Help with equalizing!

[pinkydinky]

Hey im getting certified for diving and on land i can easily pop my ears but when i start a slow descent i can only pop my left ear and thats it!!! im very frustated with this and need to fix this problem before my open water dives! I went to my doc and he said take claritin and nasonex but it still really isnt helping that much! Thanks maybe someone has had the same problem and knows how to fix this?

[300bar]

You might try,reasing the right ear-stretching the neckmuscle.
It works for me when one ear doesn't want to get inline with my opinion.:D

[pinkydinky]

thanks ill try that any other suggestions??

[k ellis]

well Tilt your head towards the left and this should help some.

[mikeyjoe]

Wiggle your jaw back and forth.
Equalize early and often - like even before you descend, and then every breath after that.
Practise the feeling you have when you try to hold back a yawn above water - lips closed and flexing your neck muscles - then do that under water.

[jmorriss]

You might try,reasing the right ear-stretching the neckmuscle.
It works for me when one ear doesn't want to get inline with my opinion.:D

Had the same issue on the first checkout dive, DM showed me that, has worked great ever since.

[xlow]

I have never had problem with equalizing my ears. Actually before I learned that I freedove to about 18 feet without doing it. What I've heard it's best to tilt your head to the back (that should stretch ear canal), and then try valsalva maneuver (but don't force it - just try easy and steady first). Check out those sites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ear_clearing
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valsalva_maneuver
I always "clear" my ears using valsalva and never had any problems at all. But if it's only one ear - just see the doctor that specialize in diving medicine. I am sure he will give you the best solution (and in the same time make sure you don't have any serious ear condition). Good luck and I wish you safe and great dives. :diver:

[Louie]

Hi,

I am a slow equaliser (can only envy those who can just go down and they equalise naturally).

Don't stress yourself out. A rushed and pressed effort at equalisation is not good.

At first, equalising and experiencing pressure will feel odd and unnatural. Don't panic if things aren't perfect immediately.

My mantra for equalisation:

Early - I personally find it helpful sometimes if I pinch and blow out through the nose gently just BEFORE starting descent.

Slowly - NO rushed jobs.

Continuously - If you feel the pressure, don't wait until it becomes painful or unbearable. You may have to equalise throughout the dive.

Gently - I've seen many pressure related injuries because of over-enthusiastic equalisation techniques. If you're doing the pinch and blow through the nose, just normal exhalation through the nose should be adequate.

If you continue having woes with equalisation, it may be worth seeing a doctor who specialises in diving medicine - or at least knows a bit about diving.

All the best.

[300bar]

You could also take a look here.
Doc's Diving Medicine Home Page (http://faculty.washington.edu/ekay/)

[agarback]

Hi- If you are having a lot of difficulty, you might want to check with your doctor. If you have DAN, they can suggest a diving friendly doc.

I had a dive buddy that had trouble equalizing in the pool, and it turned out there were larger issues there. Its better to be safe than sorry.

Just a thought, if you have problem.

Don't be scared tho, she still got to dive!

Happy Diving!

[RJP]

Continuously - If you feel the pressure, don't wait until it becomes painful or unbearable. You may have to equalise throughout the dive.



For many people by the time they FEEL the pressure it's too late to equalize effectively.

As others have said "early and often"

Start AT the surface and equalize every two or three feet for the first 20-30 feet. And often after that as well.

[simmonsjr]

Check out this thread: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/diving-medicine/290660-physically-unable-equalize.html for some great info and some exercises to help out.

Jason

[pinkydinky]

Thanks everyone but my dm said today I can't go to the ow dive because of my equilizatiion issues it seems thAt it works above water easily but under water my right ear completly
stops equilizing

[duskdiver]

Remember to start equalizing every few feet, especially during the first meters!

One thing, you say, your ear doesn't pop that does NOT mean that your ear isn't equalized!!
Often, I have this problem with my students.

They tell me, after going to the surface "I can't equalize because I don't hear the pop in one of mey ears" then we go down and show me they don't hear the pop or the same noise but also let me know they feel No discomfort or have any equalizing problems!!!

So...they are equalizing...but waiting for a sound to come which might never come...;-)

[Solly]

I went to my doc and he said take claritin and nasonex

Just take care if you decide to go with drugs help you don't fall into a reverse block situation:
A reverse block is the opposite not equalizing properly. On ascent, the air in the middl eeara nd sinuses expands as pressure decreases towards the surface. If the air cannot get out , a reverse block will result. The middle ear will expand, pressure will increase across the ear drum and perforate it. Reverse blocks most commonly occurs in divers who have used decongestant drugs to help equalize in the first place. The drugs wear off and the Eustachian tube congests and stops air exiting the middle ear :no: . If you do use these medications, make sure the dose is sufficient to last the day or at least the dive.

