New to diving / nose problem

[miadventurer]

Hi, I'm glad I found this message board

I started reading Scuba Diving & snorkeling For Dummies today. So far I've come across parts that mention mask squeeze and clearing your mask. For both it says that you need to breath into your mask with your nose. My right Nostril is usually fine, but I usually can't use my left. Rarely it also shifts to where I can breath through both but not very well. I have already been to a doctor about this. I'm perfectly fine in normal life, so I don't plan on haveing a surgery. I can breath through my nose instead of my mouth(I just compensate and use mostly the right). Should I still be able to dive?

Before takeing my certification class would it be a good idea to practice for a month at a local swimming pool. In high school(I'm 21 now) I could swim in the deep end and be confident that I wasn't going to drown, but I wouldn't call myself a good swimmer.

Lastly, I have been taking pills for high blood pressure for a couple of months. The last couple of times I went to the doc my pressure was better, so I hope to be eventually off the pills. Would this cause any problems?

Thanks for reading my long and sometimes gross thread

 

[SharkDiver36]

I would advise talking to a Dr. who is familiar with med's under pressure. Took me a while but I found a Dr. who dives and understands the type of affects med's have with pressure.

As far as the breathing part goes, it shouldn't be a big problem. Diving in a pool for a month to practice is also not needed (my opinion). The types of pressure that will build up in 10' of water won't be significatn enough to cause that much pressure on your mask/face for you to need to exhale thru your nose to lessen a squeeze.

Clearing the mask is another issue though and I guess it depends on the vloume (amount of air) you can get thru the one nostril, to clear the mask. I don't know if this would be a problem, I'm not a Dr.

I suggest you talk to the Instructor of the LDS your taking the course thru and see what he/she says. It probably wouldn't be a bad idea to find a Dr. familiar with diving and the pressures related to it, to discuss the problem either. Under most cases I'd say call DAN, but this is something a Dr. would probably want to actually see for themselves and watch you breathe before they make a recommendation.

Best advice, talk to your Instructor and then talk to your Dr.

 

[3-Ring Octopus]

I would work on your swimming skills for sure. You need to be comfortable in the water...be it 10' or 50' or "bottomless" (for all intents and purposes).

As far as the nose thing is concerned...that's something you can work on figuring out in the pool as well. One nostril should give you enough volume to be able to do what you need to do in SCUBA. I'd take a mask with you to the pool when you work on swimming and partially flood/clear it. (Clear a mask by tilting your head slightly back (underwater of course), place your fingers near the top of the mask, and exhale through your nose...the water should drain out of the bottom of the mask..) If you can clear a mask, there shouldn't be an issue with anything else as far as your nose is concerned as equalizing mask squeeze requires less air than clearing does.

As far as the meds go, that I would follow Shark's advice on and see a doctor with knowledge of diving's effects on the body.

Cheers,
Austin

 

[fisherdvm]

Lastly, I have been taking pills for high blood pressure for a couple of months. The last couple of times I went to the doc my pressure was better, so I hope to be eventually off the pills. Would this cause any problems?

Your blood pressure being better while taking the "pill" implies that the pill is working, not that you are cured of hypertension.

If you are under alot of stress, relieving the stress can dramatically decrease your blood pressure. If you are driving through heavy traffic for hours a day to get to school or work, simply moving closer to work can cure your blood pressure. Stress and relaxation technique certainly is underemphasized in the treatment of high blood pressure, you can certainly look into it. Regular excersise and weight loss will do wonder for blood pressure, and that can help too.

As you are only 21, likely your doctor will clear you for diving. With the nose thing, I am more concern about your ability to clear your ear, not your nose. But if it is an ongoing problem, Afrin will work very well for nasal congestion, but you should not use it for more than 3 to 5 days.... as addiction and rebound can occur.

 

[fisherdvm]

Before takeing my certification class would it be a good idea to practice for a month at a local swimming pool. In high school(I'm 21 now) I could swim in the deep end and be confident that I wasn't going to drown, but I wouldn't call myself a good swimmer.

The requirement for swimming at the two major agencies, PADI and SSI, is either swimming 200 yards any stroke, any speed, unlimited time. They both will allow you to substitute snorkel swim for 300 yards. Many here will argue that snorkel swim should not be done... But only you and yourself can determine if you are "comfortable" not drowning.

