Coughs and colds.

[5kgLifter]

I figured I'd ask this ahead of time, I haven't looked in the search section 'cos I thought 'cold' would throw up temperature etc.

When freedivers suffer with the normal coughs and colds of the various seasons, obviously it would be sensible to take time off, even from dry land static/dynamic training until the problem has resolved. My question is, when you return to apnea/freedive training, do you reassess what your PB is before you begin again, so that you can see if there has been a minor decrease in breath-hold ability due to the cold? Or is this not really an issue...which it would be more so if time went on with a substantial break in training, I presume.

 

[hunlee]

Hi there!
Very conscientious of you to ask the question before the sniffles.
I'll give you my experiences, they're just what I've found, I'm not a doctor- but have been freediving for a long time, so take them for that...

The reason I felt I'd answer is that I've just recently arrived in Dahab after a few weeks in Sweden for work where I picked up that very seasonal cold/cough.
And arrived here in sunny Egypt with the damn thing still in my body.
Well what I've found this time, and what is usual for me is this:

I can't see any use in training apnea in any form, dry or wet while still sick as your body will be put under intense strain that will make your healing process longer, also, any deep breathing tends to bring about terrible fits of bad coughing, not to mention breathholds...
I am now, one week later, healthy again, although I do cough a bit sometimes and blow terrible things out my nose to my dive-buddy's disgust, yet today I did a PB.
So with proper rest, I don't think the illness should affect your PB as you asked, but this I think only if you really rest WELL during your cold.

I also want to add that I'm a firm DISbeliever in some western medicines, for example anti-biotics, I have a great homeopath who treats me for this kind of ailment, and of course the body then heals and is stronger than before. Whereas if you've been on anti-biotics for your seasonal cold/flu, you should probably rest longer as this has in fact weakened your body.

So no, I don't think a cold need put you back much if you rest well, not like a long (3 months +) break from diving would do.

Hanli

 

[5kgLifter]

Mahy thanks for the response Hanli; I also try to avoid antibiotics, since they just cause me hassle, but thankfully I've been cold free for about 4 years now, knowing my luck I'll end up with one tomorrow after saying that. Nice to know that it doesn't really affect a PB, after spending so much time building up to a PB of any worth .

 

[jay cluskey]

try nasal irrigation i have a niel med nasal wash and i also use sterimar arosol nasal spray .
i have found that when i am about to come down with some thing like a flu or a cold i do this more often.
i notice a slight dryness or itching in my nose or throat and luckily enough i have averted a full blown illness about 90% of the time.
also every time i train/dive/swim i always take it very easy as i think i have got to know my body .
if something does not feel right ,no matter what it is , i pull right back , i tell my buddy my concearns, and the rest is just common sense. stop !
there is always tommorrow!

 

[samdive]

I can also vouch for the Neil med nasal irrigation - it's a particularly good thing to do if people around you have colds, or if you've been on a plane or busy public transport or something. It basically washes all the bad stuff out of your nose and sinuses before it turns into a cold - I find that if I do it regularly, I don't get colds. If I was a bit stronger and organised (it takes a little bit of time to do properly and isn't that pleasant) then I would do it every day.

But Hanli is right - there is absolutely no point in trying to do any kind of apnea with a cold - or any illness that makes your heart speed up or affects your breathing, it just isn't worth it and a gap of a couple of weeks training won't make much difference in the long run.

S

 

[5kgLifter]

Thanks for the replies guys, I have a neti pot that I use, but didn't managed to stave off a cold that everybody around me had been suffering for 2 weeks before I came down with it. It turned nasty pretty quick (about 3 days) on a Sunday morning and by the Monday morning I had suffered an ear infection and a perforated eardrum. 2 weeks later and I'm now on anti-dizzy meds, because the entire room was starting to spin...so I'm going to be out of things for a while yet. Sod's law I reckon. But I have plenty of studying to do, as long as the computer screen stays in one place long enough for me to do it rofl.

 

[samdive]

a perforated eardrum is quite another matter. Wait until it's healed up (try not to test it all for a week or so and then when you dare, try and equalise gently and see if it stays sealed) - and then give it at least another couple of weeks after that.

I did mine in early Feb and am diving for the first time next weekend - hope it holds!

 

[5kgLifter]

a perforated eardrum is quite another matter. Wait until it's healed up (try not to test it all for a week or so and then when you dare, try and equalise gently and see if it stays sealed) - and then give it at least another couple of weeks after that.

