Head colds and jumping....???

[sunnydee123 0]

OK so I have to ask - this is my first "illness" since I started skydiving last year and here is my dilemna: There is an event coming up at my DZ that I've been looking forward to for over a month now and Sunday I started getting a stuffy nose, which turned into a yucky headache which has progressed into a head cold (I THINK). Only half of my nose stays stuffed and I can't blow it yet it wants to run (walking around with a tissue stuck up it works nicely but not very attractive )

Seriously - I don't know if it is allergies or sinuses or a "bug" but just wondering what other people think about jumping. I don't feel crappy (unless I take Benadryl and then I want to sleep), just have half a stuffy nose.

Should I attempt a jump and see how it goes?

Dreams become reality, one choice at a time...

[ladyskydiver 0]

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Should I attempt a jump and see how it goes?

Nope....blowing out your sinus' wouldn't be fun or pleasant.

Life is short! Break the rules! Forgive quickly! Kiss slowly! Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably. And never regret anything that made you smile.

[TALONSKY 0]

There have been a few threads on this issue, so you may want to do a search.
Bottom line is it is up to you, there may be few different things that could happen or nothing could happen. I have had really bad sinus headaches, to bloody noses, to pushing infection down into the roots of a tooth and having to have it pulled. There is also the possiblity of pushing infection to your inner ear.
Kirk

[boxingrrl 0]

Well... depending on what you have going on, you could potentially do quite a bit of damage to yourself (rupture sinuses, eardrums, etc.). That would be extreme, but at the very least, the extra pressure might give you quite the head and/or ear- ache. If your nose decides to let loose in freefall, you may end up with goggles covered in snot, too.

I've known some jumpers who do a hop and pop to see how the altitude effects them, but 3500 is not 13500.

It's only Thursday-- perhaps you'll be feeling better by the weekend. Take really good care of yourself, and please be careful, whatever you decide.

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[skyyhi 0]

Here is a sure-fire cold cure that you need to start NOW. . .(as a side-note, I would not jump with stuffed sinuses. . .)

Water - You need a minimum of 64 oz per day. This will thin the secretions and allow your sinuses to drain.

Quit taking the antihistamines and just take a decongestant - sudaphed is a good one. The antihistamines dry the sinuses but do nothing to help rid the sinuses of the mucous (sorry, gross I know). You want to get the stuff OUT. . .

Take an antiinflammatory such as aspirin or ibuprophen. These will decrease the swelling in your irritated sinuses, which will help to drain them.

I SWEAR by this remedy. . .allergies are handled entirely different though so if it is allergies this will not help you.

Hope you get well soon.

Edited to add: Don't take multisymptom cold relievers. They have things that you don't need in them. Most the time they just mask the symptoms and make you drowzy. . .Stick to a simple decongestant.

________________________________________
Take risks not to escape life… but to prevent life from escaping. ~ A bumper sticker at the DZ
FGF #6
Darcy

[chuckbrown 0]

Jump if you enjoy the feeling of an ice pick being stuck into your brain and the sight of blood coming out of your nose. Sorry to be so obtuse, but stay on the ground until you feel better. Besides the boogie season is just starting.
P.S. Don't forget to come by the CRW tent if you're in Richmond this year.

[Beerlight 0]

D,

Scenario: You jump, perforate an eardrum (easy to do) or rupture a sinus cavity (easy to do). You will be OUT of jumping for a longgggg time. And you'd miss out on all the FUN JUMPS this summer......

Additionally, risk of hearing loss plus inner ear long term balance problems. Me no lie.

Better to miss an upcoming event than miss several months of jumping........

Buck

[Edit to add: Even a hop n pop can screw you up. Pressure change is greatest from 5,000 to ground.]

[Hazarrd 1]

don't do it. ive pushed the envelope two times when i had sinus problems. both were bad experiences. its hard to say no, but try to

.-.

[TribalTalon 0]

eh. i've jumped with a stuffed nose, my nose blew up in mid air and my face was covered in snot. hahaha. pretty gross. other then that, i've noticed that sometimes i get this extremely sharp pain in my head right where my left eyebrow is. seems like sinuses, but i havent had a head cold or anything in quite some time. *knock on wood*

[Beerlight 0]

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other then that, i've noticed that sometimes i get this extremely sharp pain in my head right where my left eyebrow is. *

That my friend is what's called a "frontal sinus block."
It can have devastating affect, up to an including not being able to see due to intense pain.....

Guess I cue in on these types of problems since that is part of my career.......

[vt1977 0]

Hey Denise,

I’ve been plagued with ear/sinus problems for my entire jumping career. The best advice I can give you is if in doubt just don’t do it! If you judge it wrong and jump when you shouldn’t (even if you don’t physically damage anything) the pain can be beyond excruciating.

My general rule of thumb is that if your ears will clear on the ground then you are probably ok to jump – if I am in any doubt at all, I will always try a hop and pop from no higher than 3,500’.

