Returning to diving after sinus surgery

[anchochile]

I have struggled with significant sinus equalization issues and recently had my second sinus surgery, after the first worked great for a few months but then failed. The second surgery was with a much better rated surgeon and he has given me the all-clear to resume diving now that I am 3 months out from the surgery. He says everything looks great and has healed well with minimal scarring.

Given that I only had 2-3 months of pain-free diving after the first surgery before my sinuses closed up again, I am pretty nervous about getting back in the water to test out my sinuses.

I would like to test them out with a some local diving, before I spend $$$ to fly somewhere tropical. But local diving is Monterey - in other words, COLD. Is cold water a complicating factor for iffy sinuses? Would immersing my face in cold water potentially increase sinus inflammation or congestion? I'm wondering, given that my sinuses clearly suck, if it's better to just stick with warm water, or if I'm overthinking things and cold water diving should be fine for my sinuses.

 

[happy-diver]

Diving will still be there after an extended healing in conditions closer to beautiful

 

[WDiver78]

I always keep a bottle of nasal decongestant handy on the dive boat. I don’t generally dive in cold waters, but I do have a lot of sinus issues. They tend to occur at random, some days are fine, sometimes they act up randomly on my 3rd or 4th dive of the day. I use iliadin nasal decongestant and they work wonders! But be sure to only use them when your sinuses really act up

 

[michael-fisch]

Back in 1989 i had the usual D&C done on all 4 sinus glands. My ENT was all for going diving in SALT water, as soon as I was no longer washing blood out of my sinuses. 3 weeks after the operation, I spent 3 weeks in Sharm el-Shekh at the Gazalla Hotel, diving every day with Rolph and Petra. After that I didn'l need a kleenex for 10 years.

Michael

 

[DirtFish]

Back in 1989 i had the usual D&C done on all 4 sinus glands. My ENT was all for going diving in SALT water, as soon as I was no longer washing blood out of my sinuses. 3 weeks after the operation, I spent 3 weeks in Sharm el-Shekh at the Gazalla Hotel, diving every day with Rolph and Petra. After that I didn'l need a kleenex for 10 years.

Michael

That is very encouraging news. I am scheduled for a complete ream and clean of all 4 sinuses on May 10th. Hoping to finally breathe thru my nose! Been diving since '74 and dealing with it. Can't wait!

 

[Scuba Lawyer]

I was back diving in 58 degree ocean water about six weeks after having all my sinuses rotor rooted. No issues here. YMMV

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

I have struggled with significant sinus equalization issues and recently had my second sinus surgery, after the first worked great for a few months but then failed. The second surgery was with a much better rated surgeon and he has given me the all-clear to resume diving now that I am 3 months out from the surgery. He says everything looks great and has healed well with minimal scarring.

Given that I only had 2-3 months of pain-free diving after the first surgery before my sinuses closed up again, I am pretty nervous about getting back in the water to test out my sinuses.

I would like to test them out with a some local diving, before I spend $$$ to fly somewhere tropical. But local diving is Monterey - in other words, COLD. Is cold water a complicating factor for iffy sinuses? Would immersing my face in cold water potentially increase sinus inflammation or congestion? I'm wondering, given that my sinuses clearly suck, if it's better to just stick with warm water, or if I'm overthinking things and cold water diving should be fine for my sinuses.

Hi @anchochile ,

Interesting question. A few thoughts: first, cold causes vasoconstriction, so if the water was cold enough to affect the temperature of your sinuses, it would probably not lead to any increased inflammation. If anything, it would do the opposite. That said, you'll have a mask and probably a hood, so the parts of your head that overlie your sinuses will have some protection from the ambient temperature. I don't imagine you will be much affected unless you deliberately allow sea water into your sinuses. Contrary to what you might read elsewhere on the board, that is not recommended.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[anchochile]

Hi @anchochile ,

Interesting question. A few thoughts: first, cold causes vasoconstriction, so if the water was cold enough to affect the temperature of your sinuses, it would probably not lead to any increased inflammation. If anything, it would do the opposite. That said, you'll have a mask and probably a hood, so the parts of your head that overlie your sinuses will have some protection from the ambient temperature. I don't imagine you will be much affected unless you deliberately allow sea water into your sinuses. Contrary to what you might read elsewhere on the board, that is not recommended.

Best regards,
DDM

Thank you! My concerns were coming from the fact that being out in the cold can cause a runny nose, and more mucus production is not helpful if you want open sinuses. But maybe that's more about breathing cold/dry air through the nose rather than the ambient temperature itself? I've never noticed a runny nose while diving in cold water as I would when walking on a cold day.