Inverted descending hurts - why?

[InTheDrink]

Tiny trivia question: if I descend inverted on my back (as opposed to on my front like when swimming down), equalising can hurt and give me the feeling like water's getting into my ears. It can hurt quite a lot so I generally don't do it. But I'm curious as to whether anyone else gets this and anyone understand why this is?

J

[dave4868]

Could it be the effect of cold water entering your ears more rapidly? Or simply the increased difficulty of equalizing in that position?

Dave C

[scubafanatic]

...can't say I'd be likely to ever decend in that particular 'attitude', so not sure why you'd feel compelled to 'go down' that way ? .I kinda like seeing where I'm going as I decend.. :-) ...but I'm sure one of the medical mods or other doctor types can chime in here on the 'why' of it....

[gbray]

I'm no doctor type or far from an expert but I do have a guess. I would think it might be due to the same reason it is sometimes more difficult to breath from your regulator in this position. The regulator is slightly higher in the water column than your forehead and delivering slightly less pressure than the water around your ears and sinus', thus giving you a mini squeeze. I swim in inverted positions sometimes exploring things and noticed it was more difficult to draw thru my reg when on my back and this was the explanation I was given.

[TraceMalin]

Only occasionally, when freediving, I've done surface dives in which I have felt like water was being forced into my ear like an ear plug. I've had to abort the dive and I've even been "locked out" of diving for the day and unable to get water out of my ears after that occured. Despite being a trained swimmer and knowing several tricks to drain the ears, I was done. When it has happened, it has been during normal surface dives (I prefer one-legged dives), but with a bit more starting speed as I piked.

With this in mind, it could be the way the water is flowing into your ear canal in that position. I'm sure that individual ear shapes and contours can have some impact on how water travels past the canals and perhaps a "plugging" effect occurs in some people?

Another thought is that different people prefer different equalization techniques depending upon how their tissues and structures respond to pressure. Perhaps in that position, minute changes in your tissues or the pressure in your eustachian tubes in relation to your sinuses and mouth decrease your ability to equalize easily. Some divers have trouble clearing their ears when they first begin to dive and it could be possible that in such a position it is "new" to your body.

I don't think that there is a medical reason that would prohibit the majority of divers from being able to equalize in this position. I know that I have flipped onto my back to watch divers above me during a descent and I have never had a problem equalizing in a similar position in the water column.

[Bubbletrubble]

This is an interesting question. Perhaps it has to do with neck position and the stretch placed on the Eustachian tubes -- with greater stretch enabling faster/more efficient equalization. While descending prone (regular skydiver position), I know that my tendency is to extend the neck. Perhaps while descending supine (inverted), you are looking up toward the surface and consequently aren't experiencing the "benefit" of neck extension. Have you tried an inverted descent while maintaining sufficient neck extension? You might find equalization to be easier with this particular neck position. Just an idea.

I would think that this could easily be tested in a dry chamber dive...

[InTheDrink]

...can't say I'd be likely to ever decend in that particular 'attitude', so not sure why you'd feel compelled to 'go down' that way ? .I kinda like seeing where I'm going as I decend.. :-)

Who said I felt 'compelled'? It was a question of why the pain occurs,not why one would descend like that. If you do need a reason however then back-rolling in negatively buoyant and trying to keep an eye on divers above you is one.

...it could be the way the water is flowing into your ear canal in that position. I'm sure that individual ear shapes and contours can have some impact on how water travels past the canals and perhaps a "plugging" effect occurs in some people?

Another thought is that different people prefer different equalization techniques depending upon how their tissues and structures respond to pressure. Perhaps in that position, minute changes in your tissues or the pressure in your eustachian tubes in relation to your sinuses and mouth decrease your ability to equalize easily. Some divers have trouble clearing their ears when they first begin to dive and it could be possible that in such a position it is "new" to your body.

I suspect you're on the right track(s). I wonder whether equalisation in this position exerts more pressure on an area of the ear that doesn't normally get the full brunt of the pressure of equalisation. To visualise, it would be nearest the earlobes where the main pressure would occur in the direction towards the neck glands.

Anyhow so much minutae, so little time! pretty sad really Just wondering whether anyone else had felt this. It's hardly difficult to remedy the issue by flipping to face down inverted or any other position. It was truly just a little fluff for a Friday evening in.

Next installment I will be asking whether divers that get an itch underneath their mask remove scratch and replace or live with the irritation. What about your wetsuit?

Thanks!

J

[TSandM]

No clue about the original question, but in 45 degree water, I live with the itch!

[RJP]

It can hurt quite a lot, so I generally don't do it.

Um, good thinking. Generally.

[InTheDrink]

Um, good thinking. Generally.

Yes, it is good thinking. It also addresses my question precisely not at all. But thanks for the concern nonetheless

J