I did mine in early Feb and am diving for the first time next weekend - hope it holds!

Yeah, I'm figuring about 8 weeks from perforating it to possible healing time, after researching the internet; and being careful with the equalisation, I will. It's nice that you highlighted the fact that it might not hold, I wasn't aware of that probability. Yesterday, I realised that anti-dizzy meds don't do a 100% job either, so that's something to keep an eye on for the next few weeks as well.

Has anyone heard of perforated eardrums that have healed but which still cause the person dizzy spells at all? it's just that I came across a person who had burst eardrums and still gets dizzy spells when around loud noise etc. I realise that burst eardrums are more severe, but wondered if anyone knew of it occurring after perforated eardrums have healed.

 

[Halmyr]

Also, with colds....specialy when your sneezing all sorts of funky stuff, you will have difficulty doing the Val-salva (is that how you spell it?) maneuvre, so it can be dangerous in that sence. Coming down the CN tower in Toronto and having a bit of difficulty equalizing was a rather uncomfortable matter. Fortunaly that was just a 500m or so air pressure difference. In the water is an entirely different thing.

As for medication: Not all medication for colds are Anti-Biotics. having had a cold this last week (Bronchitus actualy) I did not take any medication until the last 3 days. Being in the medical field (no doctor) it really depends on your illment. Something like Bronchitus, a doctor will prescribe anti-biotic like penicilin or amoxiline. For a common cold they will give some symptom relief like Actifed for running nose. Rest and hydration are the Key....but if you can't sleep because of cougth and a running nose your no better of. Meds can help, just make sure to read the description and the instruction.

 

[samdive]

I've had dizzy problems after the eardrum has healed -but it usually means there is some kind of infection inside the ear - so you'll need to get some antibiotics or antifungal tablets (depending on what type of infection you've got, they might need to take a swab to find out).

I've been left with tinnitus in one ear after a particularly nasty perforation which really isn't fun - so do keep in touch with your doctor throughout and do everything you can to fix it properly.

 

[apneaboy]

Sometimes perforations don't heal so make sure you get a Doctor to look at the eardrum before you dive again.

 

[bite ya]

Well i was glad of getting a cold week before last as i'm diving at SaltFree this Easter weekend but unfortunatly i woke up Sat morning and got another bloody cold (streaming nose, puffy eyes....MAN FLU!!)

I'm sure i caught it whilst reading this thread...damn you all!

 

[5kgLifter]

Well i was glad of getting a cold week before last as i'm diving at SaltFree this Easter weekend but unfortunatly i woke up Sat morning and got another bloody cold (streaming nose, puffy eyes....MAN FLU!!)

I'm sure i caught it whilst reading this thread...damn you all!

Yeah 'computer viruses' suck rofl.


Seriously though, hope you recover soon, and my next post may help a bit.

 

[5kgLifter]

Also, with colds....specialy when your sneezing all sorts of funky stuff, you will have difficulty doing the Val-salva (is that how you spell it?) maneuvre, so it can be dangerous in that sence. Coming down the CN tower in Toronto and having a bit of difficulty equalizing was a rather uncomfortable matter. Fortunaly that was just a 500m or so air pressure difference. In the water is an entirely different thing.

As for medication: Not all medication for colds are Anti-Biotics. having had a cold this last week (Bronchitus actualy) I did not take any medication until the last 3 days. Being in the medical field (no doctor) it really depends on your illment. Something like Bronchitus, a doctor will prescribe anti-biotic like penicilin or amoxiline. For a common cold they will give some symptom relief like Actifed for running nose. Rest and hydration are the Key....but if you can't sleep because of cougth and a running nose your no better of. Meds can help, just make sure to read the description and the instruction.

Yes, I realise all of what you wrote, but this turned in to an ear infection and therefore was treated with antobiotics...but with ordinary colds I agree rest, hydration, food, and maybe a linctus for the cough are a good idea, but infections are a whole new ball game. As for medication for sleeping during a cold, I wouldn't hapen to agree with that, I'm more inclined to not take sleeping/or medicines which induce sleep, at all.

I have read, and it is documented, that chicken soup is excellent for colds, due to some nutrient in chicken (whether it's the fat, I have no idea), also higher protein intake helps boost the immune system during a cold...I have found this to work well in the past.

 

[5kgLifter]

Sometimes perforations don't heal so make sure you get a Doctor to look at the eardrum before you dive again.

