Why does blood come out of my nose after diving?

Icejon · 5th January 2008, 00:08

Dumb question I guess,

Everytime I go diving, during my surface intervals blood comes out of my nose. Like blood vessels. I use the standard method of pinching my nose hard and blowing hard into my sinuses/ear. Are there any methods that will make the bloody goo stop coming out of my nose, or is this just normal? This happens every time I dive and sometimes I notice it in the water but usually during surface intervals.

diverrob · 5th January 2008, 00:57

First I would stop "blowing hard" into your nose. If you can't clear your ears with a gentle blow then something is wrong. Forceful valsalva has been known to cause your ear drum to rupture if you are not careful. You may have a sinus infection/allergies or some other problem. If your ears clear, then you must have all of the plumbing in the right place so I would look at a sinus blockage. The blood coming out at the end of the dive would tell me that you were experiencing a reverse sinus squeeze. Do you feel pressure/pain during your assent? Try clearing your ears prior to diving to ensure that everything is moving the way it should. The air should go in as easy as it comes out.

Rob

human · 5th January 2008, 02:09

Quote: (Originally Posted by diverrob)

First I would stop "blowing hard" into your nose. If you can't clear your ears with a gentle blow then something is wrong. Forceful valsalva has been known to cause your ear drum to rupture if you are not careful. You may have a sinus infection/allergies or some other problem. If your ears clear, then you must have all of the plumbing in the right place so I would look at a sinus blockage. The blood coming out at the end of the dive would tell me that you were experiencing a reverse sinus squeeze. Do you feel pressure/pain during your assent? Try clearing your ears prior to diving to ensure that everything is moving the way it should. The air should go in as easy as it comes out.

Rob

One these listed here would probable be the most common cause. Are you taking any anticoagulation med's (Things that thin your blood). If your are, it could be adding fuel to the above causes.

Icejon · 5th January 2008, 07:06

Quote: (Originally Posted by diverrob)

First I would stop "blowing hard" into your nose. If you can't clear your ears with a gentle blow then something is wrong. Forceful valsalva has been known to cause your ear drum to rupture if you are not careful. You may have a sinus infection/allergies or some other problem. If your ears clear, then you must have all of the plumbing in the right place so I would look at a sinus blockage. The blood coming out at the end of the dive would tell me that you were experiencing a reverse sinus squeeze. Do you feel pressure/pain during your assent? Try clearing your ears prior to diving to ensure that everything is moving the way it should. The air should go in as easy as it comes out.

Rob

Well now that you mention it, my rig ear had some issues. I could equalize but it wouldnt offgas right and still felt some pressuring when I surfaced. My last dive I had some ringing in my right ear and muffled hearing for at least a week. I've heard a good method to equalize uses your tongue to compress air up into your head? What is that called? I dont take any meds.

rewrites · 5th January 2008, 11:28

Hi

Some good info above. Try this link from Scubab Doc's website - very useful.

Other ENT Disorders

Hope it helps.

Peter

Edvin M · 5th January 2008, 11:35

Quote: (Originally Posted by Icejon)

Well now that you mention it, my rig ear had some issues. I could equalize but it wouldnt offgas right and still felt some pressuring when I surfaced. My last dive I had some ringing in my right ear and muffled hearing for at least a week. I've heard a good method to equalize uses your tongue to compress air up into your head? What is that called? I dont take any meds.

Sound like you was/are blowing way to hard and got a little hole in your ear drum, happend to me once when I was diving and couldnt really equalize and just blowed a little to hard.

Blood coming out of your nose is NOT normal, do oyu have the ability to go and see a doctor who is specialized in diving? Then do so. You can also try and google for "Eric Fatah" and "frenzel", he is the guy who invented/spread the Frenzel technique commonly used by freedivers as it enables equalizing at larger depths than the valsalva. I personaly use it on both freediving and scuba diving when I remember to do it.

You could also be one of the persons who got very narrow Eustachian tubes whch is the tubes who leads between your mouth and your ears, if they are very narrow it is possibly the widen them and thus make it alot easier to equalize.

