Medical Questions
Headache after diving
I regularly suffer from a headache after diving. I do not suffer from migraine and do not suffer from a headache when I do short dives. What can be wrong?
Answer from DAN experts:
Chronically recurrent headaches after long dives can have numerous causes. Most are:
1. Accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood caused by wrong breathing techniques. These headaches are very severe and last quite a long time.
2. Unfavorable diving position with overextension of the cervical spine. Often hardening of the neck muscles can be found.
3. Biting the mouthpiece of the regulator too hard can lead to overstressing the chewing and postural neck muscles and can therefore also lead to severe headaches, which should, however, resolve swiftly after the dive.
