Vertigo while narked

[jadairiii]

without knowing depth in which this started/gas mixes/water temp all anyone could do is guess, which is worthless in attempting to solve your problem or help you.

Same information for the second dive too.

Details!

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

Definitely sounds like vertigo. As @JimBlay mentioned, with SCUBA this can be caused by a big temperature difference in your ears, but a common cause has to do with little crystals found in the inner ear getting into the wrong places. Fortunately I've never had vertigo in the water, but did experience it at home for the first time just a few weeks ago. I remember very suddenly rolling over in bed to turn off the alarm clock, and all of sudden the room started to spin like crazy. I felt very nauseous and could barely sit up. After a few minutes it subsided, but I had to be very careful about rolling onto my left side or leaning over with my head down for more than a week or the spins and nausea would quickly come back.

My wife experienced this a few years ago, and remembered something called the Epley maneuver - Wikipedia. It involves systematically bending and rotating your body and head to use gravity to move particles in the inner ear away from the sensitive spots. There are some decent YouTube videos demonstrating it.

It looks like voodoo, but my wife insisted I try it and I haven't had any bouts with vertigo since. The vertigo was so bad that I might very well have drowned if I had an attack under water. It was paralyzing.

If you have any relapses out of the water I suggest you try the Epley and/or see a doctor.

bwahahahahaha! Time Bandits!

 

[dberry]

@BoundForElsewhere I think you're the first person ever to recognize my avatar.

 

[grf88]

As others have stated pressure or temperature difference in the ears can cause vertigo and it is rather unpleasant. I have had it twice while diving and on one occasion it was coupled with a dark narc, a combination I would not like to experience again.

 

[BoundForElsewhere]

@BoundForElsewhere I think you're the first person ever to recognize my avatar.

I love that movie.... "Don't touch that. It's pure evil!!!!"

 

[rongoodman]

Lynne Flaherty(TSandM) used to have issues with vertigo. A search on "tsandm vertgo" got a number of hits.

 

[Hank49]

I've never experienced it scuba diving, but I have found that while free dive spearfishing all day, if I don't stay hydrated, drinking water every hour or so, I will get reverse block ascending. Vertigo? I get dizzy. So I descend a bit, pinch my nose and suck in.
It works but the prevention is to stay hydrated.

 

[wnissen]

Ascending is an excellent way to deal with many problems. As someone with vertigo, I would caution to take extra care to ascend at a slow rate. The bubbling in your inner ear can cause even more vertigo.

Caloric vertigo (ears at different temperatures) is so reliable that it is used in testing medications to induce vertigo. Definitely something to be aware of. Also think about how you would continue to breathe if you had to vomit. I definitely would not have gone back for the second dive without figuring out what happened.

 

[Jayfarmlaw]

I spent a lot of money in the 80's and 90's to get that same feeling. I agree, probably not narked bad, but definately vertigo. Reasons can run as varied as what have been listed to no repeatable reason at all. Sometimes I get it if I spin my head too fast, sometimes it does nothing at all. Contaminated air can also make you dizzy and is exacerbated at depth. Short/sip breathing or not exhaling fully can also cause some dizziness.

I get vertigo occasionally diving and have never been able to pin the reason down, I just imagine I'm listening to U2, Depeche Mode, or A Flock Of Seagulls, drinking Vodka and Squirt, and ride it out thinking of all the money I saved but craving Whataburger when I surface...

By the way, if you blow chunks underwater, your reg can take it. Ask me how I know. Just blow, you will be ok. Once done, switch to you Octo if needed and rinse and purge your primary.

If it becomes a common occurrence, it's time for a doc visit.

Safe travels,
Jay