nose / sinus bleeding ... and flying

[Andrew.Smith]

my sister dived a couple of days ago in Hurghada, Egypt ... and when she blows her nose, is getting some blood ...

she's worried about flying home on monday ... anybody know whether taking a flight is safe in this situation ?

thanks

 

[shakeybrainsurgeon]

Not much info to go on --- most sporadic minor nasal bleeding is due to dryness of the nasal passages, a situation that will be worsened by airplane air which has 0% humidity. It may be a nuisance, but should not be dangerous. The dryness of scuba air can also precipitate mucosal dessication and cracking, bleeding.

Any headache, excessive bleeding, runny nose or thicker discharge, ear symptoms, viral symptoms? If not, it's probably just dry air... sometimes putting plain vaseline on the inside of the nasal surfaces helps, or sitting in a steamy shower for prolonged periods.

 

[fisherdvm]

Flying should be fine. The nosebleed might be simply due to dry air.

However, a mask squeese certainly can trigger a mild nosebleed. She might want to bring some tissue along just in case it start bleeding again on the plane. This is assuming it came from just the inside of the nostril.

If it came from a sinus squeeze, it might be harder to control. My guess is she should be OK to fly, as most planes are well pressureized.

To stop a routine nosebleed, which occurs within a 1/2 inch of the outer nostril, you squeeze the bulbous part of the nostril just above the opening for 10 to 15 minutes. The direct pressure should stop most common nosebleeds.