Having a cold and skydiving

[Shadowplay 0]

I have a moderate head cold today and I really want to go jumping tomorrow. I'm wondering what other more experienced (I'm at AFF level 4 right now) jumpers think about it...is it a good idea? Any problems that might arise? What are the solutions? Besides getting healthy.

[Vertifly 0]

Only problems that I can see is that you may get more ill and...

Jumping with a head cold can really give you a gnarly ear-ache if you are prone to this type of thing. I have also seen people who's sinuses explode in freefall; it isn't very pretty. Yuk!!!!

[hooked 0]

Read the recent posts by Muenkel. He didn't have a head cold but his experience will make you think about skydiving with any congestion. I was told.....don't do it!

J

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Sometimes we're just being Humans.....But we're always Human Beings.

[aero04 0]

Head colds and jumping go together like a turd in a punchbowl.

Being serious here, you might be ok after tomorrows jumping, or you might blow out an eardrum. Just too risky IMHO. Sit out tomorrow, get well and then jump your ass off. Don't worry, the sky will still be there next weekend.

[tbrown 26]

Don't do it.

Talk to Mr. Muenkel in these forums, who is grounded for a serious sinus blowout.

Find a nice place for outdoor sex with somebody special instead.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[mjosparky 3]

The big problem with having a cold and going jumping is you take the chance of give other people a cold. Stay home.

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Beerlight 0]

Jumping with a head cold can lead to ruptured sinuses and ruptured ear drums. The inner ear and the Eustachian tubes do not take kindly to large pressure changes when they are plugged. Infections in these areas can produce debilitating pain under normal jump conditions. In a few words — if you are sick or under the weather, don’t jump. Loading up on antihistamines and decongestants can cause other medical problems. There is always another day to enjoy a jump in good health.

[skymama 35]

Here's Muenkel's thread where he explains what he is going through after jumping with sinus problems. He said he has permanant hearing loss now. After reading this, I wouldn't risk 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

[robskydiv 0]

Hi Shadowplay. Hope you recover soon from your cold. It's probably best to wait until your cold goes away. Hang in there.

[Casch 0]

Um, your head will quite literally explode.

I wouldn't do it unless you're into that sort of thing

[oldnewbie 0]

Yep, read muenkels post!!! He and I seem to have the same problem. I know it sucks. I have not been able to go for over 60 days now, and I'm not current. I decided to postpone jumping until this clears up, since the last time i went, it seemed to make it worse. Your hearing is worth more than your skydiving career, IMHO anyways!!

This really does suck!

[Joellercoaster 6]

Ah, crap. He jumped?

I think I remember the thread before that when he was debating jumping or not... really sorry to hear that he got hurt so badly.

Shadowplay, in case it hasn't become obvious: don't do it.

I did, about two months ago, and the pain by deploy time was pretty bad. I was mostly deaf for a couple of days. I also got a lot sicker. But after what happened to Muenkel, I feel like I got away very lightly indeed.

*vibes to M*

--
"I'll tell you how all skydivers are judged, . They are judged by the laws of physics." - kkeenan

"You jump out, pull the string and either live or die. What's there to be good at?

[quickdrawmcgraw 0]

I jumped 10k last christmas with only a slight cold, BIG mistake.....
I ruptured an eardrum which got infected and caused total hearing loss on the right side
almost six months to heal....except for some permanent hearing loss
I'll never do that again......

[hooked 0]

Quote

Ah, crap. He jumped?

I think I remember the thread before that when he was debating jumping or not... really sorry to hear that he got hurt so badly.

Shadowplay, in case it hasn't become obvious: don't do it.

I did, about two months ago, and the pain by deploy time was pretty bad. I was mostly deaf for a couple of days. I also got a lot sicker. But after what happened to Muenkel, I feel like I got away very lightly indeed.

*vibes to M*

No, he didn't jump that time. His problem came from his first level jump (maybe the second).

J

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Sometimes we're just being Humans.....But we're always Human Beings.

[TrickyDicky 0]

Just go to the DZ and do something else skydiving related like learn to pack.

Or if you know... Practice!

UK Skydiver for all your UK skydiving needs.

[SkymonkeyONE 3]

It's frowned upon by medical personnel, but some people don't have the opportunity NOT to jump when they are sick. I can think of many instances, this entire weekend included, where I managed to jump while pretty damn sick. The cons are many, so you have to be the judge of what you can and cannot do from previous experience. The worse things to me are blowing out sinuses (which can actually be good in some cases) to ears that will not clear. I have slow ears to start with from 18 years of SCUBA diving, so that is what gets to me the most.

If you can afford NOT to jump when you are sick, then you ought not do so. It's pretty damn miserable.