Equalizing and feeling dizzy

I've been diving for about two years but still consider myself a beginner - I have about 50 dives. During most dives at some point I will start feeling dizzying. It only lasts a few seconds, but it's still a pain. Usually the dizziness is during ascent but also happens during decent. What I've figured out is that I don't equalize often enough because me ears NEVER hurt. Without that pain feeling I forget to equalize and then it's to late and I get dizzy. My husband says if we dive (even in a pool) he can feel the pressure in his ears and knows he needs to equalize. I don't think I've ever felt that pain in my ears.

We've got a trip coming up in Dec and I'm wondering if anyone else has this problem and what they do about it. I went to see a ENT yesterday and she said everything was fine and I should take Claritin everyday starting a week before I leave for the trip.

Without that 'pain' feeling how am I suppose to remember to equalize? Anyone else have this issue? Any suggestions so I don't get dizzy all the time???

Once in a while I get a little dizzy ascending. I have been told this is probably due to one ear not in sync with the other. Can't recall it ever happening descending. If this is what's happening I don't think there is anything much you can do to avoid it. During descent, of course you can just go slower/equalize more often, pain or not. You don't have to equalize while ascending as the expanding air vents naturally (unless you have congestion), but a really slow ascent may help.

I take Equate brand of dimenhydrinate 50mg starting about a week before any dive trip, especially one that may involve a boat. This is for motion sickness. I know you did not say you are having that problem. But the mechanism in play here is the same one that contributes to motion sickness. So you might want to give this a shot and see how it works for you.

As far as your lack of ear pain goes. You must equalize your ears as you do your descents. Otherwise you can permanently damage your ear drums. Now, the reason you are not feeling pain is that maybe your ears are more adapt at equalizing on their own as you descend. I don't know. But they must equalize either way. Just remember to do the valsalva maneuver during your descents. Don't wait for symptoms to arise for that means you have gone down too far already. B.

Bert156:

Without that 'pain' feeling how am I suppose to remember to equalize? Anyone else have this issue? Any suggestions so I don't get dizzy all the time???

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Your inner ear is where the gel like substance (don't remember the real name) resides that controls your equilibrium. If there is any extra pressure on your inner ear, that could be causing the dizziness. Also, too much pressure on the inner ear can cause either a round window rupture or oval window rupture, both are serious injuries. Equilize frequently, every other breath. For example: inhale, exhale, inhale, equilize, exhale, so on and so forth. The motion sickness meds may help, but I think its more prudent to treat the cause, equalize early and often.

Bert156:

I've been diving for about two years but still consider myself a beginner - I have about 50 dives. During most dives at some point I will start feeling dizzying. It only lasts a few seconds, but it's still a pain. Usually the dizziness is during ascent but also happens during decent. What I've figured out is that I don't equalize often enough because me ears NEVER hurt. Without that pain feeling I forget to equalize and then it's to late and I get dizzy. My husband says if we dive (even in a pool) he can feel the pressure in his ears and knows he needs to equalize. I don't think I've ever felt that pain in my ears.

We've got a trip coming up in Dec and I'm wondering if anyone else has this problem and what they do about it. I went to see a ENT yesterday and she said everything was fine and I should take Claritin everyday starting a week before I leave for the trip.

Without that 'pain' feeling how am I suppose to remember to equalize? Anyone else have this issue? Any suggestions so I don't get dizzy all the time???

Click to expand...

There may be some improvement possible in the manner in which you are clearing your ears.

Dizziness is *usually* a result of either a pressure or a temperature imbalance between one ear and the other. I've occasionally had it and in my case it makes me feel like I'm spinning in circles even if I'm holding on to some fixed object and can clearly see that I'm not.

Since you are experiencing vertigo during ascents and descents then I'm going to say that what is *probably* (disclaimer: I am no doctor and I don't know you) happening is that one ear is clearing better than the other.

Where the rubber meets the road then you need to (a) slow down your ascents and descents (b) ask your ENT about clearing techniques that might help if one ear is "faster" than the other and (c) avoid drugs, sprays, antihistamines and other kinds of chemical crap that might mask the problem until you have sorted out any potential technique issues first.

