Pain in the left back quarter of my head on ascent

[hundredcaws]

I did some 20m. During descent i felt a little hard to equalize in my left ear. And some small pain in left sinus. But i blew a little more and it cleared. I think i shouldnt force it. My bad. On ascent last 3 meters i felt pain in the back of my head. Some reverse block? More like left back quarter of my head. Then it was gone. But next day the pain came back when descending to 15m. I guess i need a break. But i want to know what happened. The inner ear? But it felt more back close to rear wall of the skull.

 

[amy18sanchez]

Hello,
Your left sinus during descent could be related to sinus barotrauma. This happens when the sinuses fail to equalize pressure with the surrounding environment, often due to congestion or inflammation. Forcing equalization, as you mentioned, can sometimes lead to further complications, so it's best to ascend slightly and try gentler techniques like swallowing or moving your jaw. You felt in the back left quarter of your head during ascent might be linked to a reverse block. A reverse block occurs when expanding air gets trapped in the sinuses or middle ear during ascent, causing discomfort or pain. This can happen if the Eustachian tubes or sinus passages are partially blocked, preventing air from escaping freely. During your next descent suggests that your sinuses or Eustachian tubes might still have been inflamed or congested. This could have made equalization more challenging and led to recurring barotrauma. The location of the pain near the rear wall of your skull might not directly point to the inner ear but could be referred pain from the sinuses or surrounding structures. It's crucial to give your body time to recover before diving again. Red humana Persistent symptoms or pain should be evaluated by a diving medicine specialist or an ENT doctor to rule out any serious issues.

Best Regard,
Amy

 

[cdavis]

I think Amy has it right. There are no air spaces in the back of your skull, so its probably refered pain from the middle ear or sinuses in front of the skull. Reverse squeeze on a sinus often feels like someone took an icepick and tried to hammer it into your head, VERY sharp. Not sure how it would feel as referred pain.

Give it a good rest and then take some pseudafed before the next dive. Its very effective at shrinking tissue that might be blocking a sinus. If this continues, a course of cortizone can be effective.