre course director, and since I had had no problems with it in a long time, I did not have it checked out. Had a CT scan last year for my migraines (which I also haven't had a problem with in over a year), and the brain is fine. Also, this may not be related, but I vomited in the morning without nausea last week, which I'd only ever done before immediately after coming to from passing out a few years ago. I am female and not pregnant.

I dive very regularly, about 3 - 7 times a week, mostly deep deco dives on air.

Any ideas?

Thanks in advance

 

[DPP Santa Cruz]

Hi,

I don't know if you wear ear protection like a hood or diving earplugs, but this is just one possibility... when cold water enters your ear and hits your eardrum, the sudden change in temperature can cause a reflex thermal reaction which can induce undesirable symptoms such as vertigo, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and even vomitting. If this is the case, then you should look into some way of controlling that radical change in temperature. Either way, "be patient, and you will know why you are called a patient". Get it checked out and let us know what the call is.

 

[TSandM]

Tigermoth, there are too many possibilities here to be able to sort them out over the internet.

But you can start by thinking about what the sensation actually IS that you have. If it is a spinning sensation, that's vertigo, and is likely related to pressure changes and to your ears. If it is a feeling as though you might faint -- lightheaded and woozy, but not spinning -- that is less likely to be related to equalization, and brings up more thoughts about respiratory patterns (CO2 retention) or other, underlying medical issues.

 

[Tigermoth]

Thank you for the responses.

I do wear a hood, and this has occurred in waters as warm as 24 degrees C. The sensation is not of vertigo. I can think clearly and am completely aware of what is up and what is down. It is a feeling of being just about to faint.

I'll be going to the doctor hopefully next week. When I get the verdict, I will post it here. I was hoping to hear from someone who might have experienced the same symptoms, as this is going to worry me until I hear a clear explanation from a diving doctor, but it would worry me less if someone out there had something similar and it was cured.

Any thoughts about it being related to just quitting smoking?

 

[TSandM]

I can't think of any way in which it would be related to quitting smoking.

Lightheadedness is sometimes very difficult to pin down. It can be related to anything that reduces blood flow or oxygen to the brain -- Anemia, arrhythmias, lung disease, or for divers, possibly too-tight exposure protection around the neck, as in dry suit seals. Why it would occur only on ascent is unclear to me.

I think your intention of consulting with a physician is the right idea.