“Sinus Clearance: Avoiding Problems While Diving with a Cold”

Clearance problems

There are a number of ‘cavities’ in your head. These cavities are spaces in your skull and therefore have a hard wall (bone). The inner lining is mucous membrane, it looks a bit like the inside of your cheek. This mucous membrane produces mucus (hence the name) and this mucus must also be able to escape. Therefore, these cavities are connected to your nose or throat through a narrow opening. The “sinuses,” or “sinuses,” don’t have a super-important function like your heart or lungs, but they do contribute to the sound we make with speech and other sounds.

When you have a cold, the connection between your nose and these cavities may be less permeable. When you go diving, do you have a ‘closed’ space, the air of which is compressed as you descend into the depth. This can cause ‘squeeze’, which causes blood and fluid to be sucked out of the mucosal wall. This can be very painful and in a mild form can sometimes cause some blood loss from your nose after a dive. Every reason not to go diving when you have a cold.

I’ve seen someone who went diving when they had a cold, but used nasal spray beforehand (xylomethazoline, you can just buy it at the drugstore). As a result, the mucous membrane deswells with a cold and the opening to the sinuses is nicely open again. Sounds ideal for diving right? The disadvantage is that it is difficult to predict how long this effect will last. If the mucous membrane starts to swell again underwater while you are at depth, the air in the sinus may not be able to get out properly. The images are not suitable for DuikeninBeeld, but a broken forehead cavity makes your passport photo a lot less beautiful.