 

[LI Diver]

You can also go to the dan (Divers Alert Network) website and there is a abundance of info on all kinds of meds. You or your doc can call them as well.

 

[miadventurer]

I'll ask my doctor about my blood pressure medicine. It might be a problem though, because I live in Michigan. I'm not sure if there would be very many doctors experienced with diving in Michigan.

"The requirement for swimming at the two major agencies, PADI and SSI, is either swimming 200 yards any stroke, any speed, unlimited time."

I don't think that should be much of a problem, because I remember having to swim from one end of the swimming pool and back in high school. I defenitly wasn't fast, but I did it. That was awhile ago though, so it would at least help my confidence to practice before taking a class.

"Your blood pressure being better while taking the "pill" implies that the pill is working, not that you are cured of hypertension."

I've thought of that possibility. I just thought it might be related to how I started college around the time I had high blood pressure. I don't think I had a problem with blood pressure before that.

"With the nose thing, I am more concern about your ability to clear your ear, not your nose."

I tried some some of the exercises for equaling your ears in the book. They seemed to go ok, but its hard to tell if your not actually diving. I know I've felt pressure before(maybe when in the mountions) and I was able to clear it by swallowing.

Thanks for all of the advice

 

[miadventurer]

I checked out the DAN site. It helped a lot. I also have a hiatal hernia. The site says it should be ok if its a sliding hiatal. I think thats the type I have, but I'll ask my doctor.

If you don't have any problem with your sinuses or ears while diving, then a deviated nasal septum (history of a broken nose) is of no consequence. Straightening of the septum can often relieve chronic ear and sinus problems if they exist, and might also eliminate difficulty with ear and sinus equalization, preventing squeezes.

I haven't noticed any problem except when I'm sick, but I'm sure most people have that. The problem is it says while diving and I have never gone scuba diving, so I don't think that helps. Any ideas how I could test the equalization?

 

[spectrum]

Hi, I'm glad I found this message board

I started reading Scuba Diving & snorkeling For Dummies today. So far I've come across parts that mention mask squeeze and clearing your mask. For both it says that you need to breath into your mask with your nose. My right Nostril is usually fine, but I usually can't use my left. Rarely it also shifts to where I can breath through both but not very well. I have already been to a doctor about this. I'm perfectly fine in normal life, so I don't plan on haveing a surgery. I can breath through my nose instead of my mouth(I just compensate and use mostly the right). Should I still be able to dive?

Have a doctor, maybe an ENT who is dive savvy if possible check you out. It sounds like you have enough concerns that you should put them to rest before going near compressed air. This will show up on your dive fitness questionnaire so you may as well get your solution lined up.

Before takeing my certification class would it be a good idea to practice for a month at a local swimming pool. In high school(I'm 21 now) I could swim in the deep end and be confident that I wasn't going to drown, but I wouldn't call myself a good swimmer.

There will be a swim test and what that is varies with agency so check in advance with your instructor. The swim tests can be done at whatever pace you like using any stroke. Regardless of what is tested you must be comfortable out in the water.

If you have your mask, fins and snorkel you can also take that gear to the pool and do laps. This will, condition you to sustained oral breathing, get accustomed to breathing with a wet face and tone your legs to make you cramp resistant.

Lastly, I have been taking pills for high blood pressure for a couple of months. The last couple of times I went to the doc my pressure was better, so I hope to be eventually off the pills. Would this cause any problems?

Thanks for reading my long and sometimes gross thread

This is another one for your doctor to weigh in on. Your BP must be controlled but being on medication is usually OK. There are some aspects of medications like Atenolol that should be understood. Your doctor will know.

These are good questions and you are smart to be resolving them in advance.

Good luck,
Pete

 

[fisherdvm]

My gut feeling is, you likely have a deviated septum that is causing one side to be narrowed. Breathing compressed air will create a vacumn in your mask, likely IMPROVING your ability to vent through the nose. Second, you have compressed air in your pharynx and nasal pharynx - this will help to open up your nasal passage and you might not feel any obstruction underwater at all.

I am more concerned about your possibility of having seasonal allergy, nasal/sinus polyps etc. Your ENT can answer it .... Or your family doctor can give you his gut feeling on the matter.