Headaches & Diving

[jph6969]

Hi all,

I was reading one of the trip reports recently where a diver got a mild bend, but is ok. The diver in question has since said that they had a headache before the dive!
I have had many headaches in the passed; mainly alcohol induced from the night before, and have always believed that the headache is due to dehydration of the brain! My cure has always been to drink water, all the other remedies never work for me!

So here are the questions!

1) Can anybody confirm that headaches (the common type not migraine) are or are not caused by dehydration of the brain?

2) If the answer to the above is yes, should we take a headache as a symptom of dehydration and consequently not dive until it's cleared?

Jason

[MONO]

I am not a doctor, but... from Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headache)

Headaches have a wide variety of causes, ranging from eyestrain to inflammation of the sinus cavities to life-threatening conditions such as encephalitis, brain cancer, meningitis, and cerebral aneurysms. When the headache occurs in conjunction with a head injury the cause is usually quite evident; however, many causes of headaches are more elusive. The most common type of headache is a tension headache. Some people experience headaches when they are hungry or dehydrated.

...in other words it is NOT true to say a headache implies dehydration (or that if you are dehydrated you will have a headache).

I try to take extra care of myself in the 24 hours running up to a dive to make sure I am in tip-top condition and wont miss a thing. I wouldn't dive with a headache because obviously there is a problem somewhere (and I wouldn't enjoy the dive).

[recurve]

It is true to say that headaches MAY be caused by dehydration, and you MAY get a headache when dehydrated. Neither of these are certain to occur.

Dehydration is likely to occur if you over indulge in alcohol as it is a very effective diuretic (the root of the phrase 'being pissed' perhaps). You are perhaps the best judge of whether you get such symptoms, or whether your level of indulgence is likely to have caused them.

Being out in hot weather produces dehydration headaches in myself, and I know to drink plenty or I will get a 'blinder'. Oral rehydration substances such as 'Dioralyte' or 'Rehydrat' can be VERY effective in rehydrating you, much more than simple water, due to being much more isotonic.

What IS certain, is that diving while dehydrated is NOT a good plan.

[MattS]

1) Can anybody confirm that headaches (the common type not migraine) are or are not caused by dehydration of the brain?

Headaches can be caused by many things. In the case of a hangover the headache is caused by dehydration and the toxins within whatever it was you were drinking.

2) If the answer to the above is yes, should we take a headache as a symptom of dehydration and consequently not dive until it's cleared?

There is no question that drinking alcohol will cause you to dehydrate whether it is accompanied by a headache or not. Once you are dehydrated it takes 16 to 24hrs to completely recover. Drinking lots of water or isotonic drinks will help with the recovery but it still takes many hours to fully rehydrate and get the toxins out of your system. The only safe thing to do is to refrain from drinking alcohol the night before diving.

There are many other issues with hangovers and diving. Personally I think subjecting your body to increased pressure while your kidneys are already working overtime and your blood sugar is low is a very bad idea.

If you must drink then do so in strict moderation with consideration of the diving you have planned. A pint of water before bed can help, but the middle of the night trips to the loo interrupts sleep which brings it's own problems.

Personally I enjoy a beer as much as the next man (more than the next man according to some of my friends). But I think you have to make a choice between enjoying your drink or enjoying your dive becasue it just is not safe to do both.

Ref:
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/en.asp?T...53&LinkID=3228

[jph6969]

Originally Posted by MattS

Headaches can be caused by many things. In the case of a hangover the headache is caused by dehydration and the toxins within whatever it was you were drinking.

There is no question that drinking alcohol will cause you to dehydrate whether it is accompanied by a headache or not. Once you are dehydrated it takes 16 to 24hrs to completely recover. Drinking lots of water or isotonic drinks will help with the recovery but it still takes many hours to fully rehydrate and get the toxins out of your system. The only safe thing to do is to refrain from drinking alcohol the night before diving.

There are many other issues with hangovers and diving. Personally I think subjecting your body to increased pressure while your kidneys are already working overtime and your blood sugar is low is a very bad idea.

If you must drink then do so in strict moderation with consideration of the diving you have planned. A pint of water before bed can help, but the middle of the night trips to the loo interrupts sleep which brings it's own problems.

Personally I enjoy a beer as much as the next man (more than the next man according to some of my friends). But I think you have to make a choice between enjoying your drink or enjoying your dive becasue it just is not safe to do both.

Ref:
http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/en.asp?T...53&LinkID=3228

Thanks for the info, I am fully aware of the effects of over indulgence and only realy used the hangover as an example and yes I do the drink to bed thing (though I don't have the bladder issue).

The tension headache that was mentioned is interesting as a different example, as is the comment that a headache (of any kind) is indicative that something aint right, and following this line leads naturally to the conclusion that you should not dive if you have a headache. If for no other reason that a headache must add to your stress level!

In addition when trying to look out for others and asking the question "are you ok" the responce "yeah, just got a bit of a headache" should trigger some bells, not necessarily alarm bells, but maybe caution bells.

Jason

[PW1664]

Many years ago when I sarted diving I use to get intense headaches towards the end of deeper dives.

I realised that i was 'skip' breathing, slowing my breathing rate down to try and conserve gas.

As soon as I sarted breathing normally headaches disappeared.

hope this helps....