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Sinus -but not ear-problems??

Thread Status: Hello , There was no answer in this thread for more than 60 days.
It can take a long time to get an up-to-date response or contact with relevant users.

tominny

Member
Nov 27, 2016
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I searched the threads but could not find anything for this funny problem I am having.
I never have problems equalizing either ear when diving head first, but at about 30 feet pressure builds in my sinuses (pressure feeling at the forehead).
The only way to equalize at this point is to move into a head-up position and then it usually clears. This happens again at around 40 feet and again at 55 feet. Obviously, it's not an efficient solution.

I tried the following:
1. Equalizing continously
2. Blowing air into my mask every few feet
3. Valsalva
4. Frenzel (I believe I am doing it correctly since I can keep my mouth open?)

Any ideas what might be going on here and how to fix it?

Thanks!
 
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I can only recommand to be patient. I got trouble with my sinuses 14 month ago. Sinusitis. I was not patient and continued deep diving until same problems you described came up each time. I am not able to dive deeper than 6m until now.
 
Thanks for the response. But I had this isue since starting freediving about a year ago. Having to put the head in an upright position several times through the dive really puts a cap on my depth and messes up relaxation.
 
Commonly called sinusitis. Ruined my diving about forty years ago when they reformulated the gasoline in S. California. 10-20 mcg of HCL found in Sudefed. Can't dive without it, with the volcano here. No noticeable side affects for me. Afrin nose spray is also a good idea.
 
You likely have a blockage in the sinus canals to your frontal sinuses. I had it so bad I could barely dive 5 feet without excruiating pain in my forehead just above the eyes. Mainly the right eye but the left would hurt too if I managed to go deeper.

Go see an ENT.

3 weeks ago I had a balloon sinuplasty done to fix the blockage to both frontal sinuses. I could feel the bone and tiss
sue breaking and crackling as the balloon inflated and widened the airway to my sinus. I have another couple weeks until I can dive again, but I expect to be able to go far deeper than ever before as this issue has plagued me since childhood.

If you have the same issue then medication, if not surgery, are your only options. You can't really force equalize the frontal sinus. There is either enough room for air to pass naturally or there is not.
 
Interesting. I hope it goes well for you after the surgery!

I will try the decongestants, but I have not given up hope to solve thos with a modification in technique. After all, in the head up position the frontal sinus equalize every time using Frenzel, just not in the head-first position. Any ideas why and how to deal with it?
 
Put your fins on your hands and shoot your gun with your feet [emoji848]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Hi Tominny,

Your problem is in fact more common that many realize. Here are some suggestions and thoughts that may be helpful:

- Do you suffer from allergies in general? This could be affecting your sinus more than your Eustachian tubes.
- Have you ever used a yal neti pot to clear your sinuses? Flushing your sinuses in this way, either just before or even for a few days, twice a day, leading up to a dive session, will improve your sinus - no matter the underlying cause.
- Get Pelizzari's Manual of Freediving - it contains several naso-pharyngeal exercises that may assist you.
- Check your mask for fit. It's not uncommon for divers to seek out low volume masks specifically that may be comfy on the surface but press on the sinus between and above the eye-line deeper down, especially if they fall behind on mask equalisation. In fact, are you sure it's the sinus alone and not mask-squeeze? Make sure you stay ahead of the pressure in the mask.
- Lastly, do you own a nose-clip? Next time you dive don't use the mask at all; go down SLOWLY, equalizing often and gently, eyes closed with the nose clip - using FIM - and see what happens.

Either way, still get the Neti pot

Good luck!
 
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