Sinusitis?

[karnes]

To start I am a scuba diving instructor, working out of a resort normally doing 2 to 3 dives a day... Just recently in Janurary I came down with a sinus infection, well diving I would equalize the pressure normally but when coming up the air was trapped and wouldnt escape causing a pain in my upper left teeth and cheek bone. After a treatment from the local doctor this went away. And contiuned to work as normal, after diving today as I came up I felt the same pressure not escaping, but this time causing my whole left side of my face to go numb, after 20 minutes this went away but still 12 hours later and my upper teeth still hurt, would this be a relapse of the sinus infection? and what is the best treatment and prevention for this?

 

[doctormike]

Barotrauma to the maxillary sinus (the large air space between the upper teeth and the eye) could certainly cause these symptoms. The nerve which provides sensation to the midface and upper teeth runs in the roof of this sinus, so both numbness or pain could be caused by injury to this nerve. Barotrauma happens when something (e.g. infection, polyps or other narrowing of the drainage pathway of the sinus) prevents equalization of pressure during ascent or descent.

Apart from avoiding diving with congestion and equalizing slowly, examination by an ENT doctor could be helpful. In some cases there are medical approaches to this problem (like antibiotics, decongestants or nasal irrigation) and in other cases, surgical drainage may be necessary.

Keep us posted!

Best,

Mike