If you think you are ok (i.e. can clear your ears easily on the ground) but still feel a little bunged try some of those Listerine thin strips and/or something strong and minty in your mouth on the way to altitude. If you wear a full face helmet, try a little (as in 1 or 2 drops) of Olbas oil in the nose/mouth piece.

Good luck and please, please err on the side of caution - it’s only one weekend after all. (I had to sit out almost the entire summer last year and it was a killer )

Vicki

[sunnydee123 0]

Thanks to everyone for the comments, stories and suggestions. I will do the right thing, promise.

I'd rather miss a weekend of jumping (but I can still play with my pals on the ground) and have another great YEAR of skydiving ahead of me!

Hugs to everyone~

Dreams become reality, one choice at a time...

[sunshine 2]

You'll be ok sitting out. I'm happy that you've chosen to do the right thing. Besides, it makes me feel better to know someone else is grounded too, even if only for the weekend.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[Nightingale 0]

try Arizona Natural cold medicine. Only lasts for about four hours, but nobody I know who's tried it (and I've gotten almost ALL my friends and family to try it because I think its so wonderful) has had any type of drowsy side effect.

I know Longs Drugs carries it. You can also find it here:

http://www.bioright.com/products1.html

[IanHarrop 42]

I'd suggest Otrivin but only if after you use it you actually feel all clear before going up.

"Where troubles melt like lemon drops, away above the chimney tops, that's where you'll find me" Dorothy

[TribalTalon 0]

so is there any chance of real injury from that? frontal sinus block or whatever.

[tbrown 26]

I'd advise against it. I'm currently waiting for my own bout of "pressure trauma", as the doctor called it, to clear up. I made one jump last Saturday. Had hoped to make a few more as well. Had a slight cold, only slightly congested. Dayquil helped, I could actually breathe through my nose. Thought I was okay. Wrong. Every last ounce of snot in my head went into my right ear. It wasn't actually painful, it was more like wearing an earplug 24/7. Now it's Thursday, 5 days out, and things are finally improving. There's an EXCEL camp at Elsinore this Saturday that I REALLY want to attend. Plus a big blowout at Taft the following weekend to say goodbye to Mike Mullins and his King Air. I'm thinking this weekend I'll stay home and do something fun, like my friggin' taxes instead. Otherwise, one jump could screw BOTH the EXCEL camp AND Taft.

It sucks, but the doctor says it's like a sprain. Takes time to heal and in the meantime you're more vulnerable to doing it again.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[Beerlight 0]

As far as injury, sure anything from bleeding and inflammation/soft tissue damage can occur.

Ear blocks are more common than sinus blocks.
It's just that the level of pain from a sinus block will make you want to scream!...

A web search for "barotrauma" will come up with tons of literature on the subject....

[Edit to add: Just because you've jumped before with a cold and nothing happened, DOES NOT mean it will always work like that. Your next jump might send you to the doc with ear/sinus damage. Recovery time can be quite lengthy.]

Buck

[Tonto 1]

Don't.

t

It's the year of the Pig.

[The111 1]

You're lucky if this is the first time you've been sick in a year. I have the shittiest immune system in the world. I've been sick 4 times in 2k4 already. Just getting over bronchitis right now.

I am certainly not advising that you do jump but once I jumped when my nose was a little stuffy on the ground, and it actually cleared up perfectly every ride to altitude. It's a hard judgment call to make though...

www.WingsuitPhotos.com

[towerrat 0]

You can have serious problems, but I've always found 12 hour sudaphed works wonders.

Play stupid games, win stupid prizes!

[lawrocket 3]

Here's a suggestion for you.

Go to a swimming pool and go down about 8-10 feet and see if you can handle it without discomfort. Clearing your ears, thumping sinus pain, etc.

Don't go too far if you start having problems or else you'll do what you seek to avoid. But it can give you a good idea of what to expect and see if you try to jump (about 33 of water feet is one atmosphere is pressure).

Dont' get hurt.

My wife is hotter than your wife.

[TribalTalon 0]

hmmmm. i dont know about that. i cannot go any deeper then like 10 feet or my head feels like its gonna explode, but i have no problems (normally) at altitude or coming down. so i dunno. weird.

[JohnMitchell 16]

I recommend using Sudafed to relieve the pressure and promote clearing of the ears. It doesn't make you drowsy. The FAA let's me take Sudafed when I'm working my day job as an air traffic controller, so I feel just fine about taking it when I skydive. Try a low jump first, a hop and pop from 3500 feet, and see how you do. Wear an open face helmet so you can pinch your nose and blow if you have to. Don't skydive, though, if you're really under the weather. This stuff is just to help you when you're not so sick anymore, but still kind of stuffy.

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[freakydiver 0]

I tried and failed miserably )-:

Wait it out...

-- (N.DG) "If all else fails – at least try and look under control." --