Sinus Pain While Freediving – What To Know About Sinus Squeeze

Whenever you subject your body to intensified amounts of pressure, you are going to begin to see the physical results of this increasing amount of stress. Sometimes these results can manifest in the form of pain and even bleeding. In this article, we examine the sinus pain that many divers experience that is commonly referred to as “sinus squeeze” and what you need to know in order to deal with it.

What Is Sinus Squeeze?

In order to understand the pain that freedivers experience while submerged in water, we must first examine and understand the area of the body that is giving them the problem. The sinuses are a system of hollow cavities found within the skull. They can be found within the head, behind the cheeks and nose and behind the forehead just above the eyebrows.

The sinuses are lined with tissue called mucosa and can have a thin layer of mucus on them. When these tissues become irritated by environmental factors, they can swell and, under extreme conditions, they can begin to bleed (1).

One such environmental factor is the intense pressure that divers feel as they descend to deeper water depths. Pressure builds up in the hollow cavities of the diver’s sinuses. If the diver is unable to equalize that pressure buildup then a vacuum can develop within the sinus cavity, which results in intense pain and possibly a nose bleed. This buildup of pressure is what divers refer to as “sinus squeeze” (2).

Generally speaking, pain is bad and blood is really bad. If you are experiencing sinus pain while freediving, this should be a red flag (no pun intended) that there is something wrong. Sinus pain while diving should not be ignored. The symptoms and the possibility of damage can get progressively worse as the pressure persists.

How To Prevent Sinus Squeeze

The big thing to remember when preventing sinus squeeze if to counteract the increasing pressure as you dive. This act of counteracting that pressure is known as “equalizing.” Essentially, divers accomplish this by increasing the amount of air within a particular cavity (ie your sinuses or your diving mask) in order to push back against the pressure that is being exerted by the diver’s environment.

In order to equalize the pressure bearing down on your face and your sinus cavities, you will have to counteract it with additional air within the cavities. This can be accomplished by simply exhaling small bursts of air through your nose. As the amount of air within your sinuses increases, it will push back against the environmental pressure being exerted on you and ultimately “equalize” your sinuses.

If you determine that your facemask is the source of the pressure that is being exerted on your face, you can use a similar technique to equalize the pressure within the mask itself. Simply exhale short bursts of air into the mask in order to counteract the pressure being exerted against for face.

For more information on equalizing while freediving, be sure to check out our link HERE:

How To Treat Sinus Squeeze

Sinus squeeze can have a lasting effect on freedivers even after they exit the water. Generally speaking, your freedives will be relatively short in comparison to those of a scuba diver. As a result, any sinus pain that you experience during a freedive should be short-lived and the pain should subside once you reach the surface of the water. However, repetitive exposure to sinus squeeze over the course of several consecutive freedives could leave the sinus tissues inflamed, which can result in lasting pain.

If you experience sinus pain that persists long after you have finished your dive, there are a number of home remedies that you can try to mitigate the pain.

Ice – An icepack applied to the face can help reduce swelling of the sinus tissues. Leave the icepack on for a few minutes at a time and take breaks from the cold in between applications. See if the reduced swelling alleviates the pain.

Decongestants – Sometimes, an over-the-counter nasal decongestant can aid to reduce sinus swelling. Be sure to consult a physician before you start a medication regiment.
Anti-inflammatory medications and pain killers – once you’ve made an effort to treat the irritated sinus tissues, if pain persists, you can try some ibuprofen or some pain killers to treat the discomfort. As with the aforementioned decongestant medication, you should consult your doctor before starting any regiment of medication.

What To Do In The Event Of A Nosebleed While Freediving

If sinus pain persists long enough, it is possible for the sinus tissues to become so irritated that they actually bleed. The resulting nosebleed isn’t necessarily the end of the world, but it needs to be addressed immediately. Primarily, you will need to exit the water if you are in the middle of a dive when the bleeding begins. Continued pressure on the sinuses will only exacerbate the irritation. Additionally, bleeding sinus tissues can serve as an opening for possible infection. Also, if you are in the ocean, it is never a good idea to bleed where sharks can potentially pick up on the scent of blood.

Once you are back in your boat or on land, you will need to allow your sinuses an opportunity to clot. Sit down with your nostrils pinched to allow the blood to begin the clotting process. Be sure to sit upright as opposed to laying down. This will reduce the blood pressure in your nose and decrease the bleeding. Also, an icepack or cold compress applied around the nose can reduce bleeding. If the bleeding persists, be sure to consult a physician (3).

Sinus squeeze while freediving is common but it should not deter you from having a satisfying diving experience. The main thing to remember is to treat it at the onset and try not to allow it to persist. If you follow these tips, you will have a fun freediving experience.