Treatment after sinus squeeze

[anchochile]

Had my first sinus squeeze this weekend. Had some pain in the right temple while going down, but it wasn't too bad so I stupidly kept going down and the pain eased relatively quickly. But on surfacing, had the full on blood-in-the-mask thing. Glad they taught us this in my training so I didn't freak out. More of a "Oh, huh, that must be a sinus queeze" reaction.

I know that infection is a risk after this happens, since blood is a good medium for bacterial growth. Should I proactively be going to see a doctor and getting antibiotics, or is it more of a wait-and-see situation? If so, what should be my threshhold for going in to the doc? It's been about 24 hours and I have very slight residual achiness the right sinus area but it's not bad.

Thanks!

 

[Zef]

I would recommend going to the doctor if your signs and symptoms get worse. Obviously you did some damage, but damage is a relative term...a bruise is damage and so is a fracture as obvious examples. The residual achiness is most likely the result of the damage caused by pushing through the pain. If you have achiness and swelling, if you have a fever, if you have difficulty breathing, if you have funky colored discharge (other than clear mucus), if you have discoloration around the area on your face/head...these are all things to go see a doctor about.

In the absence of any of the above signs/symptoms or anything similar, you can certainly go to the doctor, especially if you enjoy paying your co-pay or any fees if you have them...you can save money and time though by getting someone to give you a reassuring hug that everything will be ok...

...until it is'nt.


-Z

 

[Zef]

oh yeah, almost forgot...definitely go to the doctor if you start seeing pink elephants, or experience an echoing voice in your head whispering "redrum".

-Z

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Had my first sinus squeeze this weekend. Had some pain in the right temple while going down, but it wasn't too bad so I stupidly kept going down and the pain eased relatively quickly. But on surfacing, had the full on blood-in-the-mask thing. Glad they taught us this in my training so I didn't freak out. More of a "Oh, huh, that must be a sinus queeze" reaction.

I know that infection is a risk after this happens, since blood is a good medium for bacterial growth. Should I proactively be going to see a doctor and getting antibiotics, or is it more of a wait-and-see situation? If so, what should be my threshhold for going in to the doc? It's been about 24 hours and I have very slight residual achiness the right sinus area but it's not bad.

Thanks!

Hi @anchochile ,

Sorry this happened to you. A little residual achiness is not surprising. Most of the blood has probably drained out by now but I would keep an eye out for signs and symptoms of infection/worsening inflammation: increasing pain, drainage, fever; and seek medical attention if you see any. I would not consider prophylactic antibiotics unless you are immunocompromised or otherwise at high risk for infection. Tincture of time is the usual treatment for sinus barotrauma. It may take a few weeks for the inflammation to resolve so I'd avoid diving for the time being.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[anchochile]

Sorry this happened to you. A little residual achiness is not surprising. Most of the blood has probably drained out by now but I would keep an eye out for signs and symptoms of infection/worsening inflammation: increasing pain, drainage, fever; and seek medical attention if you see any. I would not consider prophylactic antibiotics unless you are immunocompromised or otherwise at high risk for infection. Tincture of time is the usual treatment for sinus barotrauma. It may take a few weeks for the inflammation to resolve so I'd avoid diving for the time being.
DDM

Thanks. That's what I was hoping to hear. I'll keep an eye on it and stay out of the water for a couple weeks (or longer if I'm still having any discomfort).

Much appreciated!

 

[fmerkel]

Early in my diving I had a number of those. As indicated, time will take care of it...mostly. Watch for signs of infection-funky looking drainage, pressure, pain.

You can possibly speed up the clearing process a little with saline nasal rinses. Neti pot or NeilMed are readily available in a drugstore. I use the Neilmed almost everyday, and have done so for years. I've had 2 sinus operations and they are wonderful for helping clean up post surgical debris that makes a sinus squeeze look trivial.