Middle Ear injury?

[BigHarryDiver]

My wife had the same type experience during her Open Water cert dives. Upon returning home she went to a local ear/nose/throat Doctor and was prescribed a nasal spray and Allegra D. She takes these religiously before any planned dive trips. You may also want to take a look at this excellent web site: Doc Kay's diving medicine

http://faculty.washington.edu/ekay

Best of luck!
harry

 

[flashpackerhq]

Thanks everyone for sharing all your stories! I look forward to more stories and more advice!

@BigHarryDiver: I'm a little apprehensive about taking decongestants before diving because of the reverse block issue, but it seems more and more that divers do this prior to diving just to make sure things are clear during the dive. Is that the case? (so don't try and dive with a cold by taking them but if things are good then it's just extra safe?)

-Travis

 

[Bubbletrubble]

I'm a little apprehensive about taking decongestants before diving because of the reverse block issue, but it seems more and more that divers do this prior to diving just to make sure things are clear during the dive. Is that the case? (so don't try and dive with a cold by taking them but if things are good then it's just extra safe?)

@flashpackerhq: For OW recreational divers, doping up with pseudoephedrine (or other systemic decongestant) before each dive isn't best practice. If you don't need it, don't take it.

None of the people I dive with, as a regular practice, take decongestants before a dive just to be extra safe. Some do have seasonal allergies for which they take an OTC antihistamine (but that's different). AFAIK, the OTC saline nasal rinses are safe to use on a regular basis.

On rare occasions, e.g., when I'm getting over a cold and there's a dive that I'm really motivated to do, I will take an 12 hr. extended-release pseudoephedrine before the dive to be extra safe.