mask of blood??

[homesweetocean]

ok just a quick questio. I was diving sunday did my safety stop at 5 but on final ascent my buddy noticed blood in my mask. by the time i reached surface my mask was half full. nasty shock for the people on the boat. took off the mask but no sign of where blood was coming from. i had no pains in my sinuses or anything. was just wondering if anyone had incountered this before

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

The only thing I can think of is an old fashioned nose bleed (epistaxis) which can cause a fair amount of bleeding with no pain. The dry air of scuba can predispose to this. If it stopped spontaneously, it would not leave any residual signs unless someone looked up your nose. Do you take aspirin or other anti-inflammatories? Have you had nose bleeds?

 

[DiveMaven]

You can also get nosebleeds from trying to clear too hard on the way down. Try going slower and clearing more gently to see if that helps in the future.

 

[mattbinvt]

Sounds like you might have "squeezed" a sinus. Eaqualize slowly, early, and often.

 

[Jimmer]

I've had the mask full of blood with no pain. It was just a nose bleed for me, stopped as soon as I got out of the water, and had no residual issues. That was about 11 or 12 years ago and I haven't had one since.

 

[mikerault]

On one of my first post qual dives I noticed that wonderful green color in my mask at depth. I had some dried blood on my face at the end of the dive (rinsed right off) but the nose bleed had stopped it was also painless.

It happens.

Mike

 

[Mako Mark]

It is not uncommon to burst a capillary in the nasal passages while trying to equalize.

The thing is that during the dives, it tends to bleed into the sinuses and then all comes out at once upon ascent. Mixed with seawater in you mask it looks far worse than it really is.

If you get to the surface and are having serious nosebleeds, then you should check with you doctor.

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

It is not uncommon to burst a capillary in the nasal passages while trying to equalize.

The thing is that during the dives, it tends to bleed into the sinuses and then all comes out at once upon ascent. Mixed with seawater in you mask it looks far worse than it really is.

If you get to the surface and are having serious nosebleeds, then you should check with you doctor.

Good point about the seawater... when i was a surgical intern, they used to stress that it takes only several tablespoons of blood to make a liter of water look like a liter of gross blood. Blood mixed with water can make the situation look a whole lot worse than it is.

 

[homesweetocean]

prob was just a nose bleed. no more problems over the past few dives even my first trip to 30m so thanks for the tips much appreciated