skip breathing causing headaches?

[rebelrph]

After reading some of the questions (and answers) on here I had some reservations about asking mine. But, I figured how's a guy gonna learn anything if he don't ask?

On a recent dive in the Bahamas in warm water, shallow depth ( 30ft. )I developed a KILLER HEADACHE . It was a shark dive so there was NO exertion. We were laying on the bottom on our stomachs watching the guy feed the sharks.

I tend to "maintain my inhalations" for a few seconds (that sounds better than holding my breath which I know one should never do). My rationale on this method is to allow more time for the O2 and CO2 to be exchanged in the lungs thereby better utilizing each breath. I'm not saying this is good or right it's just why I do it.

Anyway, when I surfaced after 45 minutes of laying on the bottom the boat crew notice my obvious discomfort and asked what was wrong. When I told her I had a killer headache she asked if I was skip breathing. She said it could cause increase CO2 levels and cause the headache.

There is another possible cause - the position I was laying in had my head and neck in somewhat of a strain and due to a past neck injury could have also cause the headache.

What are your thoughts? If at all possible try not to get into REALLY deep biochemistry during the answers. I have some knowledge of A & P although I wouldn't want to do surgery on anyone.

thanks,

Todd

 

[The Iceni]

Hi Todd,

One change to human physiology caused by diving is a resetting of the respiratory drive CO2 threshold in the brain, which is set to cause reflex respiration when the partial pressure of carbon dioxide within the body exceeds a set level. This trigger is reset at a much higher level in scuba divers, even more so in free divers, who can hold their breath for long periods of time resulting in almost toxic levels of CO2 and considerable - even dangerous - levels of hypoxia (particularly when surfacing).

Divers naturally tend to hyperventilate in comparison with what they do on the surface.

Your lungs are only efficient at gaseous exchange when they are ventilated. When using scuba they are not as efficient at the removal of CO2 for many reasons, not least of which is the increased respiratory effort. Because all gaseous exchange relies on pressure gradients the lungs will not off-gas any more of the CO2 your body is producing (or on board Nitrogen) if the alveoli are not ventilated. During any periods of breath holding the alvelolar pCO2 simply increases in parallel with the body's metalolism and no excess Nitrogen is excreted at a stop.

Far from increasing your lungs' efficiency by holding your breath you are in fact reducing their ability to excrete CO2 and Nitrogen!

Skip breathing is well know to cause cardon dioxide retention which is the commonest cause of physiological post-dive headaches. In my opinion you have no real need to search for an alternative cause.

Skip breathing is very much a no no!

Plan to take enough gas for each dive! It's cheap enough.

 

[rebelrph]

thanks for the info and advice...

the only reason I suspected another cause is this is the only time I have ever had a headache and I always breath the same way. I don't really know if it classifies a skip breathing or not, but I'll try to do better .

thanks again,

Todd

 

[Dr Deco]

Dear Todd:

This certainly sounds like a carbon dioxide retention issue to me.

Dr Deco :doctor:

 

[blacknet]

Hello,

Recently, well a year or 2 ago, I had a NASTY case of co2 (specuated as co2) While I was at depth I developed some nasty headaches. When going shallow and surfacing it went away but left a fatique feeling for several days.

In this case it sounds very familar, VERY familar. I believe my problem came from excessive co2 within the tank which was why the signs stoped when I went shallow.

Then again freud said that sometimes a dream is just a dream.

Ed

 

[scubabunny]

Ok..whats the difference between breathing deep and slow, and skip breathing? When I dive, I normally inhale deeply, then after a few seconds exhale. I don't intentionally hold my breath..its just what is natural for me. Is this skip breathing? Or is that when you hold your breath until you NEED to exhale to get another breath?

 

[blacknet]

Hello,

Basicaly skip breathing is taking a full breath, holding it then exhaling. It's a controled breathing technique that conserves gas. Photographers are really bad for it. Your taught to take a breath hold it for 5-10 seconds to level the camera/subject/frame then take the pic then exhale.

What I tend to practice and preach is 'diaphragm breathing' This technique you do a slow soft methodical breathing pattern that continuous and consistent. Sadly most people (divers included) does not know how to properly breath. With this method the breathing center is the diagphragm not the shoulders.


Ed

 

[Liquid]

I think there might be other couses for the headache.

It might be you haven't drank enough water before the dive, drank to much alcohol before the dive, the day was very hot,the water was very cold, you were slightly sick, while on boat you might have developed seasickness, while on boat you have have exhaled some of the engine gasses, and it could have been, one of those maliciouse unexplainable headaches, that just come from nowhere. I belive that concluding from what you said that it was due to "skip-breathing" is coming too fast to conclusions. I have suffered headaches during dives from every one of the reasons above I stated above.

 

[ScubaJorgen]

Dear Dr Paul Thomas,

Could you tell me more about the resetting of the Carbon Dioxide threshold? How is it related to the fact that divers tend to hyperventilate?

I understand the breathing reflex is triggered by the Carbon Dioxide level getting beyond the threshold. How come this theshold shifts upward in divers and skip breathing?

What part of the body 'measures' the Carbon Dioxide level?



Bye

Jorgen

 

[ScubaJorgen]

About the headaches... Can fatigue be a reason? I had some occasional headaches (say during 5 dives out of 150). A couple of times after a long car drive....

I tried to perform a second dive after getting headached during the first one. This was not a good idea :bonk:. I had to abandon the second dive after 10 minutes due to almost throwing up (barfing, my native language is dutch so I am not sure about some english words).

Bye

Jorgen