An unfunny point here, humans are almost the only animal which have their eustachian tubes closed al the time, cats and dogs and other animal dont have to equalize at all. Remebmer the scuba catsand dog videos, no problem there...

trimix · 11th March 2008, 01:02

I used to have this problem too, but not anymore.
A few years ago I was dabbling with freediving, and found pretty quickly that when using the Valsalva technique as I always had while on SCUBA, I could not equalize with my head horizontal or down from horizontal... apparently common.
I had to learn a new technique to equalize, and since learning that method, when I dive scuba equalizing is almost effortless in any position, is quicker and more effective - I actually dive when I'm still stuffed up after a cold, with no decongestants (yes I know about reverse squeeze -I'm talking about equalizing here!)
The technique is called 'Frensell', which you can look up on the interweb-thingy. It took quite a while to master, but once I did, it was like a Eureka! moment, and seemed so obvious! I still have to pinch my nose, but I do not blow - Basically it involves using the back part of your tongue to compress the little bit of air in your throat and sinuses - POP! I can repeat the motion more than twice every second, which is handy when freediving down to 45m head down. Also handy for a quick EQ@ when managing descent, suit squeeze, finning off the wall and signalling buddies, all at the same time.
Look it up and try it - it's much less strain than Valsalva. Good luck, keep trying!

trimix · 11th March 2008, 01:08

[quote=Edvin M;160837]

You can also try and google for "Eric Fatah" and "frenzel", he is the guy who invented/spread the Frenzel technique commonly used by freedivers as it enables equalizing at larger depths than the valsalva. I personaly use it on both freediving and scuba diving when I remember to do it.

quote]

Whoa -
All due respect to Eric Fattah, a talented and knowlegable freediver who I've met and occasionally freedived with, but he did not invent the technique. It does make equalizing easier for freediving, as it requires very little air or effort to make it work.
I first heard and learned about the technique from Kirk Kraak, of Performance Freediving, who has also worked with Mr. Fattah. It is very common among freedivers.

**sfldiver** · 11th March 2008, 01:27

Quote: (Originally Posted by Icejon)

Well now that you mention it, my rig ear had some issues. I could equalize but it wouldnt offgas right and still felt some pressuring when I surfaced. My last dive I had some ringing in my right ear and muffled hearing for at least a week. I've heard a good method to equalize uses your tongue to compress air up into your head? What is that called? I dont take any meds.

Icejon, everyone seems to be giving you advice on equalizing, which is probalby a good thing, because it sounds like the technique will keep you from pinching and blowing too hard; however, since you indicate that you have been getting a bit of a reverse squeeze, I would address that first.

Personally, I've been diving for over 20 years and have always had to take a decongestant before diving to avoid getting reverse squeezes and to be able to equalize on second dives - I'm not telling you to do that, because some say it's bad for you; however, my ENT, which is a diver, gave me the ok to continue to use it, even on deep technical dives. Besides that, he also prescribed me Nasonex, which I now take once a day and it has really cleared the ongoing sinus issurs I have always had. I could probably dive without the decongestant at this point, but I still use it as a crutch because the reverse squeezes are not fun!

The point is, go see a diver-friendly ENT and I'm sure that he would be the best person to provide you with advice or treatment on resolving whatever issue you currently have going on with your ears. Plus, I would look up those equalizing techniques as well, because they do sound pretty useful.

Good luck to you!

cramerdn · 11th March 2008, 04:20

Other things to throw into the mix...

Hard valsalva on the way up during deco dives is supposed to cause issues with DCS as I remember.

The active ingreadiant in psudafed has sesures as a side effect and may increase cns O2 toxicity.

