Intracranial pressure and bagpipes -- The Bagpipe Message Board

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Subject:

Intracranial pressure and bagpipes

Author:
Bill O'Neal

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Date Posted: 22:33:36 03/17/03 Mon

I've been playing pipes for about 15 years, but about 18 months ago I started developing what felt like sinus pressure whenever I played the pipes. The pressure got so bad I had to give up the pipes. I've tried to start up again a few times, but have always had a recurrence of the problem. Has anyone had similar problems or other problems stemming from the pressure required to play pipes.

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Replies:

[> Subject: Re: Intracranial pressure and bagpipes

Author:
Chris C.
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Date Posted: 15:57:53 03/25/03 Tue

>I've been playing pipes for about 15 years, but about
>18 months ago I started developing what felt like
>sinus pressure whenever I played the pipes. The
>pressure got so bad I had to give up the pipes. I've
>tried to start up again a few times, but have always
>had a recurrence of the problem. Has anyone had
>similar problems or other problems stemming from the
>pressure required to play pipes.

Hi Bill,
I have never the problem you describe, where the bagpipes adversely affected my sinuses, but I've had chronic sinusitis before (a time during which I wasn't playing the pipes) -- perhaps you may want to see an ear nose and throat specialist.

Sinusitis can be there and you're not really aware of its extent. I didn't know how bad I had it, because I never had sinus headaches, like most people have. But it was there allright.

It could be that the extra breath pressure needed to blow the pipes may be just enough to aggravate a sinusitis you may have, by forcing some air back up into your sinuses.....

I remember playing the pipes once when I had a bad head cold, and it temporarily cleared up my head, with no drainage for a few minutes afterwards -- obviously it pushed air backwards into the sinuses....

I'm no doctor, but you may want to see one. It could help you to where you can play your pipes again without pain.

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[> Subject: Re: Intracranial pressure and bagpipes

Author:
jwk
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Date Posted: 10:15:28 05/21/03 Wed

I agree with the possibility of a chronic sinus infection. I have had similar problems, and did not even know about it, until diagnosed by a doctor. You might try an easier reed too, less pressure. I once was attempting to blow in a new reed that was a tad on the stong side, had to blow so hard to get it to sound that it felt like I had ruptured an ear drum!! Had a headache for hours. Reed went in the garbage!

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