Using Afrin

[kinoons]

When I direct patients to use Afrin for the usual sinus congestion treatment I greatly encourage them to only use it 2-3 days due to the rebound and problems it can cause.

I’ll also admit that I don’t have anyone as a patient who uses or has used afrin longer than the very short course I would recommend out of the ER. There may be times where under the care of an ENT it’s appropriate to use Afrin longer, but I wouldn’t think facilitating diving to be one of those.

 

[rsingler]

We all cheat, to get that last day of diving.
But there's a price...

 

[grantmac]

How long did the block take to clear with the Affrin?

I was jammed solid. Wasn't a diving situation, I was driving through mountains.
Took several applications then had crackles for at least a week. This was long before I started diving.
I wouldn't hesitate to use the technique for short term (3 days max) help in the future but then plan on a week of no diving or flying for things to return to normal.

 

[DiveLikeAMuppet]

If you get a feeling of water in your ears after several dives, it could be fluid (blood etc.) in your middle ear due to poor equalisation technique. I get it in my left ear whenever my equalisation is not absolutely spot on due to some anatomical difference. Whenever that happens, I use a decongestant after the last dive to make sure everything is open to drain, and some ibuprofen just in case. Mometasone spray might also help and can be used long term.

Decongest spray before diving is a bad idea, you will get rebound during the day and make your condition worse, same if using it frequently. If you can get it, you could look into pseudoephedrine tablets?

 

[mbs]

I love afrin, but not for diving. I have found that Afrin wears off too quickly so if I am doing an afternoon or evening dive its worn off already. I take Alegra-D 24 hour when diving. Works for me....

 

[DrWilliam]

Consider Earshield spray? I used it on last LOB with pleasant results. I believe I saw many positive reviews on a Scubaboard discussion - do a search but here is the product.

EarShield

EarShield is a personal skin care cosmetic spray for conditioning and cleansing of the ears PRIOR to water based activities.

www.divegearexpress.com

 

[Belzelbub]

Consider Earshield spray? I used it on last LOB with pleasant results. I believe I saw many positive reviews on a Scubaboard discussion - do a search but here is the product.

EarShield

EarShield is a personal skin care cosmetic spray for conditioning and cleansing of the ears PRIOR to water based activities.

www.divegearexpress.com

This is what I was going to recommend.

If the water is getting stuck in the external portion of the ear canal, nasal sprays won’t help. My ears don’t necessarily drain well, and as a result had swimmer’s ear several times when I was younger. After each dive, I use a good amount of ear beer, jostle it around, and tilt my head to the sides until I feel it drain. That seems to work for me.

Since the OP mentioned using ear dryers without great success, ear shield may be worth a shot. Applied prior to the dive to coat the ear passages, thus helping to prevent water from sticking.

 

[RGDiver]

Consider Earshield spray? I used it on last LOB with pleasant results. I believe I saw many positive reviews on a Scubaboard discussion - do a search but here is the product.

EarShield

EarShield is a personal skin care cosmetic spray for conditioning and cleansing of the ears PRIOR to water based activities.

www.divegearexpress.com

I’ve used ear shield spray but it seems to cause an issue with the vented earplugs I wear as it’s a greasy substance.

 

[afdgf]

In the May issue of Scuba Diving Magazine on pages 98-99 Grant Dong discusses this issue. He prefers that you "consider speaking to a doctor who may recommend antihistamines or steroids..." You could get a doctor to prescribe a short course of prednisone or methylprednisolone for your scuba trip. This would seem to be preferred over Afrin or Sudafed. You might also want to look into balloon dilation of the eustachion tube. I use the Medriopak and one (current and up-to-date) tablet of Allegra-D. I have also had the balloon dilation of the eustachion tube twice.