diving after a cold

[smee]

had a pretty bad cold a couple of weeks back. Still have a slight cough but my nose/sinuses seem pretty clear so I didn't think I'd have too much trouble diving.
1st dive on friday and I couldn't even equalise past 5m so I decided to take it easy and just stick close to the reef edge. Went out again on sunday and it was noticably worse, having trouble equalising both going down & coming back up.
At on point my spear got lodged about 12m down and after 2 painful dives to chip it out of the coral I noticed blood in my mask & decided to call it a day.
i've read the Bicarb/salt rinse trick but my nose seem clear enough. Could it be a block in the actual tubes?

 

[joe123321]

I dove after I thought i was over a cold, well turned out it was strepp throat and I was just fighting it off before it got bad, the water made it come back and I was in the worst pain of my life for 6 days.

I will never again dive while im still sick,

 

[LachlanWA]

I imagine the blood is coming from your sinuses, I have encountered similar problems with mine, and it really is a case of learning to recognise when your sinuses aren't in a condition to dive. I pushed it too far and ended up with excruciting pain in my sphenoid sinus for three days solid. Take a week or two off and ease back into it.

good luck,
Lachlan

 

[SanderP]

I had a serious cold a couple of months ago and even one month after the cold I couldn't equalize one ear. My sinuses were also clear and I felt totally healthy, it didn't even hurt or anything.
Then I went to the doctor and I was told that there was edema in one of my ears and it blocked the eustachian tube. Had to take meds for one week, it got better and eventually disappeared.

 

[smee]

thanks all for the advice. just a bit strage to feel otherwise healthy & not be able to equalise at all.