Thanks, I was under the impression that perforations normally heal, but larger damage doesn't. I will definitely speak to the doc before I even consider getting in the water, just to get the eardrum checked out and save risking infection caused by water, as opposed to one that couldn't be avoided with the cold.

 

[5kgLifter]

I've had dizzy problems after the eardrum has healed -but it usually means there is some kind of infection inside the ear - so you'll need to get some antibiotics or antifungal tablets (depending on what type of infection you've got, they might need to take a swab to find out).

I've been left with tinnitus in one ear after a particularly nasty perforation which really isn't fun - so do keep in touch with your doctor throughout and do everything you can to fix it properly.

Thanks Samdive, so dizziness after healing normally equates to an ear infection, that's good to know. At the moment the scenario is just meds and being patient with the healing process, which is irritating but fine...fortunately I was informed that the perforation is small, so that helps...and strangely, which I couldn't understand, I was informed that blowing my nose, although painful, did not cause any more damage...so a bit confused on that, unless it's because the nasal passage is not completely sealed off in the same way as it is when equalising, which is the only explanation I can think of...

 

[Halmyr]

Yes, I realise all of what you wrote, but this turned in to an ear infection and therefore was treated with antobiotics...but with ordinary colds I agree rest, hydration, food, and maybe a linctus for the cough are a good idea, but infections are a whole new ball game. As for medication for sleeping during a cold, I wouldn't hapen to agree with that, I'm more inclined to not take sleeping/or medicines which induce sleep, at all.

I have read, and it is documented, that chicken soup is excellent for colds, due to some nutrient in chicken (whether it's the fat, I have no idea), also higher protein intake helps boost the immune system during a cold...I have found this to work well in the past.

yep, agree that if an infection gets out of hand and you do not take anti-biotic, it can and will be hell. I had bronchitus for a week last year, something Anti-biotic would have been nessesary, but due to being in boot-camp and stuborn, I did not, and it was the worst week of my life.

For the common cold, I'l clear up a bit, might not have been very clear. If you go into coughing fits, or your constant running nose keeps you awake, your not making any head-way for resting, your not sleeping. Medication that reduces or stops those symptoms temporaly so you can get a good night sleep can benifit you. theres not have to be anything to make you feel sleepy, just remove what stops you from sleeping. After a few days of being sick, you just want to get rid of those syptomes and get it over with already.

Soup in general is good for you when your cold, brings up the moral up too, which helps you go throught it, pea and chicken noodles soup is what I usaly go forrofl

 

[TimoP]

Now my ears also :head
But ears are stucked outside the eardrum, not inside. Outer ear canals are infected and so swollen that there is only 2 mm canal left from ouside to the eardrums.

I went to doctor and told him I don't want antibiotics to my stomack, because the problem is in outer ears where I can drop some medicine. I had tried already normal ear drops with no help and situation got worse and painful quicly. So I get antibiotic drops I can put into my ear canals. So not hole body get antibiotics, only those parts of my ears where the problem is.

Of course, if the the problem is inside eardrums (as usual), it's not easy drop there anything...or maybe if you have already a hole in your eardrum :blackeye Don't even try, I don't know, if is possible to do that:duh

Edit:
My ear problem is maybe not caused by a seasonal cold, though I have it...
I find that this my problem is called Acute Otitis Externa, a swimmer's ear in English :
Swimmer's Ear (Otitis Externa) - Frequently asked questions about swimmer's ear -

I have understood, that it is called a swimmer's ear too, if you have an extra bone swelling in ear canal. Yes, I've had it for years now in one ear. I suppose it's not rare with (free)divers, because they have often water in their ears after diving...

 

[TimoP]

Now that acute Swimmer's ear is over. I used antibiotic ear drops for 1 week.

I noticed these terms are used with some earproblems:
- Swimmer's ear = infection in ear canal (outside eardrum)
- Surfer's ear = bony crowth in ear canal
- Water-skier's ear = ruptured eardrum
- Musician's ear = high-frequency hearing loss

I suppose, the first two in the list are not unusual among freedivers.

 

[5kgLifter]

After several really bad days, concerning the ear, I got to see the doctor and am being sent to see an ENT specialist because there is concern that there is an underlying problem...I know what the doc mentioned it could be, but until an ENT has seen the ears, I won't ask any questions directly concerning it and possible freediving activities...if it does turn out to be the condition she thinks it is, then I will ask the ENT as well as members of the forum for further advice, but I'll start a new thread for that, and leave this one for coughs and colds etc.