Diving with Menieres.
Diving with Menieres.
Anybody else have this? I'm just getting over my second bout of it, this one not nearly as bad as the first. Both hit me at night in my sleep, woke to a spinning world. First time was so bad I fell out of bed, second not as bad but lasted much longer. I asked over on SB about it and was just about told to sell my gear. Having done a good amount of web research I am coming up with more questions than I started with. Anyone have any personal insight?
Pop tarts and gravy,
It's what's for breakfast.
It's what's for breakfast.
Re: Diving with Menieres.
My, that's a nasty one for many reasons, let alone scuba. I think I'd take this to Dr. Ed Kay.
Have you called DAN? On a simple search I pulled up one DAN-Europe response saying it was a definite counter indication.
Have you called DAN? On a simple search I pulled up one DAN-Europe response saying it was a definite counter indication.
To Air is Human,
To Respire, Divine.
To Respire, Divine.
Re: Diving with Menieres.
I don't have Meniere's, but I've battled vertigo underwater through my entire diving career. It's very disorienting and stressful, and it's quite difficult to maintain buoyancy control if you are seriously spinning. It can be learned, however, if you can remain calm when it hits. (I did a lot of ascents in my first year or so staring at my gauge and saying, "It doesn't MATTER if you are doing somersaults, so long as you are doing them at 20 feet!")
It is interesting to consider the effects of diving on Meniere's, however. It's thought to be an overproduction of fluid in the semicircular canals, and is treated with a mild diuretic, and patients are told to avoid excess salt. Well, immersion in water creates diuresis, which makes me wonder if a person with Meniere's is less likely to have an attack while diving than they would be on land. Mind you, as far as I know, there are NO data whatsoever to support this.
I think if I were you and really wanted to continue to dive, I'd keep my diving shallow enough that I could always easily abort if need be, and I'd warn my dive buddies that I might need to depend on them for stability. And then I'd go diving. But I would change that advice in a heartbeat if you are the kind of person who panics easily.
It is interesting to consider the effects of diving on Meniere's, however. It's thought to be an overproduction of fluid in the semicircular canals, and is treated with a mild diuretic, and patients are told to avoid excess salt. Well, immersion in water creates diuresis, which makes me wonder if a person with Meniere's is less likely to have an attack while diving than they would be on land. Mind you, as far as I know, there are NO data whatsoever to support this.
I think if I were you and really wanted to continue to dive, I'd keep my diving shallow enough that I could always easily abort if need be, and I'd warn my dive buddies that I might need to depend on them for stability. And then I'd go diving. But I would change that advice in a heartbeat if you are the kind of person who panics easily.
"Sometimes, when your world is going sideways, the second best thing to everything working out right, is knowing you are loved..." ljjames
Re: Diving with Menieres.
My dad had this when I was a kid, I am sorry to hear you are having to deal with it. My dad was a diver back then and gave up diving when Menieres set in on him. He had other medical issues to go along with it though and that was many years ago so I can't say for sure that it was the Menieres that caused him to retire from diving. Also, keep in mind that was probably 40-45 years ago.
Re: Diving with Menieres.
After a long visit with my Dr, we feel I don't have the full blown disease. I do have Tinnitus, (ringing in my ears) and my 2 bouts of Menieres were most likely triggered by a spike in my salt intake. I have changed my diet to reflect that and my Tinnitus has actually decreased a bit. I am diving 3 tree Saturday and will make sure to inform my dive buddy of "special" hand signals!
Pop tarts and gravy,
It's what's for breakfast.
It's what's for breakfast.
Re: Diving with Menieres.
That makes me wonder if I could reduce my salt intake and reduce the ringing in my ears too. My ears ring all the time. I don't use that much salt though, at least I don't think I do. If you don't mind me asking...what was your salt intake like?