Strange Feeling in One Ear

[giles45shop]

As promised, I'll post a follow-up to my orginal post about a strange feeling in my left ear. Went to an ENT yesterday, after describing the symptoms, he did a thorough check in ears, nose, throat and believes that I have a eustachian tube dysfunction.

Treatment regime is Nasonex (steroid) spray 1X per day and a series of eustachian tube excercises. The exercises consist of: 1. Hold nose and breath out slightly (enough to inflate nostril, do not have to clear ears), 2. swallow, 3. yawn. Repeat 1-3 for 10 repetitions, 4X per day.

According to the ENT, either one of the treatments will alleviate the feeling, but together they will work better. He thinks about 3 weeks should do it. I'm cleared to dive in the mean time. Makes sense, since I've already dived 2X since I had the feeling and had no issues.

He's thinking I might have had some slight trauma to the ear at some time during a dive and although I didn't have any significant injury, I do have this affect, which should go away in a few weeks.

John

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

Kinda makes you glad you didn't waste time on spinal manipulation and supplements huh?

I know, I know, those modalities would have worked! :11: Right!

Larry Stein

 

[gr8fulr2]

I had the same thing> I used the same treatment. I will tell you the only annoying thing is when you have a cold or allergy problems that sME FEELING WILL COME BACK IN YOUR EAR. aT LEAST MINE DOES. aNNOYING!!!

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

I had the same thing> I used the same treatment. I will tell you the only annoying thing is when you have a cold or allergy problems that sME FEELING WILL COME BACK IN YOUR EAR. aT LEAST MINE DOES. aNNOYING!!!

Don't you hate it when the caps lock gets pushed and you don't notice?

Because you took the medication and cleared up the end point of your problem, if you have eustachian dysfunction, you likely still have it and it can repeatedly result in recurrence of your condition.

Larry Stein

 

[pilot fish]

Giles, I had something similar in my left ear, a slight fullness, as you had, but I had some difficulty clearing that ear, it takes a bit longer to clear. I can clear it but it might take tilting my left ear to the surface to help clear it but it always does and then I have no problem. Went to my ENT doc and after an examination he told me it was OK and that sometimes one side of you eustachen tube will be a little thicker on one side, muscle a bit different in one ear than the other, but it was nothing to worry about. Wonder if you might just have something similar?

 

[giles45shop]

Thanks for the input! The feeling is almost non-existant now, I'll be diving in the next week or so and see how it goes. I don't know if it's the same or not, as I didn't originally have this sensation, then I had it, now it seems to be going away. Thankfully it doesn't seem to affect my diving!

John

 

[IlikeItwetPls]

Don't think I can add anything to the others post, but thought you might like to read an explination from the online 'Merck Manual'.

Merck Manual

Vertigo can result from changes in pressure and gas volume in the middle ear by at least three different mechanisms. (1) If the eardrum of a bareheaded diver ruptures in cold water, the results resemble those of a caloric test (see Clinical Evaluation of the Vestibular Apparatus in Ch. 82): severe and potentially disastrous vertigo, disorientation, nausea, and vomiting. (2) Unequalized pressure in the middle ear may affect the inner ear via the round window, producing alternobaric vertigo, which may cause the disequilibrium sometimes experienced by divers when starting to ascend. (3) Perilymph fistula, with leakage of perilymph through the round or oval window, is an uncommon but serious cause of vertigo and requires prompt surgical repair. It can be confused with vestibular decompression sickness when vertigo develops after a dive.

Here is the page.

 

[Table6A]

Advice (for what it's worth) from a Certified Hyperbaric Technologist & Advanced Diver Medic:

Go see your ENT. That's what he/she's there for.