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sudeep

Need your help regarding sinus issues.

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I'm a pretty new licensed jumper. I love to do multiple jumps in a day, but my sinus issues keeps me grounded. After two full altitude jumps, i get severe pain on my fore head and near my eye brows. After that I can do only hop n pops and call it a day. Does any experienced jumper have the same issues? How do you guys tackle this problem?

Thanks

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Sinus pain is a BITCH.

The only advice I'd give is not to try and gut through it and 'just make 1 more jump'. It can get sever enough at deployment that it can really affect you.

Sounds lie you're doing the right thing. Hop n Pops are ace anyway.:)


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I agree check with a doc first, but then assuming its just sensitivity to the air pressure..

I went through a phase where Id get some bad migraines like you describe, though usually the next day. At first I assumed the Valsalva maneuver was pushing air pockets back into my sinus and avoided it. Next when that didn't consistently solve the problem, I moved to trying airplane earplugs to stop the sinus problem at all. That was only minimally effective, and they were a pain in the ass to wear under the helmet and deal with each jump.

Final solution is what worked for me, just being religious about chewing gum during the ride/jump, so that im equalizing the pressure, the entire skydive. Rarely I still get a touch of air sinus sickness, but my limiting the buildup up pressure to begin with, the problem is all but gone even with 6-10 jumps in a day.

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I had a friend who had the same issue. In the long run, he found it best just not to jump too many times in a day most of the time.

Wendy P.
There is nothing more dangerous than breaking a basic safety rule and getting away with it. It removes fear of the consequences and builds false confidence. (tbrown)

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i get that if i have mild cold/after cold. i push on my eye brows closer to the nose and sharp pain goes away. but yeah check with ur doc
'Can a man still be brave if he's afraid?'
'That is the only time a man can be brave.'
George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

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Do you have a history of sinusitis? Allergies? Any ear pain?
Sounds to me as if the small ostia connecting your frontal sinuses to your nose gets inflamed as a response to the cold air on altitude and so the difference in air pressure is giving you pain.
You could try with nasal irrigation and saline nasal spray.

Good luck :)
"I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"

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My wife had a quail egg sized burst vessel that had formed a blood clot that was bothering her.
Once she had it removed, no more pressure pain.
After blowing a sinus myself and having my face covered with blood after landing, I'd go the doctor route before finding out the painful path. It would suck to have a sinus blood clot take a ride to the brain.

Good luck, I hope it's not that serious. B|

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There is some good advice on this thread about chewing gum, Valsalva, etc.

Chewing gum helps keep your estachion (sp?) tubes loose/venting during the climb.
You will probably want to do the Valsalva maneuver shortly after opening (after you see a canopy overhead and satisfy yourself that it is steerable, etc.)
Some drugs help (e.g. simple aspirin works for me), but be careful about any that warn about drowsiness.

If sinus problems continue, visit a doctor who specialises in ear, nose and throat problems.

If your sinuses are bothering you, stick to hop-and-pops for the rest of the day. After all, the coolest of high-speed canopy pilots only do hop-and-pops when they are perfecting their MADDDDDD skills just before a competition. Discussing hop-and-pops with a coach will maximize your jump ticket dollars.
The only people who get bored under canopy don't hold PRO ratings, cannot stack canopies, are too inaccurate to stomp discs or too inaccurate to fly through the first gate.

Bottom line, the canopy skills you perfect during hop-and-pops will keep you alive for the rest of your skydiving career.

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The eustachian tubes connects the nasopharinx with the middle ear. The valsava manuever (Which can damage your middle ear) should not be used lightly.

The sinuses are connected to the nose via small ostia. These small openings can get inflamed upon contact with cold air preventing pressure equalization. Im guessing that is his problem, it is also known as barosinusitis or aerosinusitis.

To all of the rest of skydivers. STOP USING AND RECOMENDING VALSAVA! It is actually quite possible to damage your middle ear with it. Chew gum, yawn (learn the proper technique, once mastered the pressure equalization achieved by yawning is better than any other techniques)

Best regards and take care of your ears. Once they are gone, they ARE gone, and being deaf is NOT fun!
"I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"

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Nothing to be worried about :)

Just keep using saline spray and blowing your nose during your skydiving days. If the pain is bad try some pain killers. Id go with ibuprofen, as its good for pain and inflammation.

As for the valsava... Try this instead if you need it :)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenzel_maneuver




Good luck!!!


