Right side of head and Jaw burning and pain

[DandyDon]

Your friend shouldn't drink so much...

 

[cutlass]

My doctors appointments are still a week away but I wanted to give an update. I went to my grandmothers "club house" for a work out and decided to take a swim. I went down about 3-4 ft... no problem... went down to the bottom 8/12 ft no problem... So it looks like whatever occurred is mending itself just fine. I'm still going to get a reg doctor, dentist, ENT doc check me out. But I was wondering if this might jeopardize the doctor diagnosing what happened and possibly risk it not being treated properly / having it occur again later on down the road ?

These are very common concerns. But causes for pain can be very difficult to track down or be treated; some never get fully resolved. The key is to believe in what your body is telling you and don't give up.

What you can do to maintain continuity is keep your own record of events. Record the facts along the lines of the basic mnemonic "PQRST". "P" for provocative/palliative; i.e. what seems to provoke the event and what seems to give relief. "Q" for quality; i.e. sharp, burning, tingling, dull, numbing, weakening, etc. "R" for region/radiation; i.e. where is it focused and how far does its affects reach? "S" for symptoms/subjective; i.e. are you noticing other problems during the event, how intense is the pain, how does it compare to previous events? "T" for time/duration; e.g. are there times when it's worse/better and how long does an event last? I'd also record doctors seen, therapies tried, and the results of those. Avoid mixing facts with interpretations; it's ok to record guesses or worries, but keep these in a separate paragraph. Do your best to keep things organized and concise/compact; this'll be appreciated by anyone who wants to review your notes.

 

[FrankPro1]

Good Advice Cutlass... I'll start a folder right now... Going in Tomorrow to see the basic Internal Med Doc and from there we'll see how it goes. Good news is that I just got approved for medical and dental insurance, so it won't cost me to much. I'll keep everyone updated. Thanks

 

[FrankPro1]

Just got back from the Internal medicine doctor and well.... again no help... Doc said my swollen nodes and lumps in my neck could be caused by a variety of reasons. They do not appear to be infected or anything else severe "though they've been swollen for months". She ordered Ibuprofen and neck exercises. Well, it looks like I'm headed to an ENT doc and a dentist. Might have to be after my insurance starts though "Oct 1rst".. I'll keep everyone updated.

What worries me is that I'm picking up my scuba gear on Friday and I know I'll be eager to get out there and dive. Hell yesterday I went to Marineland and just sat there mopping around the cliff side. I'm gonna go do a free dive, try to get below 30 ft and if everything feels fine... I'm gonna start diving again. I'm not going wear a hood "might aggravate the nodes" and keep it shallow >30ft, but does anyone think its risking too much, too soon?

 

[doctormike]

I'm gonna go do a free dive, try to get below 30 ft and if everything feels fine... I'm gonna start diving again. I'm not going wear a hood "might aggravate the nodes" and keep it shallow >30ft, but does anyone think its risking too much, too soon?

Again, hard to give you real advice over the Internet, but I can't see too much danger in just trying some low-impact free dives to see if that strange symptom turns up again... And I would certainly keep a clear path to the surface!

 

[FrankPro1]

And I would certainly keep a clear path to the surface!

Absolutely! As much as I want to get back into the kelp forest, I'm gonna play it safe and stay out until I'm sure everything checks out.

 

[DandyDon]

Absolutely! As much as I want to get back into the kelp forest, I'm gonna play it safe and stay out until I'm sure everything checks out.

I pity the warm water wusses who won't dive kelp fields because the water is below 70F, or Puget Sound - wow!

 

[doctormike]

Absolutely! As much as I want to get back into the kelp forest, I'm gonna play it safe and stay out until I'm sure everything checks out.

Ah... kelp, beautiful kelp..! I'm an east coast diver, but I fondly remember my time in La Jolla and Catalina. I should have known from your garibaldi avatar!

rothschilddesign.smugmug.com/gallery/3804435_CqfV7

 

[cutlass]

If it were me and things have improved and stabilized, I'd have a go at a getting wet -- take it easy and see how it goes. Using a hood is a toss-up: pressure and/or temperature could be reasons for aggravating the initial problem.

 

[DandyDon]

I've been following this with little to add, but a hood on swollen glands does sound like a pressure possibility at least. I like beanies with chin straps anyway...