Sinus Congestion

Diving and Sinus Congestion – does not fit!

First of all, before you read on, I’m not a doctor and I don’t want to recommend anything. I just tell you what I experienced…

After suffering from a very, very bad cold – due to a night dive without a full wetsuit (damn, I should have known it after 12 years of diving …) – I had sinus congestion. Congratulations, if you are a Scuba Instructor with sinus problems!

I kept on trying to descend, but the pain in my forehead brought tears in my eyes. I could feel and imagine how the tubes in my sinus got squeezed. And as the responsible Instructor I am, I went to see a doctor. (Thanks to all my students for having such patience while waiting for their Open Water dives and get certified!) Unfortunately 2 weeks later and dozens of dozens of empty antibiotic blisters, my sinus were still congested and I was desperate.

Then I thought of “what goes up must come down” (… or so) and bought a nasal spray with the intention to shake, twist and turn my head so long until the liquid gets in all my tubes (ahm, sinus). So, it needs a little bit of acrobatic, but I made it. It’s like one of those games, where you have a box with a labyrinth, a small ball and a lot of holes on the way to the target. I played that with my sinus and the nasal spray. And guess what – it took me two days and everything was clear.

I don’t know how healthy or unhealthy that was, but it helped me definitely. My students were happy as they could finally do their open water dives. I was happy, because I could get down again. And the people around me were happy too, as I wasn’t so unbearable and unbalanced (due to the lack of salt water on my skin) anymore. I’m fit for the next courses: www.scubaworld.com.ph

Children, don’t do that at home – always check with a doctor before you go diving after having sinus congestion!