ear crackling

[TyTy]

Now if I could just talk my ear canal into not providing prime real estate for infections and fungi, I'd be good to go!

If you are getting ear infections from being in the water (pool, pond, ocean, whatever) that is called swimers ear (obviously). You are right, it is caused by infection/growths in your ears. I have had it many times.

Anyway, there si a VERY simple way to prevent them 100% which is to get some "Swimmers Ear" drops at the grocery store, drug store, etc... They are usually around the eye drop area.

Either that or just put rubbing alcohol in your year after you swim (I buy a bottle from the drug store and refil it myself versus paying 5 bucks for 2 oz. of rubbing alcohol I just use the bottle over and over because it is easier to carry and use than a bottle of rubbing alcohol).

Anyway, that stuff will disinfect your ear after you get in the water and dry it out. If you ears are normal and you use this after you go swimming/diving/whatever you should never get swimmers ear.

 

[Tom Smedley]

If the crackling is asociates eith movement of your jaw it could be coming from the TMJ.

 

[frenchy07]

Mine happens at 15 foot while ascending, reminds me that I need to stop then I hear hisses and squeaks till about 5 foot where I stop recheck the surface. I call it my bulit in saftey reminder.

 

[pennypue]

Mine happens at 15 foot while ascending, reminds me that I need to stop then I hear hisses and squeaks till about 5 foot where I stop recheck the surface. I call it my bulit in saftey reminder.

I LOVE that part.

Sometimes my left ear will crack just sitting there, no movement, no swallowing, no pain. I smile when it happens, reminds me of my last dive.

 

[Rondo]

Sticky or crackling eustatian tubes are usually from thick mucous,try guaifenesin(mucous thinner) either as a formulation with psuedoephedrine or solo.

P.S. cheese ,milk or other milk products make this worse

 

[JKSteger]

Sticky or crackling eustatian tubes are usually from thick mucous,try guaifenesin(mucous thinner) either as a formulation with psuedoephedrine or solo.

P.S. cheese ,milk or other milk products make this worse

I usually always have thick mucous and I am always clearing my throat. I do notice it more when I eat cheese and whatknot.

I will try the guaifenesin by itself. I will ask my pharmacist about it today.

I believe that is why my ears are "crackling". Although I've never had problems equalizing before...only my first 2 dives (before I really learned how).

Thanks,
Jeremy

 

[oceancrest67]

Ear crackling or noise is possible when ascending from a dive. Ascending from a dive brings about a relief in pressure. The crackling or noise is the release due to less pressure upon the ear.

If one's ears are healthy and if one does not have any sinus or cold issues...clearing one's ears ought to come easily.

Also, take a look at the PADI Encyclopedia on ear and pressure on ears. There is a good bit of information NOT covered in the Open Water manual.

Just my 02.

 

[lamont]

it might be a little bit of barotrauma. i had issues like this with crackling and a little soreness and 'water in the ears' feeling after my first couple of dives. i didn't get it treated and it went away. i suspect the issue was that i was a noobie and i wasn't equalizing soon enough going down. i was putting my ear under pressure and then forcefully equalizing and making my eustacian tubes 'pop' and generally making my ear unhappy.

the textbook answer here is to see an ENT M.D. and not to get advice over the internet. my advice would be to clear sooner and more often going down next time.

you can also practice clearing on dry land whenever you want which seemed to help me. i don't know if your eustacian tubes get buff from working out, but it helped me.

this is a really good resource:

http://faculty.washington.edu/ekay/MEbaro.html

the big thing i took away from ekay's site is that you will /not/ barotrauma your ears from a valsalva overpressurization when you are already equalized. that means that at the surface you can valsalva as hard as you want, and you should practice that in order to get used to making sure that your ears are clear. where it gets bad is if your ears are under pressurized because you descended too far without pressurizing them and you valsalva and it 'pops' the eustacian tube open. that causes barotrauma. trepidation about doing an adequate valsalva can actually lead to barotrauma because you don't valsalva strongly enough until you reach a depth where your ears are under too much differential pressure and /then/ you force a valsalva and you wind up with barotrauma.

 

[Lightning Fish]

First, I'm not a doctor, this info is what my dive-doc gave me.

In your OW you should have been taught to equalize early and often. If you don't equalize early and often, a negative pressure builds up in your ear. There is fluid in your ear in little chambers, this negative pressure will 'suck' the fluid out. Equalize properly, early, and often, and the fluid should be okay. It can take a few hours to several weeks for the fluid to return to the chambers in your ear. When you move your jaw around your ears may crackle. As far as I know, no amount of medication will speed up the fluid returning to the chambers. This can also happen when flying. If you can't equalize when the plane lands, you may experience something similar.

Your best bet, as advised above, go see a dive-doc or ENT with dive knowledge.

Cheers,
Bill.
__________________

 

[Buoyant1]

Good over the counter guaifenesin is Mucinex. (helps to be married to a pharmacist!) I actually think that they stopped carrying it in prescriptuon strength. But it works good!

One tip, while waiting for everyone else to splash, I usually remove my mask and take one last good "snort" since I won't be breathing through my nose for the next 30+ minutes, then when I put my mask back on, do a valsalva and get ready to descend.

Works for me...early and often!

I usually always have thick mucous and I am always clearing my throat. I do notice it more when I eat cheese and whatknot.

I will try the guaifenesin by itself. I will ask my pharmacist about it today.

I believe that is why my ears are "crackling". Although I've never had problems equalizing before...only my first 2 dives (before I really learned how).

Thanks,
Jeremy