Head squeeze question??!

[Sayulitasurf]

Hello all,

I was hoping to find a solution to a chronic head squeeze problem. I’ve been diving for years now, and about a month ago I got a pretty nasty head cold with thick mucus. Since then I have not been able to dive much deeper than 10 meters or so without experiencing a nasty head squeeze on my ascent. I’m afraid that I may be unable to dive anymore and was hoping someone on here may have a solution to this problem of mine. I have no symptoms of a cold at all anymore, and havent for at least a month or so. I am scared the head cold may have affected my naval cavity in a negative and permanent way.

 

[Johny Depth]

I sense you possible dived with a thinner spaced neopren suit than needed keep warm good fit is important on suit ,Nasal passages clean with air compressed solution of salt avaliable from pharmacey shops if i am presented with a mucus problem i carry a cannister solution with me in a dry bag if you have a cold or untreated allergy find a result to ammend problem.for to thin my blood and create a better positive i take Ginkgo Biloba.A good G.P or doctor should be considered .,This is on the apnea side of diving i am not informed if you dive with a breath hold or air cylinder

 

[cdavis]

I've had exactly this issue and was terrified, just like you. The Bahamian Doc, who had seen it many times, prescribed cortizone pills, a short course and small amount. It worked like a charm.

It worked for me because I had no lingering head cold or sinus infection. The problem was left over inflamation that the steroid pill took care of.

 

[WilliG]

Hello all,

I was hoping to find a solution to a chronic head squeeze problem. I’ve been diving for years now, and about a month ago I got a pretty nasty head cold with thick mucus. Since then I have not been able to dive much deeper than 10 meters or so without experiencing a nasty head squeeze on my ascent. I’m afraid that I may be unable to dive anymore and was hoping someone on here may have a solution to this problem of mine. I have no symptoms of a cold at all anymore, and havent for at least a month or so. I am scared the head cold may have affected my naval cavity in a negative and permanent way.

I get seasonal sinus problems best thing I've found is a sauce bottle with warm water salt solution, get over the basin and tilt your head to the side and upside down as far as possible, put the bottle of warm salt solution into each nostril squeezing gently, do this several times blowing through nose inbetween. Massaging the sinus passages each side of your nose before hand will help loosen the gunk.
Hope this helps .

 

[ClimbAndDive]

Similar to WilliG, but I use salt water with a bit of baking soda. Take it into my mouth and then gargle it up into the nose, suck it back down a few times. Blow out when the water starts dribbling out of nose, doing both nostrils to clean all the tubes.
You get more rinsing action this way, and it goes higher up into the sinuses.
Takes a bit of practise. Get it wrong and a big snort sprays it everywhere!
But pretending to be a whale blowing is OK for a diver, right?
Hope you get it sorted out.

 

[musubi]

Hello all,

I was hoping to find a solution to a chronic head squeeze problem. I’ve been diving for years now, and about a month ago I got a pretty nasty head cold with thick mucus. Since then I have not been able to dive much deeper than 10 meters or so without experiencing a nasty head squeeze on my ascent. I’m afraid that I may be unable to dive anymore and was hoping someone on here may have a solution to this problem of mine. I have no symptoms of a cold at all anymore, and havent for at least a month or so. I am scared the head cold may have affected my naval cavity in a negative and permanent way.

See if you can see an ENT to get that checked out. Have you tried decongestants? The downside is they may also raise your blood pressure, so be careful. Otherwise no issues clearing your ears? If you ran a netti pot through your nasal system you think that may help?

I get a sinus squeeze on my descent sometimes, if I'm in the water a while (several hours) and I notice some mucus building in my nasal system.

 

[Leander]

I am curious of that you have it on ascent. That sounds quite scary, at least as freediver where you have yo make a choice between your ears and air.

I had some pretty bad sinus squeezes on the descent. For me the major culprit turned out to be smoke from a fire. For diving with a lingering cold flushing with salt water works well for me, but with smoke the only way for me is to wait it out.