Lungs hurt from confined dive?

[Hutspot]

Hi guys!

Today was my first real day of my PADI open water course: after days of studying, I passed the exam and went practicing in the pool. I was so exited!

However, after my first breath underwater I noticed that my lungs started hurting. The instructor told me that my breathing was fine, so don't worry about it, just enjoy it. My wetsuit was really tight, especially at my chest (I am a girl). The instructor told me not to worry, it will get wider underwater (makes sense).

But now, 2 hours after our last confined dive, my lungs are still hurting and I have trouble breathing. Maybe the fact that we were using 30% oxygen mix didn't help either.

Is there something I have to be worried about? Thanks!

 

[RyanT]

First, you should contact DAN and seek some real medical advice.

It is unlikely that you are going to damage your lungs in a pool. If you held your breath from bottom to top, you could potentially experience an over expansion injury. If you were breathing the whole time, this is probably not the case.

A tight wetsuit can make breathing uncomfortable while wearing it, but the effects should not linger after the dive. The 30% mix almost certainly had nothing to do with your symptoms as your oxygen partial pressure in the pool was quite low.

Your symptoms are puzzling and it's hard to imagine that SCUBA in the pool would generate lingering breathing problems two hours later. My guess is that your lungs could be irritated (overly sensitive) to the cold dry air that scuba tanks supply. Definitely contact DAN and seek their advice.

 

[northernone]

A tight wetsuit has left me with sore chest muscles from fighting against it every breath. Maybe that's your experience too?

Have your symptoms changed?

All the best,
Cameron

 

[CuzzA]

I'm curious why your instructor has you using nitrox for basic open water?

 

[Hutspot]

Thanks for the replies!

It could be that it's because of my tight wetsuit, as I thought breathing was quite hard underwater. That was mostly in the beginning of the dive. My symptoms haven't changed, I just have muscle pain because of the exercise.

I am not really worried about a ruptured lung, because we didn't go any deeper than 3.15 m and I'm almost sure I was breathing the entire time (although I breathe really deep and slow, so maybe I didn't exhale during the ascend).

 

[Hutspot]

I'm curious why your instructor has you using nitrox for basic open water?

Because our diving spot is in quite a remote place. The nearest recompression chambre is 14 hrs away by car, so they want to make the risk of DCS as small as possible. The instructor told us that all diving centres around here use enriched air.

 

[northernone]

Because our diving spot is in quite a remote place. The nearest recompression chambre is 14 hrs away by car, so they want to make the risk of DCS as small as possible. The instructor told us that all diving centres around here use enriched air.

Sounds like where I dive! Hope your muscles feel better soon and you'll enjoy the rest of your training!

 

[fmerkel]

Get a new instructor.
There is NO, absolutely NO risk of the bends in a pool. Yeah, if you really worked at it and tried hard from the deep end you.....might/maybe......give yourself AGE. 30% won't hurt you, but it's not doing you any good at all. To me is shows someone isn't thinking. First problem and warning sign.

Ignoring your issues with an overly tight wetsuit was inappropriate and tantamount to stupid. It also probably indicated a lack of appropriate gear to fit you properly, a not unusual problem, hard to have enough gear to fit everyone and all body types. It also showed your instructor didn't understand breathing physiology, not a good thing in a diving instructor. Second warning sign.

You lungs don't hurt, they have no pain receptors. The sac around you lungs (pleura) does and can get irritated but that would not happen immediately so that's not the issue. There are LOTS of pain sensors in the ribs and intercostal tissues (muscles, ligaments and tendons). That's what you strained. Breathing should be easy, even underwater. A suit that restrains that does not fit properly. If you strained some ligaments it could take weeks to get better. Muscles should improve in a few days.

Just to be sure - was it the SUIT being constrictive, or was the regulator itself hard to breathe through?

 

[2airishuman]

Hi guys!

Today was my first real day of my PADI open water course: after days of studying, I passed the exam and went practicing in the pool. I was so exited!

Congratulations!

However, after my first breath underwater I noticed that my lungs started hurting. The instructor told me that my breathing was fine, so don't worry about it, just enjoy it. My wetsuit was really tight, especially at my chest (I am a girl). The instructor told me not to worry, it will get wider underwater (makes sense).

You have to wear a wetsuit that fits. The suit should be snug but not tight. Some women have trouble buying a suit that fits, and if you're using a rental suit, it's even more difficult. Unless you have a really boyish figure you should be wearing a women's wetsuit. If you are busty, tall, or short, you will have trouble finding something that really fits. In many cases it's a trial-and-error process since there is some variation in cut from one manufacturer to another. Sometimes a two-piece suit will fit better because they are inherently more adjustable.

There are some threads in the "women's issues" forum here that offer advice to women who are difficult to fit.

But now, 2 hours after our last confined dive, my lungs are still hurting and I have trouble breathing.

Hopefully by now you're either better or you've seen a physician.

Maybe the fact that we were using 30% oxygen mix didn't help either.

Shouldn't have made the least bit of difference. Shouldn't have been the least bit necessary, either.

 

[KeithG]

another thing to consider is: trying to fill your lungs too full.

I am not sure of the proper technical description, but I have tried to get more air into my lungs in order to positively affect my buoyancy. I had taken a full normal breath, but found I needed just a teeny tiny bit more air to be neutral. So I inhaled some more. More than I normally ever do.

Later I had small annoying chest pains for a few days. I assume they where related to stretched chest muscles. I could be wrong.