5th January 2008, 00:08	#1 (permalink)
Icejon New Member Current Rebreather/s: Azimuth Other Rebreather/s: Azimuth Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 19	Why does blood come out of my nose after diving? Dumb question I guess, Everytime I go diving, during my surface intervals blood comes out of my nose. Like blood vessels. I use the standard method of pinching my nose hard and blowing hard into my sinuses/ear. Are there any methods that will make the bloody goo stop coming out of my nose, or is this just normal? This happens every time I dive and sometimes I notice it in the water but usually during surface intervals.
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5th January 2008, 00:57	#2 (permalink)
diverrob The Evolution of Diving Current Rebreather/s: Evolution Other SCR Other Rebreather/s: Not Bought Yet Other SCR Join Date: May 2005 Location: Victoria BC Canada Posts: 320	Re: Why does blood come out of my nose after diving? First I would stop "blowing hard" into your nose. If you can't clear your ears with a gentle blow then something is wrong. Forceful valsalva has been known to cause your ear drum to rupture if you are not careful. You may have a sinus infection/allergies or some other problem. If your ears clear, then you must have all of the plumbing in the right place so I would look at a sinus blockage. The blood coming out at the end of the dive would tell me that you were experiencing a reverse sinus squeeze. Do you feel pressure/pain during your assent? Try clearing your ears prior to diving to ensure that everything is moving the way it should. The air should go in as easy as it comes out. Rob
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5th January 2008, 02:09	#3 (permalink)
human New Member Current Rebreather/s: Optima Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: NC Posts: 33	Re: Why does blood come out of my nose after diving? Quote: (Originally Posted by diverrob) First I would stop "blowing hard" into your nose. If you can't clear your ears with a gentle blow then something is wrong. Forceful valsalva has been known to cause your ear drum to rupture if you are not careful. You may have a sinus infection/allergies or some other problem. If your ears clear, then you must have all of the plumbing in the right place so I would look at a sinus blockage. The blood coming out at the end of the dive would tell me that you were experiencing a reverse sinus squeeze. Do you feel pressure/pain during your assent? Try clearing your ears prior to diving to ensure that everything is moving the way it should. The air should go in as easy as it comes out. Rob One these listed here would probable be the most common cause. Are you taking any anticoagulation med's (Things that thin your blood). If your are, it could be adding fuel to the above causes. __________________ *The statistics on sanity are that one out of every* *four persons is suffering from some sort of mental* *illness. Think of your three best friends -- if* *they're okay, then it's you .*
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5th January 2008, 07:06	#4 (permalink)
Icejon New Member Current Rebreather/s: Azimuth Other Rebreather/s: Azimuth Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 19	Re: Why does blood come out of my nose after diving? Quote: (Originally Posted by diverrob) First I would stop "blowing hard" into your nose. If you can't clear your ears with a gentle blow then something is wrong. Forceful valsalva has been known to cause your ear drum to rupture if you are not careful. You may have a sinus infection/allergies or some other problem. If your ears clear, then you must have all of the plumbing in the right place so I would look at a sinus blockage. The blood coming out at the end of the dive would tell me that you were experiencing a reverse sinus squeeze. Do you feel pressure/pain during your assent? Try clearing your ears prior to diving to ensure that everything is moving the way it should. The air should go in as easy as it comes out. Rob Well now that you mention it, my rig ear had some issues. I could equalize but it wouldnt offgas right and still felt some pressuring when I surfaced. My last dive I had some ringing in my right ear and muffled hearing for at least a week. I've heard a good method to equalize uses your tongue to compress air up into your head? What is that called? I dont take any meds.
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5th January 2008, 11:28	#5 (permalink)
rewrites New Member Current Rebreather/s: Inspiration Vision Other Rebreather/s: Inspiration Classic Inspiration Vision Evolution Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Cornwall, UK Posts: 59	Re: Why does blood come out of my nose after diving? Hi Some good info above. Try this link from Scubab Doc's website - very useful. Other ENT Disorders Hope it helps. Peter __________________ Always running with scissors ~8~
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5th January 2008, 11:35	#6 (permalink)
Edvin M New Member Current Rebreather/s: Home Build Other Rebreather/s: Home Build Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Lysekil, Sweden Posts: 83	Re: Why does blood come out of my nose after diving? Quote: (Originally Posted by Icejon) Well now that you mention it, my rig ear had some issues. I could equalize but it wouldnt offgas right and still felt some pressuring when I surfaced. My last dive I had some ringing in my right ear and muffled hearing for at least a week. I've heard a good method to equalize uses your tongue to compress air up into your head? What is that called? I dont take any meds. Sound like you was/are blowing way to hard and got a little hole in your ear drum, happend to me once when I was diving and couldnt really equalize and just blowed a little to hard. Blood coming out of your nose is NOT normal, do oyu have the ability to go and see a doctor who is specialized in diving? Then do so. You can also try and google for "Eric Fatah" and "frenzel", he is the guy who invented/spread the Frenzel technique commonly used by freedivers as it enables equalizing at larger depths than the valsalva. I personaly use it on both freediving and scuba diving when I remember to do it. You could also be one of the persons who got very narrow Eustachian tubes whch is the tubes who leads between your mouth and your ears, if they are very narrow it is possibly the widen them and thus make it alot easier to equalize. An unfunny point here, humans are almost the only animal which have their eustachian tubes closed al the time, cats and dogs and other animal dont have to equalize at all. Remebmer the scuba catsand dog videos, no problem there...
