Vertigo while diving

[Daly]

I grew up on boats and moving docs. I do not get seasick or carsick or airsick. Nver had a problem with carnival rides or any other sort of motion induced illness but I do suffer from vertigo during dives.

I am wondering if it is the "weightlessness" aspect.

Ginger will fix it or Dramamine II.

Anyone got any thoughts or ideas?

Anyone else have this problem?

Daly

 

[hodgson]

I'm not a Doctor, so take this with a grain of salt.

Vertigo is, as I understand it, a visual thing. It is usually associated with looking down. Like when you look down from a tall building. It's the feeling that you are going to fall or are falling. Snorkelers in clear water sometimes get this feeling, and some divers do too.

But there is also the possibility that you are maybe getting an inner ear imbalance when you equalize.

So what you have to ask yourself is... do you feel like you are falling, or do you just feel dizzy? If you feel dizzy (or seasick) it could be an inner ear imbalance.

If you just feel like you are falling, looking away from the bottom for a while should clear the feeling. Look at your SPG and check air, depth, compass, to get your vision off of the bottom. Or just look at your buddy for a little while. Look up, and from side to side.

Vertigo can be overcome by practice and just getting used to the feeling.

An inner ear imbalance should be looked at by an ENT doctor (ear,nose,throat)... it's possible that you just need to equalize sooner and more often than you are to keep both ears at the same pressure.

I grew up on boats and moving docs. I do not get seasick or carsick or airsick. Nver had a problem with carnival rides or any other sort of motion induced illness but I do suffer from vertigo during dives.

I am wondering if it is the "weightlessness" aspect.

Ginger will fix it or Dramamine II.

Anyone got any thoughts or ideas?

Anyone else have this problem?

Daly

 

[pipedope]

to your stomach?
Feel like your are spinning?
Disoriented?

Cold water in your ears, especially if not the same on both sides will cause the spinning feeling and disorientation. It usually clears as the water in your ears reaches body temperature.

A combination of cold water and low visability will get to most people until they get used to it.

I used to always let water into my hood and fill my ears at the surface and let the water warm for a moment before descending to prevent it from happening underwater.

 

[Kim]

I got very strong vertigo once in Curacao. I was swimming over coral about 18ft below me when I reached the wall - the drop of was so abrupt it scared me witless. Two years after that I learnt to dive but have never had that problem again. These days I get vertigo on high man-made objects like bridges or tall buildings. I'm fine in mountains though - and I love flying. I have no idea why some things affect me so strongly, and some things not at all!

 

[DandyDon]

Growing up on a dirt & cow farm on the West Texas Plains, I had little experience with heights, therefore - when I was exposed on a construction job, they scared me. Running on teenage testosterone poinsing, I volunteered for the high jobs, and got confortable with practice.

I get surprised at times, though - still. Got over a million actual miles as a plane passenger with no problems looking out and down, but once - I saw out & down while standing, and got spooked. Probably had a little to do with not being completely steady while standing up.

Don't want to get too comfortable with heights. Visited the Hoover Dam last year, looked over the edge, and felt like I had to remind myself that I could not fly down - like I do on a free descent in Scuba, and it would not be cool fun to go on over. "Pay attention to what you're doing, Don Boy!"

Practice, but practice safely...

 

[Toecutter]

Hi Daly,

I do not have a problem with vertigo. I have no problem with height or depth, however when I dive next to a wall and have no other reference, can't see the bottom, if I turn away from that wall I begin to feel as if I am sinking. Especially if I am at or near reduced lighting levels or it is night. The way I accomodate this is that I pause and take few moments to perform the maneuver while steadily watching my SPG. Once I realize that I am not actually sinking I can accept the sensation and continue on with my dive. It's kind of weird but if I begin to traverse horizontally the sinking sensation goes away.

I hope this helps.