Rescue Class and Sinus Barotrauma
I'm taking the PADI Rescue Class to learn rescue techniques in and out of the water. My instructor told me before the class started that it would be the "hardest, funnest class you'll ever take". With just a little ways to go to finish the class, I have to agree. It's a great class and I've learned quite a bit. I know more about diving physiology, equipment, and first aid. I know that lugging a 220 pound male out of the water is hard. I know that doing it three times in a row is really hard.
Unfortunately I hit a bit of a snag during the class. I dove with just a wee bit of congestion which is a no-no. I thought I was OK and that I had cleared out any meaningful congestion but I was, sadly, incorrect. One of the dives involved locating my instructor who was playing dead and ascending him. I did so successfully but upon ascent developed an immediate intense headache. In retrospect, that was the first sign of sinus barotrauma. Later that night I developed the sinus headache to end all sinus headaches which lasted for a bit over two full days. It turns out that air expands when you ascend... and that if it's trapped in your sinuses it will still expand... and that it hurts when you do that. As a result, I've been unable to dive for the last week. I'm pretty much all better now and I'm looking forward to going to Ohio with Jocelin to do some recreational diving. I've learned my lesson though... no more diving when I'm congested.
Unfortunately I hit a bit of a snag during the class. I dove with just a wee bit of congestion which is a no-no. I thought I was OK and that I had cleared out any meaningful congestion but I was, sadly, incorrect. One of the dives involved locating my instructor who was playing dead and ascending him. I did so successfully but upon ascent developed an immediate intense headache. In retrospect, that was the first sign of sinus barotrauma. Later that night I developed the sinus headache to end all sinus headaches which lasted for a bit over two full days. It turns out that air expands when you ascend... and that if it's trapped in your sinuses it will still expand... and that it hurts when you do that. As a result, I've been unable to dive for the last week. I'm pretty much all better now and I'm looking forward to going to Ohio with Jocelin to do some recreational diving. I've learned my lesson though... no more diving when I'm congested.
posted by KzooJason at 9:23 PM
3 Comments:
Some serious teacher/mother looks to you. I'm glad you learned your lesson. And yay for posting.
If you were congested, weren't your sinuses full of snot, not air? Maybe expanding snot hurts, too. Ouch. Where in Ohio is there recreational diving that is good? Ohio doesn't seem like a big dive destination.
The sinuses aren't actually "full" of snot... there's just quite a bit of it in there. You end up with air bubbles in the snot. Those bubbles shrink under pressure, making room for more snot. When you ascend they grow again. Unfortunately the replacement snot has already taken up too much room making for an uncomfortable "there's a balloon growing in my sinus and I can't get it out" feeling. :(
There's good diving at Gilboa Quarry, an old rock quarry in Gilboa Ohio. You can read about them at www.divegilboa.com. We saw some excellent four-foot paddlefish on Sunday when we were there.
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