Ear problems after diving..

[SkremenGSXR]

I went diving yesterday. NO deeper than 25ft. I had a problem getting my ears to clear at about 15 ft down. Came up a little then went back down and it was ok like they cleared on their own. After we came up to surface and went bak down later my left ear was giving me slight pain. I tried to yawn, swallow but couldnt pop my ears. Eventually it went away and as I came up later my ears popped when I was almost at the surface and when I got out of the water it feels like I have water still in them today. It sounds funny to me when I talk etc..Anyone ever experience this and if so how did you relieve it? Thnks, Kevin

[Grin]

I don't think your ears poping as you accend is a good thing. If things deteriorate in the next day, or don't get better in a couple days, you better see a ear doc. Hope you bought DAN insurance! DAN covered all my ear doc visits from diving. Hopefully others have a better expalnation than mine. I never have had clearing issues and this sounds something like that. The first thing the docs look at is the color of your ear drum to see if it's full of blood behind them. They can see by the color of the ear drum. It has never happened to me but it sounds like that may be your issue.

[Ironhed]

I am the ear issue king, 2 ruptures this year and a whole lifetime of problems. I think you messed up by waiting to 15 foot to clear in the first place. I have learned you need to clear them at the surface before you go to 15 foot. Once I started doing this I don't have the issues I was having before. I also now am diving an IST pro ears mask and noticing you shave your hair it might work for you, I have to shave my head before I dive and I take it to the skin around my ears to maximize the seal for the ear cups. liesure pro sells the mask for 50 bucks.

[jadairiii]

Find yourself a very good ENT and go to him/her right away. Sounds like you have fluid in you inner ear and that can get really nasty quick.

John

[Ironhed]

well I would wait and see if you get are pain in a day or 2 you probably have an infection. I get what sounds like water in my ears pretty regularly where my ear pops in and out where the hearing is dulled and then clears. if your in pain then go to an ent if your just hearing bubbles popping you might just have water trapped in your ear. it is your call your the one that can judge if it is pain or not. pain = infection. antibiotics clears that up.

[Louis Rossignol]

Take 2 sudafeds and call me in the morning,

if that doesn't work and you want to beat the doctor bill, stick a sharp needle thru your eardrum, twist it to make a good clean hole, you will hear it squeak, squeak as you twist the needle, lean your head sideways, hold your nose and blow. All the blood will blast right out and the pain will be instantly relieved. The eardrum then only takes 1 hour to heal. You'll be diving again by the weekend.

Sounds like bullshit huh, it's been done to me and it does work.

For added pleasure first put some lydocaine on a cotton swab and rub it on your eardrum first, you won't feel a thing afterwards.

[Mariner]

Take 2 sudafeds and call me in the morning,

if that doesn't work and you want to beat the doctor bill, stick a sharp needle thru your eardrum, twist it to make a good clean hole, you will hear it squeak, squeak as you twist the needle, lean your head sideways, hold your nose and blow. All the blood will blast right out and the pain will be instantly relieved. The eardrum then only takes 1 hour to heal. You'll be diving again by the weekend.

Sounds like bullshit huh, it's been done to me and it does work.

For added pleasure first put some lydocaine on a cotton swab and rub it on your eardrum first, you won't feel a thing afterwards.


OUUUCCCCCHHHHHH!!!!!! :eek:

[SkremenGSXR]

Thanks for all the info guys..It seems that its mostly my left ear. Not really painful just more discomfort really. Feels like it's clogged and when I talk it sounds funny. I have always had problems clearing my ears. Maybe I should ask for any advice from people who have had that problem in the past as well...

[Grin]

If it's just water you can try to dry that out with regular old "Swimmers ear" type stuff that you can get at any drug store. It's basically alchohol, you ltiolt your head and fill the ear canal with it and it drys up the water in about 30 seconds. leave it in for 5 minutes or until you feel it dry up. You'll know it as soon as it drys up and you will be very happy if this is all it is. I have used this stuff a million times for the water in the ear thing. Hopefully that is all it is.

[NOTANX]

oops

[NOTANX]

Dont wait so long to clear. start at the surface and clear every few feet. it sounds like you have swelling and blood in your inner ear. nothing that you put in your outer ear will effect your inner ear. they are separated by the tempanic membrane so i wouldnt worry about putting anything in your ear. if you go to the doctor, he will probably tell you that you do not have fluid in your ear because it is not in your middle ear. it is in the inner ear tubes. i get this all the time. my ears squish when i swallow and sometimes when i talk it sounds like i have ear plugs in. this should clear up in time. try chewing gum, this will help move the clearing process along. hope that helps.

[SkremenGSXR]

Thanks NOTANX I will give the gum a try. Sounds exactly like you describe it as. Sounds just like I have ear plugs in..

[Mikerotch]

I raelize this is a month old or so, but I've experienced the same thing you went through, it is probably barrowtrauma. Take a few minutes, go to this website and watch the presentation by the Dr. who is also a dive instructor. This is by far the best information I have ever received pertaining to the workings of the ear and how to pressurize/equalize when diving.

http://www.uwtv.org/programs/displayevent.aspx?rID=2272

Mikerotch

[Dive or Die]

I don't have the problem with the popping, but, after a day of diving one or both ears will have fluid behind them. I use swimmers ear stuff or hydrogen peroxide to help clean/dry the outer ear and it goes away in 2-3 days. Also before entering water for dive I clear ears on boat then jump in and since doing that at surface have not ever had any pain. Still get fluid though after dive. I try to sleep with the side that has fluid up so it can drain back in tube. Not a doctor, things I have heard and tried that may work.