Edit to add: The ears comment goes for the Valsava manouver, not by ur sinuses. Dont panic! :D
"I don´t stop when I am tired. I stop when I am done"

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As FastRodriguez said, you cannot beat nasal irrigation. Also, after my nasal surgery last year my doctor put me on Flonase. (Now available without a prescription.) This stuff really works. No problems since.

Do not let your sinus problems get out of hand. Very quickly they can get so clogged and infected that surgery will be your only option. (My case.)

Low jumps rock. I love CRW from 3500.
"Here's a good specimen of my own wisdom. Something is so, except when it isn't so."

Charles Fort, commenting on the many contradictions of astronomy

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I am the "wife" Normiss referred to. (Lucky me!) I have had that kind of sharp pain you described. It wasn't just pressure, it felt like a knife was stabbing me in the head! Now I think the sinus polyp I had on the side of my nose contributed to the pressure build-up and causing the pain. I jumped for many years just making-do with dealing with the pain (I was told I had a polyp before, but thought it had gone away and I was just dealing with my normal allergy problems). It wasn't until last Fall when it felt like my cheek exploded on a jump and I went back to the ENT and had subsequent polyp removal surgery.

For OTC help, I use Mucinex, Sudafed 12 hour and a 24 hour antihistamine. If the pain is really killin' you, you know you should probably go visit your doctor. Giving up some jumps for the co-pay might be worth it!
She is Da Man, and you better not mess with Da Man,
because she will lay some keepdown on you faster than, well, really fast. ~Billvon

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I feel your pain, quite literally... For me it started just over a year ago while descending in a commercial flight, and it has since been happening while skydiving as well to the point that now it's a given after 2 or 3 jumps.

Pretty much like skymama describes, just like having a knife driven through my forehead once i reach about 5000ft. Loads of fun! >:(

Let us know what if anything works for you. I'll be trying some of the suggestions above as well.

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Yeah, sinus blocks are no fun. I had a nasal polyp surgically removed after having one while flying. I likened that pain to someone driving a nail into my forehead. Made landing that Citabria real interesting.

Years later, I also had sinus block issues that kept me out of the air ( and scuba) for about 3 years. Turned out to be a sinus infection that I had for 3 years! (It required a CAT scan to find it) I had no idea that something like that could hang around for that long.

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sudeep

I'm a pretty new licensed jumper. I love to do multiple jumps in a day, but my sinus issues keeps me grounded. After two full altitude jumps, i get severe pain on my fore head and near my eye brows. After that I can do only hop n pops and call it a day. Does any experienced jumper have the same issues? How do you guys tackle this problem?

Thanks



If your Eustachian tubes are the issue, you can always try Flonase, its now over the counter. I prefer it over stuff like phenylephrine since that has a lot more side effects. A good ENT should get a scope in your nose and have a look around to see what is causing the ruckus. I try and not use the Valsalva that often myself. Gum helps, yawning is my trick otherwise. I chew gum but I get too nervous in the plane so end up swallowing it before I get off the bench thinking I'll choke on it. Yeah, i'm a little nervous still ;)

Try the Flonase and get a good ENT up in your business.
You are not the contents of your wallet.

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Just thought i'd report back with my results. After a few months of experimenting with various meds and 'tricks' i got good results and the sinus problems are a thing of the past B|

I've singled out chewing gum as the most effective treatment. Still feels like it wants to happen, but it keeps it in check just enough.

Sudafed/etc on its own is barely effective and still results in slight pressure/pain.

Sinus meds + gum combo is not more effective than gum alone.

When i don't have either and i'm able to (i.e. in an airliner) equalising pressure by pinching the nose and very gently blowing/inhaling like scuba divers gives good enough results if a little short lived in long descents.

YMMV, but it may be helpful to someone out there

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Maybe you're not using enough sudafed! (Says the pseudoephedrine addict.)

Also make sure you're getting the good stuff you have to sign in blood for (pseudoephedrine) not that crap that you don't (phenylephedrine.) The latter has basically been shown to be ineffective at nonprescrption dosages. Or any dosages, really.

Wander on back to the pharmacist and ask for a box of Primatene tablets. Ignore the warnings on the box. IGNORE THEM! Ooh yeah, here's some choice medical advice right here! All you're getting right there is pseudoephedrine... mmm.. and maybe a little extra... stuff... IGNORE THEM!

I'm not a doctor, I just use the stuff pretty regularly... because I enjoy being able to breathe, and apparently got fucked on that front in the genetic lottery.
I'm trying to teach myself how to set things on fire with my mind. Hey... is it hot in here?

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