Consult your ENT with this post and they'll go "oh snap..." and have some idea what you can do.

R..

Vertigo sucks. It happened to me once in a river where it was being fed by an underwater spring. Slightly tilted my head to one side and next thing I knew I was almost at the surface and dizzy as hell. (I was only about 12 feet deep at the start of it).

Other than clearing constantly I've not heard of any remedy.

I get it mostly when ascending, both in chilly (50F) and hot (85F) temp waters, so I assume mine's a pressure problem. I just cut my ascent rate by half and it's mostly better. Also I'm afraid of heights so if I'm looking at the bottom while ascending if viz is good enough, that makes me dizzy too so I just watch my gauge on the way up. Oh and I have clearing problems on the way down often too, so I swallow at the surface, and every 5' down if I don't feel like I need to clear my ears yet just in case.

It's helped that I have better buoyancy control now so that when I do get really dizzy, I can just hold my depth for a few seconds until it clears because I'm not usually diving anywhere where there's something to hold onto. I keep lightly clearing my ears on ascent/descent even if my ears don't feel a pressure change yet. And don't forget to tell your buddy(s)/dm that you might have to make some more stops/slow down if they usually go fast, if you want to try that route.

I realize going up slower will increase nitrogen loading (because of being at depth longer), but I calculate that into my dive plan.

There are other causes for vertigo underwater, besides equalization/ear troubles. Some people (myself among them) have major difficulty avoiding vertigo when deprived of a visual reference. Scuba classes even talk about this, and about strategies for resolving midwater vertigo, although they typically describe it occurring in blue water. I have never found hugging myself to be at all useful . . .


To the OP -- a lot depends on whether what you are experiencing is vertigo (a sense of spinning or somersaulting) or lightheadedness (feeling spacey or as though one might faint). The causes of the two are quite different. Vertigo is often related to the ears, or to a mismatch between visual input and proprioceptive input. Lightheadedness is more common, for example, in people diving dry suits with neck seals that are too tight.

A few small suggestions: Exhale through your nose as a gentle clearing technique now and then.. Also, swallow occasionally and turn your head from side to side and "shrug" your head from side to side. These "small" clearing moves help me alot, as does a single small red sudafed about 30 minutes before the first dive of the day.
DivemasterDennis

TSandM:

There are other causes for vertigo underwater, besides equalization/ear troubles. Some people (myself among them) have major difficulty avoiding vertigo when deprived of a visual reference. Scuba classes even talk about this, and about strategies for resolving midwater vertigo, although they typically describe it occurring in blue water. I have never found hugging myself to be at all useful . . .


To the OP -- a lot depends on whether what you are experiencing is vertigo (a sense of spinning or somersaulting) or lightheadedness (feeling spacey or as though one might faint). The causes of the two are quite different. Vertigo is often related to the ears, or to a mismatch between visual input and proprioceptive input. Lightheadedness is more common, for example, in people diving dry suits with neck seals that are too tight.

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Just to emphasize that there are other causes of vertigo or feeling dizzy than just pressure in the ears. The actual sensation of vertigo itself is an imbalance between the visual cues sent to the brain and the inner ear balance signals that are being sent to the brain. When there is a discrepancy between what the inner ear signal to the brain and what you are seeing then you will feel "dizzy" or experience vertigo.

The best example is when you are stopped in your car. If the car next to you starts to move then you may feel the experience that your car has just moved as well. After checking your brakes you realize that your car hasn't moved, but the car next to you did. Why then, did you feel like you moved? Because of the aforementioned visual cues giving you the sensation of movement. It is actually a much stronger input for balance than your inner ears.

If you experience the sensation on ascent and descent and you've already seen and ENT that verifies you have no inner ear problems I would presume your symptoms may be due in large part to losing your visual references temporarily. If possible try to keep a visual reference on a stationary object like the anchor line or even better keeping hold of the anchor line.