is freediving on a daily basis bad for your ears?

in snorkel diving i normaly go to depths of 3-6m, equalizing in little puffs from the surface all the way down,
i never allow my self to feel pain from water pressure.i admit that i do very fast ascents when air gets low.

i live by the seaside & go every day in the summer for excersize & fun
so i do around 50 dips a day.once a month i go to a deeper location,& go to 10m in the same manner.

my ears are tender (not like ear infection pain) but tender similarly that my thigh muscles are tender from all the fining.


do other people here notice their ears after a busy freediving day? is it normal or am i doing something wrong (are ears like muscles?, am i going too often?) thanks, B

Hi, I am new to this board but like to snorkel and swim. Based on my experiences, I tend to get lots of ear problems from swimming. I have had ear infections, disorientation, and even ringing ears. I hope to buy a good set of ear plugs and see if it helps.

have you tried the dry ear stuff after. I use a few drops and find it eliminates tenderness and any infection issues before they start.

were can i get some of this dry ear stuff

Swimmer's ear drops, Swim Drops, or "dry ear stuff" can either be bought as a commercial brand or made from scratch as a homemade remedy.
All you really need is a combination of:
- white vinegar
- distilled water
- ethyl rubbing alcohol
- dropper bottle or syringe.

A combination of 50/50 distilled water and rubbing alcohol will dry out any water in your ear, while a little added vinegar keeps the bacteria from growing.

There are numerous homemade ratios and recipes to try from, try a google search.
If you buy from the store they usually add glycerine to lubricate and keep your ear from completely drying out from the alcohol.

1-3 drops in the ear of any one of the solutions will work. Keep your head tilted and let the solution stay in your ear for as long as a minute or as short as 10seconds, let drain, mop up any residue on the outside of your ear and then let your inner ear dry.

The worst thing you can do is put a Q-tip, a finger, or any foreign object in your ear. This will likely break the lining of your ear canal and lead to an external ear infection. Cleaning all the ear wax out of your ear also increases your likely hood of developing an ear infection.

A Little Background:
Your ear wax acts as a barrier against bacteria and abrasive materials, such as sand, from scrapping and damaging your ear. Too much ear wax can create a plug and prevent proper equalization during diving. You just want a nice layer around the ear canal, this usually happens naturally for most people.
The skin in your ear canal is super thin and can be easily damaged by a finger nail or abrasive Q-tip.
Your ear canal may become moist after swimming, and if left like that allows for growth of bacteria which could lead to an outer ear infection (hence pain in the ear).
In addition to outer ear infections, diving may cause barotrama to the middle ear and lead to fluid accumulating behind the ear drum. This could lead to a middle ear infection.
Only good techniques in equalization can prevent this type of infection; swimmer's drops can't do a thing for it.

oceanguy:

Hi, I am new to this board but like to snorkel and swim. Based on my experiences, I tend to get lots of ear problems from swimming. I have had ear infections, disorientation, and even ringing ears. I hope to buy a good set of ear plugs and see if it helps.

Click to expand...

Normal Ear plugs will not help you if you are diving to depth (even a few feet). If you are ONLY surface swimming then ear plugs may help in keeping water from entering you ear canal.
If you are diving then you should get Vented Ear Plugs which still will allow you to equalize your ears and get rid of that "compression" feeling on your ears when you dive down.
An example would be Doc's Pro Plugs for diving.
Normal ear plugs will not allow you to equalize when diving and will do you more harm.

To prevent outer ear infections you should dry the water from your ears, if you hear any "sloshing" you probably have water trapped in your ear canal, popularly known as swimmer's ears. Swimmer's Ear drops and the likes can help, Q-tips and swabs will not.

To prevent middle ear infections you should equalize your ears early and often. You should not feel any pressure on your ears at all when diving, if you're equalizing properly and frequently enough.


Concerning the OP's Original Question
I'm afraid I do not know the answer to your question. I would advise you ask this question on the Dive Medicine sub-forum or better yet ask your local ENT (ear's-nose-throat) doctor.
You could also call DAN's (Diver's Alert Network) helpline. It's free and there's no obligation.
1-800-446-2671
Mon-Fri, 8:30am-5:00pm (ET)

Personal experience, my ears are never sore after a day of diving on scuba. But when freediving they do get a bit tender, but that I believe that is due to my poor form in equalizing when freediving. I still haven't got the technique down.
With proper deep diving techniques I know freedivers have to force air into their ear, which is probably pretty forceful. I do not have the experience to really give any good input to your question though.