Sinus Infection and Open Water checkout dives?

[Pedro Burrito]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Moved from Intro to Diving Medicine

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[knotical]

Scuba should be fun. What you're describing has real potential to become seriously not fun.

There will be more opportunities in the future to do your checkout dives.

Postpone! If for some strange reason you decide not to postpone, make sure your instructor is well aware of the issue and make sure both of you proceed very cautiously. But better yet: Postpone!

 

[fbk]

All good advice here... while I think in general the "don't dive with the sniffles or take sudafed" mantra may be being a bit overcautious in some cases, it is the only safe option. I just did a 6 day 25 dive trip and got a bad cold halfway through. I missed a couple of dives but did get back in the next day and managed it with Sudafed. It wears off very fast underwater. I did have trouble equalizing especially in my sinuses so I made it clear I would dive my own profile, doing very slow descents and ascents, some dives I stayed shallow, and made sure I had tons of air to do a slow enough ascent. Blocks are extremely painful especially reverse ones and can do a lot of damage as described by Jim. No way would I risk it on my first dive course. Even if you aren't injured you won't enjoy it.. postpone it to another time.

 

[pasley]

Postpone the dive and do it another time. Reverse blocks, and if it is in your lungs the potential for a problem there, are just a risk that is not necessary or worth it to take. When in doubt, cancel the dive. Sudafed can cause issues and as some have experienced, can wear off faster than normal underwater.

 

[dive_turkey]

I suffer from fairly chronic sinus issues. Sudafed is amazing, Afrin is better. However, nothing you take is going to fully relieve the congestion and swelling, and ascending from your dive is NOT the time you want to experience a problem. Like Jim, I have also experienced a reverse block, and while mine was not nearly as traumatic as it sounds his was, it was certainly somethink I'd care not to ever repeat. As for the chest congestion, I know I would not want to be in a situation in which I had fluid in my lungs, and then started breathing off of a compressed gas system, while simultaneously subjecting my body to 2-3x atmospheric pressure... It just sounds like the back cover of a B horror flick.

In short, you should not dive until this is all behind you, and it may be worthwhile to continue your education with another organization.

 

[Kevrumbo]

120mg tablet twice a day for ten days, Guaifenesin with P-Ephedrine works for me along with a course of antibiotics if indicated. If I have a major sinus infection with congestion requiring these meds then I'm not diving for at least a week. (I'll still do laps in the municipal pool and blow it all out while swimming though . . .)

 

[Steve_C]

I am an occassional pseudophed user, but only if I think I am pretty clear and not to deal with a bad infection. I have taken it off and on for years for land based sinus issues and it does not affect my performance. You should know that not everybody can take it. It affects different folks differently. My wife cannot take it, over stimulates her heart. Had a renta DM who had mild congestion and I gave him a couple. He had never taken it before. Forgot to tell him to take one. He took 2. He got so buzzed he almost called the dive (If found out later).

If I have had any sort of prior serious congestion and have a little residual cough, etc., before diving I have my lungs checked by a medical personnel.

I distinguish between having some minor sinus drainage, which I frequently have, and which does not affect my clearing during dives, with any sort of feeling of congestion. If I need pills to feel better, I do not dive period.

 

[diver_dj]

Seriously, you need to find a new shop. If you came to me and said sinus infection, I would not hesitate before telling you to postpone the dives.

Sudafed is fine in some circumstances, but it's not the cure for everything.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

I concur with the opinions above and recommend you postpone the dives. A little sinus congestion is one thing. A full-blown infection is another and you run the risk of barotrauma as has been outlined above. Hopefully the dive shop is reasonable and will be able to accommodate you.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[Donnah]

Don't dive with bad congestion. I had a reverse block at 60 ft in the Galapagos at the end of the dive. It was a horrible situation. I could not go above 60 ft without terrible pain. My husband couldn't understand why I was telling him that something was wrong with my ears, but followed my instructions. I figured out how to clear the block, and made the extremely slow ascent with my husband holding on to me tightly. I was afraid that my eardrum would burst and that I would get vertigo and lose control of the ascent.