This really makes me sick

[Paul Hinchliffe]

I must state this problem does not effect me all the time , but when it does is really uncomfortable.
What happens is my uvula( clacker to me ) when I dive sometimes swells up to a stupid sizes and lays on my tongue and when I swallow has the effect of sticking a finger down my throat, making me balk every time I swallow. Ive even honked up underwater with it! I have asked heeps of people about this and nobody can give me an answer. I can not find a set pattern for this happening it just takes me by supprise every time and spoils my dives. It happened a few weeks ago on a deep dive and I had 30+mins deco to do reaching evertime I swallowed, (not pleasent) It usually takes at least one day to go back down and totally does my head in!
Id like to know if anyone else has this problem, or if anyone knows the cause.:ne_nau: so I can prevent it from happening again.

[peter k]

It could be breathing dry compressed air. Just a guess.

Peter

[jjflash]

Hi Paul,

Do you have the hint of a cold or suffer from tonsillitus at all. I ask 'cos I suffer the same thing very occaisionally though not through diving. A couple of days before Xmas I started to get a sore throat and the onset of a cold, got worse and Boxing Day work up hardly able to breathe - the other half whisked my off to casualty which was not the best place to spend 3 hours waiting around b4  I got bored and went home ! Mainly 'cos I'd run out of fags !

Don't know what really causes it though I believe it's linked to my tonsils which have been prone to easy infection. Usually goes away with Nurofen Cold & Flu and gargling with warm salt water helps

Sorry I cant be more specific but at least you know you're not the only supposed weirdo out there ! :wierdo:

Paul

(Edited by jjflash at 9:07 pm on Feb. 12, 2003)

[Jay]

Paul, if needs be I have the details of a doctor in Bradford who is also a diver (PADI assistant instructor) - he does my HSE medicals and may have an answer for you - mail me if you want his details.

[Dr Stevil]

or you can check this list BSAC Medical Referees

[Paul Hinchliffe]

Thanks for those links guys,
Ive just spoke to a Dr from BSAC and he reckons it could be the dry compressed air as Peter suggested and recommended taking a drink down with me to keep my mouth moist, so ill give that a bash. It only seems to get me on the first dive I do in the sea,then after a day its OK and I can enjoy my diving again.
It could even be something to do with flying before diving as it always happens when I go abroard, but only sometimes here. So looking at it now there does seem to be a pattern forming. Hopefully this will work, :washmouth:Ill let you know.

[parahandy]

Paul
Found youre bit about youre "Clacker" problem rang true with my experience. A couple of years ago whilst working as Divemaster in Turkey after the final days dive I had an identical experience. It basically felt like I had something stuck in my throat as the dam thing had swelled up. Initially have to admit I got the wind up as the thought crossed my mind it may have been decompression related, despite no stops missed and well with NDL's.
The swelling went down after a few hours although I was still conscious of it not being 100%.

On returning to the UK It didn't get any better,and caused some coughing eventually after seeing my GP who was perplexed with my symptoms, I got refered to a Consultant. The consultant still mystified by the cause could only offer Surgery. In short I had the dam thing removed by lazer off. A bit drastic I know but solved the problem.
Dry air????

[Paul Hinchliffe]

kin ell Para,:doctor:......:unitaz:
Did it hurt much?.. can we talk about something else?
Think err Ill see if it happens again first err just to be sure.
Thanks for that Andy, you are the first person I have talked too who has had this problem as bad if not worse than me and if consultants still dont know what it is, theres no hope for me "sniff" it will have to come off, it has to be less painfull than getting bent not being able to hold a stop. Still I think Ill give it one more chance...cluck..cluck.
At least I dont feel such a freak now!!.


(Edited by Paul Hinchliffe at 8:54 pm on Feb. 27, 2003)

[parahandy]

LOL :lol3:Sorry Paul didn't mean to put the frighteners on ya.
Just thought I was the only one who experienced this.
True the measures a bit drastic in my case:cry: