Ok, so have you had to call a dive for this . . .

[vixtor]

Take your mask off underwater, blow your nose, then put your mask back. If you are ok, continue the dive. If you cleared the nose but the sinuses or internal ear are still blocked, and blowing again would not help, then, end the dive but exit very slowly.

 

[scuba&golf]

Betty,

I had congestion a lot, and use Flonase and Claritin daily, and then 12 hour Sudafed on dive days. I also use NeilMed sinus rinse every day, twice a day, and since doing that I have gone from a lot of congestion to being totally clear almost every day. If you haven't tried the NeilMed, give a go, especially on your dive days if you don't want to take Sudafed and see how things work out.

 

[Jayde323]

I too have bad sinus and allergy issues. I used to take Afrin, Sudafed or Claritan D before diving until I had a med-related issue at 110 feet. Now, I dive med-free. My doctor recommended NeilMed Sinus Rinse and it works wonders! I use it 1-2 times a day and I have been allergy/sinus med free since June.

NeilMed Pharmaceuticals, Makers of Sinus Rinse, NasaFlo Netipot, Nasal Irrigation

 

[BettyRubble]

I also use NeilMed sinus rinse every day, twice a day, and since doing that I have gone from a lot of congestion to being totally clear almost every day. If you haven't tried the NeilMed, give a go, especially on your dive days if you don't want to take Sudafed and see how things work out.

My doctor recommended NeilMed Sinus Rinse and it works wonders! I use it 1-2 times a day and I have been allergy/sinus med free since June.

NeilMed Pharmaceuticals, Makers of Sinus Rinse, NasaFlo Netipot, Nasal Irrigation

I love the neilmed - have used it since my surgery 5 years ago. Better then the tea nettie thing. It may start coming with me on diving days so I can do a rinse between dives.

Thanks everyone! Good to know I'm not the only snot blower in the group!

 

[KBeck]

The one thing I keep reading here is that many people are taking sudafed before diving.
Sudafed is a decongestant--eg, it is used to help liquify the crud in your sinuses and get them to drain. Normally, above water, as they drain, you can blow your nose, etc to purge the extra drainage.
A likely fix could be to take a combination decongestant/anti-histamine instead. The anti-histamine's main purpose (in this case) is to dry up some of that drainage and eliminate that later need to blow it all out.

Now, per usual, I will point out I am not a doctor, nurse or other such professional; just someone who used to get sinus infections on a routine basis and has become probably too educated on the stuff.

 

[BettyRubble]

My main problem with anti-histamine's is how drowsy and out of it they make me. My current regimine includes nasonex daily, and original sudafed (with Pseudoephedrine) added on diving days. I neilmed as needed.

 

[sabbath999]

I find that it's actually easier to get a good sinus rinse underwater. When I have to do it, I just signal a stop to my buddy, take the mask completely off, clear whatever needs clearing (sometimes it takes a while) and put the mask back on.

It's gross, but it's better than a reverse sinus squeeze on the way up.

That said, in doubt calling the dive is the right thing to do. Stuck sinus can really hurt :depressed:

Exactly what i was thinking... if you are getting a snot issue, just stop, inform your buddy that you are having an issue, remove your mask and blow your nose out into the water, and wash out the inside of your mask. Newer divers might want to have your buddy hold onto your arm to help with buoyancy since it is common for folks to lose buoyancy control with their mask off.

Reverse blocks are no joke, though, so if you are congesting call the dive.

It is NEVER, EVER the wrong decision to call a dive you feel like calling for ANY reason.

 

[merxlin]

Can I suggest you use the NeilMed product (sqeeze bottle or Neti Pot) daily for a while and see how you feel? It is a proven preventative system that removes allergens and irritants from your sinus cavities. It also helps adapt your system to high moisture content, so you don't react to breathing wet as severly. Once things seem "better" you can cut back to as needed.

A lot of MD's don't suggest it, mainly because it doesn't take a prescription or an office visit. If Also, if you don't exhale and drain properly you can hold water in the sinus cavities. But with proper use I have seen my sinus issues virtually disappear, as have several of my friends.

 

[boulderjohn]

I have been having an interesting problem--similar but not quite the same-- for the last year or so. I am still trying to figure it out. I started a thread in the diving medicine forum and found I am not alone in my particular case, but it still seems it is pretty rare.

In my case, I sometimes find that I am doing just fine on a dive, but then at some point, usually near the end (like you), I get congested. In my case, it is instant. I go from clear to congestion in seconds. It does not happen all the time--maybe 10-15% of my dives. It is so severe that I can't blow my nose effectively.

It has even happened in a swimming pool while working with students. I am teaching a class and then suddenly I'm congested.

In all cases, the situation disappears as soon as I am out of the water.

The one clue I've noticed is that in some of the cases, I have had some mask leakage issues for some reason. In my thread on this topic, another diver with the same symptoms associated it with water in the nose.

 

[divepsych]

I suggest you do a high volume buffered saline positive pressure nasal-sinus irrigation BEFORE diving instead of relying upon medications and experiencing mid-dive misery. Please go to www.divepsych.com to see the study I did in 100 divers. Yes, I am a consultant to NeilMed Pharmaceuticals and have represented the company at DEMA shows and regional dive shows at which we have given away thousands of sample SinusRinse bottle kits. Or, you can do like I did at first and mix up your own solution (recipe on my website) and use a cleaned out mustard squeeze bottle, but the NeilMed device is much neater.

Nasal and/or sinus congestion were the most common reason given for cancelling dives in a survey I did of thousand's of divers. Nasal discharge is common at the end of a dive.

I haven't taken an antihistamine in four years (allergies since high school and really bad post nasal drip and congestion) and have gone from being a daily 12-hour Pseudofed diver to rarely using a decongestant. Many ENT and allergy doctors in North Carolina now recommend nasal irrigation for allergies and chronic sinus infections.

In fact, I'm on Bonaire this week and do an irrigation each morning before the first dive. I have 12-hr pseudofed and Afrin spray just in case, but probably won't need it.