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11th March 2008, 01:02	#7 (permalink)
trimix New Member Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada Posts: 41	Re: Why does blood come out of my nose after diving? I used to have this problem too, but not anymore. A few years ago I was dabbling with freediving, and found pretty quickly that when using the Valsalva technique as I always had while on SCUBA, I could not equalize with my head horizontal or down from horizontal... apparently common. I had to learn a new technique to equalize, and since learning that method, when I dive scuba equalizing is almost effortless in any position, is quicker and more effective - I actually dive when I'm still stuffed up after a cold, with no decongestants (yes I know about reverse squeeze -I'm talking about equalizing here!) The technique is called 'Frensell', which you can look up on the interweb-thingy. It took quite a while to master, but once I did, it was like a Eureka! moment, and seemed so obvious! I still have to pinch my nose, but I do not blow - Basically it involves using the back part of your tongue to compress the little bit of air in your throat and sinuses - POP! I can repeat the motion more than twice every second, which is handy when freediving down to 45m head down. Also handy for a quick EQ@ when managing descent, suit squeeze, finning off the wall and signalling buddies, all at the same time. Look it up and try it - it's much less strain than Valsalva. Good luck, keep trying! __________________ Just another piece of Mel's Train Wreck ! *BOOM!*
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11th March 2008, 01:08	#8 (permalink)
trimix New Member Current Rebreather/s: Megalodon Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Abbotsford, BC, Canada Posts: 41	Re: Why does blood come out of my nose after diving? [quote=Edvin M;160837] You can also try and google for "Eric Fatah" and "frenzel", he is the guy who invented/spread the Frenzel technique commonly used by freedivers as it enables equalizing at larger depths than the valsalva. I personaly use it on both freediving and scuba diving when I remember to do it. quote] Whoa - All due respect to Eric Fattah, a talented and knowlegable freediver who I've met and occasionally freedived with, but he did not invent the technique. It does make equalizing easier for freediving, as it requires very little air or effort to make it work. I first heard and learned about the technique from Kirk Kraak, of Performance Freediving, who has also worked with Mr. Fattah. It is very common among freedivers. __________________ Just another piece of Mel's Train Wreck ! *BOOM!*
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11th March 2008, 01:27	#9 (permalink)
sfldiver Team Optima Diver Current Rebreather/s: Optima Other Rebreather/s: Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pompano Beach, FL Posts: 651	Re: Why does blood come out of my nose after diving? Quote: (Originally Posted by Icejon) Well now that you mention it, my rig ear had some issues. I could equalize but it wouldnt offgas right and still felt some pressuring when I surfaced. My last dive I had some ringing in my right ear and muffled hearing for at least a week. I've heard a good method to equalize uses your tongue to compress air up into your head? What is that called? I dont take any meds. Icejon, everyone seems to be giving you advice on equalizing, which is probalby a good thing, because it sounds like the technique will keep you from pinching and blowing too hard; however, since you indicate that you have been getting a bit of a reverse squeeze, I would address that first. Personally, I've been diving for over 20 years and have always had to take a decongestant before diving to avoid getting reverse squeezes and to be able to equalize on second dives - I'm not telling you to do that, because some say it's bad for you; however, my ENT, which is a diver, gave me the ok to continue to use it, even on deep technical dives. Besides that, he also prescribed me Nasonex, which I now take once a day and it has really cleared the ongoing sinus issurs I have always had. I could probably dive without the decongestant at this point, but I still use it as a crutch because the reverse squeezes are not fun! The point is, go see a diver-friendly ENT and I'm sure that he would be the best person to provide you with advice or treatment on resolving whatever issue you currently have going on with your ears. Plus, I would look up those equalizing techniques as well, because they do sound pretty useful. Good luck to you! __________________ *Currently piloting & shooting...* Dive Rite O2ptima FX Rigged w/ a Dsix Custom Aluminum Frame, Nomad Wing, Transpac Harness and VR3 Computer w/ VPM-B/E & a 4th Cell Sensor Link.* Canon PowerShot G9 Digital Camera *Rigged in a Patima-PDCH 2008 G9 Aluminum Housing w/ an Inon UWL-100 Achromat Wide Conversion Lens, 2 Inon UCL-165M67 Close-Up Lenses and 2 Inon Z-240 Strobes.
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11th March 2008, 04:20	#10 (permalink)
cramerdn Living The Dream, Baby!! Current Rebreather/s: Evolution Dolphin Other Rebreather/s: Dolphin Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Townsville QLD Posts: 450	Re: Why does blood come out of my nose after diving? Other things to throw into the mix... Hard valsalva on the way up during deco dives is supposed to cause issues with DCS as I remember. The active ingreadiant in psudafed has sesures as a side effect and may increase cns O2 toxicity. __________________ "Its better to live one day as a tiger than an entire life as a worm." "But who's ever heard of a worm skin rug?"
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