[seacrecher]

I had that same thing happen to me. Turned out to be an infection in the ear. The Eustachion tube had swollen closed. Don't wait too long to get to the Doctor. I figured it was just water in my ear. After two days, it felt as though an icepick were being stuck in my ear! I was out of the water for 4 weeks.

[Wahooooo!]

I don't have the problem with the popping, but, after a day of diving one or both ears will have fluid behind them. I use swimmers ear stuff or hydrogen peroxide to help clean/dry the outer ear and it goes away in 2-3 days. Also before entering water for dive I clear ears on boat then jump in and since doing that at surface have not ever had any pain. Still get fluid though after dive. I try to sleep with the side that has fluid up so it can drain back in tube. Not a doctor, things I have heard and tried that may work.




How do you know you have fluid behind your eardrum?

[Polystigma]

I have never had problems clearing my right ear, but on my last dive I did. It started hurting really bad on the accent. I felt as if my ear drum was about to burst. I has been like two weeks now and my right ear still feels a little different. It also feels like it has an "ear plug" in it and it pops like pop corn when I move my jaw and try to clear. Have not been diving since. So I do not know if it will still preform. However, I am going to see my ENT tomorrow and will probably ask him to take a peak. Also going in for a hearing test with the audiologist.

[Ironhed]

Dont wait so long to clear. start at the surface and clear every few feet. it sounds like you have swelling and blood in your inner ear. nothing that you put in your outer ear will effect your inner ear.
This statement is so true, I now clear before I go over the side of the boat and again as soon as I start to make my decent. I don't ever seem to have issues anymore. I probably could lose my ear mask now but it is the only black skirted mask I own. anyway if your having issues make sure your clearing at the surface and not at 10 or 15 feet for your first clear.

[Mikerotch]

If you get a chance to go to the link in reply # 13 and do what the doctor says, you will have a 98% chance of never having another ear problem. In addition you will thouroughly understand your ears. Ironhed, you are practicing what the doctor recommends, which is maintaining positive inner ear pressure before and throughout your descent. Otherwise, the water pressure compresses your ear drum around the bone inside the drum resulting in trauma ( and pain) which then leads to fluid and blood quickly filling the inner ear. The fluid inside the drum gives the "stuffed" ear sensation and /or the crackling effect, all of which suck. If you ever feel pain on descent you have already risked damage, thus it is important to always keep the inner ear pressure higher than the pressure exerted by the water on the outside. Upon reaching maximum depth, simply wiggle the jaws to release excess pressure through your eustacion (sp?) tubes and you're done and comfortable.
Guaranteed or your money back.

Mikerotch the reformed clogged ear guy.

[Mikerotch]

Polystigma,
If you didn't feel pain until your accent, you no doubt had a reverse block. The pressure in your inner ear obviously did not release on accent, bulging your eardrum outward, no doubt hurting substantially. I get a little of that sometimes, but I have always been able to deal with it by dropping a couple of feet and chewing on my mothpiece until it cracks open my eustacion tubes allowing the pressure inside the ear to decrease and equalize with the outside water pressure. I can then resume my accent without any more problems. Again, watch the video, which includes camera shots of eardrums in action, and it will all make sense.

Mikerotch

[Polystigma]

Polystigma,
If you didn't feel pain until your accent, you no doubt had a reverse block. The pressure in your inner ear obviously did not release on accent, bulging your eardrum outward, no doubt hurting substantially. I get a little of that sometimes, but I have always been able to deal with it by dropping a couple of feet and chewing on my mothpiece until it cracks open my eustacion tubes allowing the pressure inside the ear to decrease and equalize with the outside water pressure. I can then resume my accent without any more problems. Again, watch the video, which includes camera shots of eardrums in action, and it will all make sense.

Mikerotch


I am a freediver and made it to the surface quickly. However, for the rest of the night my ear could not clear and I could not get past about 5-8ft. I tried forcing myself, but the pain was too much. And I did not want to risk rupturing an eardrum. I only got 2 lobster that night. When I could have probably limited out, had my ear been working. :(

[NateSmith]

I blew my left ear drum last Friday while freediving here in Monterey Bay. I've had sinus problems my entire life and just got a product to clear them the other day. It's called Neilmed sinus rinse. My ear drum is still healing, but at least I can breathe. I've also heard of people taking Sudafed before a day or two before diving so that their sinuses are clear and they can pop their ears easily.

Those are my 2 cents. :thumps:

[Capt.Gene]

Some good advice here.
You have some barotrauma caused by not properly equalizing.
You can't blow air through a soda straw that is crushed in the middle. If you bruise yourself by blowing too hard or being late equalizing, swelling pinches your straw closed. Then the inner ear suffers the same thing that happens to your eye when you get mask squeeze.
Chew gum, it works the tube and hastens recovery.
Sudafed reduces swelling.
Don't burn the inside of your ear by squirting alcohol into it.
Don't leave yourself open to an ear infection. Don't Q tip your ears.
Wax is your friend.

[eward4]

Check out www.proplugs.com. I just ordered some but have never tried any. From what i've read about them they help out a lot with ear issues and they're cheap!