Hope you solve the issue soon... dive safe

[wreckless1]

I only passed my OW because of 12-hour Afrin. (All of the different "sinus" or "cold" or whatever formulas are the same ingredient, just different labels--don't know how they get away with it but whatever...) Now, I'm not a doctor and I'm not going to tell you it's safe, and there was a thread on SB about Afrin possibly contributing to a O2 toxicity fatality, but that's what I did and I swear by the stuff. Before, I would equalize too hard and end up with blood in my mask.

The strange thing is, my ears have gotten used to it somehow, and I never need the Afrin anymore, even when out of the water for over a month. Maybe there was disgusting stuff stuck in my eustacean tubes that I managed to dislodge? ;-)

I would take the Afrin and start clearing even before I left my room. If one side wouldn't clear, I would help it along by plugging the ear on the opposite side. Then, under water, both sides would clear more easily.

I would also try some of the non-chemical solutions others have posted. And certainly use the 12-hr so it doesn't wear off during a dive.

[Scuba31]

Have you ever had an ENT do a pressure test on your ears? Just an idea to see if you do have some eustacian tube issues.

[pinkydinky]

No not yet but I have a appointment with a ent on Tuesday

[agilis]

One very simple and probably minor point implicit in what other people suggested: When you begin to feel the squeeze or pain while descending, you must ascend a few feet until the sensation disappears. At that point, and not before, try the swallowing, neck stretching, nose blowing, head tilting, and the rest of it. Never, never try to clear when the problem is present. It only takes a meter or so ascent to make it go away. There is still some pressure present, and you can equalize with far greater effectiveness, and continue to equalize as you continue to descend, as many others have suggested.

[psychocabbage]

I am a slow clearer on my first 2 dives.. then I am good..

If one ear does not go easily I aim it towards the surface. Seems to help.

[Pashka]

claritin??? it's an alergy medication! has nothing to do with equalizing... weird doctor... try yawning - does the trick to me when nothing else works :)


Hey im getting certified for diving and on land i can easily pop my ears but when i start a slow descent i can only pop my left ear and thats it!!! im very frustated with this and need to fix this problem before my open water dives! I went to my doc and he said take claritin and nasonex but it still really isnt helping that much! Thanks maybe someone has had the same problem and knows how to fix this?

[Lee Taylor]

What I found that works for me is tilting the head from side to side as if trying to put the ear on the shoulder. At the same time do the clearing techniques. When you hear a squeaky sound, relief will follow. The squeaky sound is air traversing through the eustation tube. It is the only thing that works for me personally. It not only works on descent during ear squeeze, it also works on ascent during "reverse block".

[dpaustex]

If one ear doesn't equalize, tilt your head the other way, and rub behind your ear, down toward your neck.

Also your doctor is recommending something that may help. While not advocating any medical opinion, I often take a Sudafed-type decongestant to help.

As said by others, it is crucial to clear early and often - even if you don't really "feel" the pressure. If you can't get one side to clear, ascend slowly until you feel no pressure, then re-clear while descending. It is important to descend slowly. If you're having trouble, try descending hand-over-hand down a line, clearing the whole way down.

This should help.

[pinkydinky]

ok thanks my docter has me taking claritin and nasonex in the morning evry morning im just deadly afraid of a reverse block is it possible to equalize to much because i jumped im my pool to practice equalizing and after continious equalizing for about 5 minutes (goin up then back down and equalizing) i was doing fine but then my right ear quit equalizing again.

[DandyDon]

A Must-See Video For New Divers: Equalizing! (http://faculty.washington.edu/ekay/)

[pinkydinky]

ok thanks

[pinkydinky]

hey just went to ent he said nothin is wrong and cant do anything about it he says since im taking the nasonex it might take a week to kick in hopefully!!!!!!!!!

[DandyDon]

hey just went to ent he said nothin is wrong and cant do anything about it he says since im taking the nasonex it might take a week to kick in hopefully!!!!!!!!!
Good that you did, glad you have no problems, and great that you got good meds. I use some too and make sure my home bud does as he is a pain to get down, but diving started before most were developed I think. Technique is the most important. Hope that 45 min vid helps some.