sinus barotrauma question

[Missdirected]

Hi Dic,

Update - I went to the ENT today (great guy, knows his stuff and he is an active diver). He took a CT scan and the sinusses on the left are completely blocked. No diving for at least another week, but probably longer. So there goes my "deep wreck trip" to Croatia. He said that the mucus lining of the sinus was torn loose because of the barotrauma. He drasticly increased the dose of cortisone. I hope it all heals without operation.

Ciao,

Peter

Peter, I jus twent to see an ENT the other day. She is awesome. I did my regular doc in the beginning - I won't be doing that again if I have ear problems. Anyway, she gave me an entire lesson on the whole workings of the ear. Really impressed me. Plus I can hear again

 

[PeCeDiver]

Peter, I jus twent to see an ENT the other day. She is awesome. I did my regular doc in the beginning - I won't be doing that again if I have ear problems. Anyway, she gave me an entire lesson on the whole workings of the ear. Really impressed me. Plus I can hear again

It really makes a difference if you go to a specialist MD. Our regular doc is fine, but these things are way out of their league. They just don't have the experience and the equipment to diagnose dive related issues.

 

[Missdirected]

It really makes a difference if you go to a specialist MD. Our regular doc is fine, but these things are way out of their league. They just don't have the experience and the equipment to diagnose dive related issues.

Agreed that is exactly what I found. Mine regular MD gave me antibiotics - they didn't help. I went to see the ENT and she gave me the reason why - but basically I didn't have an infection - at least not in my ear. My tube was closed so the fluid could not drain. I was extremely impressed with the ENT's knowledge of diving and ear issues. Also with the way she explained things she made it sound as if it should be common knowledge - very easy to understand what she was telling me.

 

[Cacia]

yesterday, I did a 107 with no problems on the descent.

The second dive, MD was about 70 ft. At about 50 ft. I started have excruciating pain in my eye. I was in deco from a too short SI and needed to do a steady ascent slope. My eyes started to water profusely and I gestured to my partner that I felt like an ice pick was in my face. (in case I passed out...) I have never felt pain this bad that I can remember (elective C-sections!). I had to gut it out, I really had no options. Had I a pony, I may have gone back down, but the pain was so bad, I really do not think that "thinking the air through" was on the table. The best I could do was gut it out. Yea, thinking was not going to happen.

I am guessing I had a reverse block sinus baratrauma. I am still very sore, although a dull ache is not as bad as that stabbing I felt behind my eye. I really do not want this to ever happen again. Having a plan for this type of pain is a good idea. All my effort was focused on watching my computer, trying to distract my brain and stay on my deco need. Honestly, this put having to pass 7 minutes in a whole new light.

 

[Hawaii Scuba Divers]

Did you have any bleeding upon ascent???
Have you had chance to go to DOC and get checked because sounds like you need to..

 

[PeCeDiver]

Update

Went to the ENT yesterday afternoon. They took another CT. The sinus infections almost gone and there are free passages to the sinusses. So he adviced a try-dive, which I did. No problems anymore. No reverse blocks, no problems going down or up.

Now it's packing time. Tomorrow we leave for our deep wreck dive tour in Croatia.

The ENT also told me that if I developed regular sinus problems, he could easily fix it via a small operation. Apparently my sinusses are far from ideaal. The operation would be a day job and diving within 14 days. I can live with that.

Off to Croatia - dive safe.

 

[Missdirected]

Update

Went to the ENT yesterday afternoon. They took another CT. The sinus infections almost gone and there are free passages to the sinusses. So he adviced a try-dive, which I did. No problems anymore. No reverse blocks, no problems going down or up.

Now it's packing time. Tomorrow we leave for our deep wreck dive tour in Croatia.

The ENT also told me that if I developed regular sinus problems, he could easily fix it via a small operation. Apparently my sinusses are far from ideaal. The operation would be a day job and diving within 14 days. I can live with that.

Off to Croatia - dive safe.

Yeah! Good to hear. Enjoy the trip.