forehead pain

[joe123321]

I have had this happen when I was getting over what I thought was a cold, nose was still stuffy. Bad idea for me to swim, The next day I was in terrible pain, Missed 4 days of school because it was strepp throat. Never again will I swim while im sick.

[yiorgos]

I think its a good trick. whenever there is some salt water present in the nose, after some time, things come out of the nose, so it clears. i also do scuba, so everytime i surface after the dive i blow the nose and there is always something there... not so nice when you are with ladies ..!
you can find salt water rinse for the nose from the chemist.

i also tried sudafed (pseudoephedrine). in greece it has different brand name. its a nasal decongestant. it works, and also together with an oral antihistamine. some people use nasal sprays too.

having being informed more on the subject, i believe food makes no difference in the mucous built up. allergens, irritants, microbes etc make your mucous thicker. if anyone disagrees, i would like to hear another opinion. is there any scientific evidence about this..?

hey its pretty hot in greece almost 40 C !
yiorgos

[naiad]

I used to suffer from sinus congestion, and food made no difference. People have told me so many times that dairy products, sugar and wheat products cause congestion, but I avoided them and did not notice the slightest improvement.

[yiorgos]

naiad, how did you get rid of the sinus problem?
i took cortisone and antibiotics, and, although it was ok for some time, it seems the problem has come back... now i have to take nasal decongestants (pills AND spray) to dive below 5-6 meters...
i am pretty sure that the sinuses are blocked. the pain is a result of pressure difference so the sinuses do not equalise. if i continue to dive deeper with pain, it can result in barotrauma, bleeding etc.

[fcallagy]

Have either of you tried the neti pot with saline rinse? its a bit unpleasant at first but you get used to it after a while. I have found it benficial but dont usually suffer too much with my sinuses.

[naiad]

Originally Posted by yiorgos

naiad, how did you get rid of the sinus problem?

It has improved over the years, and I have done several things to improve it:

• Use anti-allergenic bedding (anti dust-mite and antimicrobial).

• Try to reduce the amount of dust as far as possible, I don't know exactly what I am allergic to, but the less dust, the better.

• Avoid perfumed household products and artificial chemicals as far as possible (air fresheners, toiletries, cleaning products).

• Have the flu vaccine every year.

• Drink enough water. Caffeinated drinks, soft drinks and fruit juices don't count.

• Avoid swimming. The chlorine exposure and possibly other factors damaged my health far more than any improvements caused by fitness.

I know some of these things are controversial, but they have worked for me. I have not found any conventional or alternative medicine that works, and I have tried so many.

Lucia

[Mr. X]

Originally Posted by fcallagy

Have either of you tried the neti pot with saline rinse? its a bit unpleasant at first but you get used to it after a while. I have found it benficial but dont usually suffer too much with my sinuses.

A family member tried one -- but didn't get on with it. It seems like a good idea to me though...for those of a calmer disposition. They ended up using saline nasal sprays initially given in hospital & later bought from pharmacy (Boots?) -- expensive -- & later saline ampules (on prescription I think) -- so basically more expensive versions of the same thing. All 3 require some practice -- expert advice helps -- & it is relatively easy to do them wrong. A dip in the sea seems much simpler .

[azapa]

try standing in the shower with the warm water directed firmly at the troubled area. the heat and massage effect should get things going. a couple of mins. does not work, it needs like 10 or 15 mins. Mid winter here and have not stopped diving yet .......

PD Sorry, re your bleeding a little from the nose. I also had "rose coloured snot" as I unpleasantly described it. I had it on every dive, but it has gone away now completely. I put it down to:
- trying too hard to equalize
- using incorrect eq techniques
- not spending enough time in the water..

I think the last is the fundamental one: basically, all those tubes and bits are getting used to the workout now and don't "complain" so much any more.