SW report and sinus pain above left eye

went spearing with Nathan on Saturday at SW south.  The tide was high and the passage to the right of the island actually had swells coming through, the largest breaking across the gap.  We timed it shot across and tried to spear, but couldnt find enough kelp to tie to.  The water was really confused, so we headed in.  Just to not have a total bust, we came in close to the launch in calmer water and dove in.  Got enough for lunch 

on my first dive to about 12 feet, I cleared my ears no problem but felt a little pressure in the sinus above my left eye.  Came up, looked around and on my next dive, the pressure was more painful.  On my third try, I could feel the pain before my feet were even in the water, guessing 3-4 feet.  Gave up for the day.

I NEVER have problems clearing my ears in the pool, scuba, or before free diving.  Any ideas what is up?  No cold, allergies seem under control.  Equalizing didnt seem to affect it all, felt like a deep sinus thing.

Damn Eugene that sucks about the sinus thing! Kris and I headed over to Stillwater but once I saw those waves I said no way! Ended up farting around the coast guard pier. Sorry we missed you....Hope to dive with you and your boy soon!!!...Andy

I've had the sinus thing happen a couple of times.  The first time on my very first dive trip, about the 4th drop down the pain hit pretty good at around 6 ft deep.  I didn't know what to think of it so I dropped again and felt the pain again, hung at depth for a few seconds then heard hissing coming from the sinus cavity and the pain went away. Its happened a couple more times since then but I wasn't able to get it to go away and cut my dives short.  The weird thing is I had it happen on a plane before, about 10 years ago.  I didn't have a cold or anything but I think the mucus in the sinus cavity may have trapped an air bubble or something.

As I get older I seem to have that sinus pain more often, and like you guys once it starts there doesn't seem to be any way to get past it. 

I regularly take Sudafed (the real stuff) before I dive now, and I use nasal spray as well.  Told the doc that and he said quite loudly "don't do that". He said one or the other is OK but not both at the same time. 

I can't tell if any of it's doing any good,

I'm going to look into drugs that specifically reduce sinus swelling, not so much like the decongestants I use now. 

Years ago I dove with a crazy guy who had pushed past the pain so to speak, he said his sinus ruptured and his mask filled with blood and scared the hell out of him, not to mention it hurt like hell.

I had an unknown sinus infection that did the same thing 25 years ago. it felt like someone inserting a knife in the left cheek up by the eye. In order for that to happen you have to have some blockage in thew sinus and its not equalizing properly. See a doctor. Its nothing to mess around with. Good luck. Dont press it getting out, take care.

I've noticed that once your sinus starts going during a dive, it goes fast.  I could be something as simple as you waited too long to clear the first time and that started the sinus to inflame.  once the swelling starts, the thing shuts down fast.  I'd try it again before you got worried about it.  I've been through various stages of not being able to equalize.  Sometimes you just inhaled something by mistake.

I have had this problem in the past. What is happening, is that you have a sinus that is plugged with snot that you didn't know about and when you dive down you are rupturing that sinus.  If you were to blow your nose (at the surface) it would bleed. What we did when this happened was to layback in the water (with your head up) and let that sinus fill with blood. That way there is no air pocket in that sinus cavity. Then we would continue to dive.  When it came too equalizing your ear pressures, we would not push as hard and our ears would clear. If you push until you hear the squeaking noise, you will be pushing the snot and blood back into your ears and this will cause an ear infection.

The biggest pressure difference is in the first 10 –15 feet. If you can get past that, you are good to go. We were averaging 40’ –50’ free diving. 

After you are done diving, flush your nose with lots of salt water to clean out the blood in that sinus cavity.

I guess I am a lot like the crazy guy. But it works.

I guess I am a lot like the crazy guy. But it works.

Good you saved me from saying it, 

Liquid full cavities as you mention won't experience squeeze at any reasonable depth, but seems like something I'm not gonna try

Often after a session I'll blow my nose and get a little blood, just an indication that things are going on in there.....

For the sinus swelling you may want to try a steroid such as flownase, or nasacourt.  You would have to take them for a long period of time for them to have any affect. 


gw