swallowing reflex

[pat fish]

In each dry reverse pack static when I really (really) empty my lungs and in each dive beyond the point where equalisation must be done through mouth fill I experience an urge to swallow, I would almost call it a swallowing reflex. When I first experienced this two years ago, I thought it would be related to anxiety. An urge to breath induced by the feeling of really beeing "empty". But today, I still got this feeling despite of an increased level of experience. I can handle it now. I would describe the feeling like an irritation of the epiglottis. Unpleasant but tolerable to a certain point.

- First of all I would be interested if such a "swallowing reflex" has been experienced by others.
- Second and more important I started this thread because I find the danger of aspiration of gastric juice is apparent when swallowing at depth. What happens when you swallow during a later phase of a descent upside down? Slight pressure differences between esophagus and trachea are equalised. Small amounts of remaining air in the esophagus and gastric juice might be forced into the respiratory system by such an pressure equalisation between esophagus and trachea. Aspiration might be the effect. Besides of that it would probably (initially) lead to a coughing reflex. And this wouldn't be really pleasant as well at depth... So:
- Third: what can be done to prevent such a swallowing reflex or overcome an urge to swallow?

Pat

[JasonWelbourne]

I experience a strong urge to swallow during apnea. I feel as if it is triggered by the feeling of fullness in the back of my throat, which during non-apneic conditions I associate with the presence of mucous from the sinuses collecting in that area. I have a really hard time @ the dentist. I also find that even during dry statics, listening to the impulse to swallow significantly impairs my apnea performance. Underwater it is downright uncomfortable, because of irrational fear of aspiration. And at depth such that the lungs are unaccesible, one must be in the midst of a constant swallow, such that swallowing additionally would require reopening the lungs, which I imagine would be REALLY BAD. Nonetheless, when @ depths sufficient to require closing off the lungs to maintain a mouthfill, I get the urge to swallow. It is really holding me back.

[Merlin]

I get the urge to swallow during apnea, especially statics. But I think it is just because I produce more saliva in the last few breath-ups. Ive also noticed that when I do it -it reduces my performance for some odd reason, I kind of lose my concentration. I just try to relax and I just ignore it.

[immerlustig]

jason

i experienced an urge to swallow on deeper dives as well. that urge would also increase the deeper i went. very annoying, because as soon as i swallowed (i couldn't resist it) the air left in my cheeks would be sucked back into the lungs and that was the end of my descent. by doing more empty lung dives i got rid of that.

i never had this problem during statics, though.

roland

[naiad]

I get a slight urge to swallow during statics, but it is not normally a problem. If I empty my lungs it is very strong and disturbing, and reverse packing makes it worse. I hope it doesn't happen too much when I start deep diving. If it does it will really put me off.

Lucia

[rubberpag]

pat fish,
i have the same happening to me. when i first started doing negatives, at a point during the descent, i always notice i'm going to swallow, and i can delay it for few seconds, but then it just happens, and i cannot do anything about it. the only thing i'm able to do, is passing all the air from the throat to the cheecks, so that when i open the epiglottis to swallow, i don't lose all the air, but just a tiny bit (because this urge is always coming when my mouth is not so full anymore, i can move air up and down as i like).
doesn't matter how many negative i'm doing (and i'm doing a lot!), but apparently practising doesn't change a thing.
i feel this happpening less during my deep diving, but only ( i think) because i don't do the mouthful technique very well yet, and so i'm refilling my mouth many times during the descent, opening the epiglottis many times in doing so.

cheers,
rubberpag

[Michael]

It seems to me that mastering that swallowing reflex is one of the most important factors in diving deep, because that reflex makes it so difficult to equalize at depth. Once you start swallowing, it is impossible to keep air for equalizations. I would be eager to hear from those who have mastered that reflex in utilizing the mouthfill technique.

[JasonWelbourne]

I think if you position your tongue right you can retail the air on the bottom side of your tongue. I have by no means mastered it, but in the past few weeks I have made a lot of progress in that area. I think the trick to it is developing conscious control over the glottis as one does over the soft pallate for the standard frenzel.