"In underwater diving, alternobaric vertigo is dizziness resulting from unequal pressures being exerted between the ears due to one Eustachian tube being less patent than the other.
"It is due to unequal increase in middle ear pressures on ascent, is usually mild, and most often cleared by further ascent. When the pressures in both ears reach ambient levels, the stimulus for the dizziness stops. Although most often mild, the vertigo can persist until the diver reaches the surface.
"Alternobaric vertigo is most pronounced when the diver is in the vertical position; the spinning is towards the ear with the higher pressure and tends to develop when the pressures differ by 60 cm of water or more. Ear clearing may be a remedy."
Last week, I had the flu. The runny nose and cough had cleared up, but people have told me a couple of times the past several days that I sounded more congested. Apparently that was the case. I didn't have a problem equalizing on descent on the dives today, but had lots of trouble on the ascents.
As I stepped up onto the boat after the first dive, I was really dizzy and immediately extremely nauseous. I assumed it was seasickness since the water was really rough with 8 to 10 foot swells and the boat was pitching all over the place. I got my gear off and made it to the rail before I lost it. Nothing much came up though because my stomach was empty. I immediately felt better, but was a little queasy just from the thought of it all.
We did the surface interval back at the dock due to the conditions.
The second dive was much the same, except the dizzyness and nausea hit when I got to twenty feet during my safety stop. I was OK until I turned and looked up. That caused the world to spin and I had to decide whether to vomit through my regulator or blow through the safety stop.
My stomach made the decision for me - twice. Now I have to get my regulator serviced to get the pineapple out of it. Yuck.
3 years ago
3 comments:
Sick. That is very similar to what happened to me during our night dive. Because of it I have no desire to ever do a night dive again. I was so dizzy and I felt so sick and then I shot up to the surface so fast, because I freaked out, that my ears had tons of pressure and I had ear infections for a month. Remember?
Yeah, I remember. My first dive was to 99 feet and the second to 87, so blowing through the safety stop really was not an option. I had recently read a lot about what to do if you couldn't avoid doing it underwater, so I just went with it. I figured if it clogged my reg I would just switch to the Air2. Just like a man who has had a bull by the tail - I now know a thing or two more than I did before.
Gad you had read about this recently and were aware these things scare me to death!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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