Vertigo ???

[Xtreme]

While diving Morrison Springs I experienced vertigo on my descent to approximately 40 + feet. Upon reaching the surface and walking to shore the symptoms started to diminish, the vertigo went away almost immediately, however the quizzy feeling remained for about 20 minutes. Later on that night we went out, ate and even had a beer or two. The next morning we returned to the springs and once again when I went to about 40 feet or better I again experience vertigo. The above process was repeated and I again felt better after returning to the waters surface and walking ashore. Does any one have any Idea what happened? Was it the cold water? Could it have been my sinuses? I know I equalized, especially the second day because I was very conscience of the problem. Any help would be appreciated...

 

[DandyDon]

While you're wating on the doctor, click the Serach button on this forum and run for "Vertigo." You'll find about an entry a week on this, with comments like this one from very experienced divers:

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.

 

[pipedope]

taking advice from a dope, especially a pipedope.

Seriously there are a variety of causes of vertigo and with it happening more than once you probably should see a good Dr. who is familar with diving.

Cold water in one ear at a time will spin most people. If you have it in soupy water such that there is not a strong visual reference it can be really disorienting.

There are other things that could be going that are better addressed by the Doctors who can get into more detail.
I am just an old retired commercial diver who has spent lots of hours wallowing in the muck, and have puked through the reg a time or two.

 

[Greg Di]

While diving Morrison Springs I experienced vertigo on my descent to approximately 40 + feet. Upon reaching the surface and walking to shore the symptoms started to diminish, the vertigo went away almost immediately, however the quizzy feeling remained for about 20 minutes. Later on that night we went out, ate and even had a beer or two. The next morning we returned to the springs and once again when I went to about 40 feet or better I again experience vertigo. The above process was repeated and I again felt better after returning to the waters surface and walking ashore. Does any one have any Idea what happened? Was it the cold water? Could it have been my sinuses? I know I equalized, especially the second day because I was very conscience of the problem. Any help would be appreciated...

The other posters are all putting you on the right track. I get vertigo on ascent and can actually trigger it (or keep it at bay) rather easily. I get ALTNEROBARIC Vertigo which is when one ear is pressurized and the other is not pressurized. This is a relatively common ailment for divers.

My ENT (a diver) gave me three courses of action to alleviate and/or minimize the symptons.

1. Begin taking Bonine (seasick pill) the night before a dive and then about 2 hours before the dive.
2. Don't put any more air into your ears than necessary. Don't over blow.
3. During ASCENT ONLY, manually DE-equalize/pressurize my ears by pinching the nose and swallowing. I pretty much hold my nose the whole way up and swallow between every breath.
4. Last but not least, I've found that if I fill my entire field of view with a fixed object (like my palm if nothing else is available) and focus intently on it, it acts as a reference point. This last item is my own creation. Necessity is the mother of invention, right?

Your problems appear to be opposite mine, but I'd venture to guess that loading up on Bonine might help you out and I would definitely flood your hood on the surface and stabilize your ear water temp BEFORE you descend.