Ear problem...?

[juliefd]

I had a great weekend of diving in 53-55 degree water and after my last dive of the weekend (technically my 10th of the weekend) my left ear was bugging me. I recall it equalizing funny during the 9th dive, but without pain and seemed fine after that. Then after the 10th dive it felt like it just didn't equalize right. But then it just kept getting worse - in spite of me trying to equalize it with the pinching of the nose and blowing technique. Now it is constantly very painful. I drove home from the quarry where I was diving - about an hour and a half drive and at one point tried clearing it again with the aforementioned technique and there was a HUGE release of pressure and then it felt better for less than a minute and then started hurting again really badly. I don't really notice any hearing loss in the ear just a lot of pain.

So...I know the medical professionals out there can't give me exact advice with out looking in my ear...but what should my next step be? Being memorial day, I not keen to run off to the ER...but I'm really hurting and don't have the money to run to the ER if I can wait until morning....

 

[mts0628]

Hey juliefd:

There are a lot of medical professionals here and all will give you great advice. I am not a Physician nor did I stay in a Holiday Express recently but I can tell you that the best thing for you to do is seek medical attention at your earliest convenience. If you did end up rupturing your eardrum, there is little that can be done with the exception of maybe a thorough exam and maybe a prescription to kill any goodies that may be lurking from your dives. Of course the more serious the injury the more drastic the treatment but without even the most basic exam from a general practitioner or an emergency room physician (in contrast to an ENT physician) you will never know the damage. Even a stretching of the eardrum can be quite painful, and consider the tissues that secure the eardrum en place. Also, pain is supposed to be a good sign as weird as it sounds, but it is our signal to STOP what we are doing! (If we can.)

There are actually three ways (that I am familiar with but there are others) to equalize the ears. None involve blowing hard and no matter which technique you use, Toynbee, Frenzel, or Valsalva (or others) and if you have no success with your gentle technique, then you should stop, ascend, reattempt, and if still no success, then abort the dive. Eardrums are not meant to be sacrificial no matter how good the last dive is or how many dives that would make for you.

Management for you should be symptomatic until a physician can evaluate you. If you have pain, then you might want to take something for it. Keep your ear dry in case you have suffered a rupture. Of course, if you get water inside the the middle ear, as I can speak from experience, plan on a bout of vertigo and for me vomiting and vomiting. I used moldable wax earplugs during showering, and still kept my ear out of the stream. And no matter what, no diving until you can see a physician. The absence of pain does not mean everything is ok after describing what you have felt.

And finally, gave DAN a call. There is on duty staff that may be able to give you better advice than I can give you and especially if you just have to get the scoop!

I hope you feel better and good luck. I also hope that this isn't something that will keep you out of the water for very long.

With kindest regards from North Carolina,
Thomas

 

[DandyDon]

I got to wonder if DAN dive insurance covers ear barotraumas as injuries...???

A Must-See Video For New Divers: Equalizing!

 

[DocVikingo]

I got to wonder if DAN dive insurance covers ear barotraumas as injuries...???

Hey Don Donaldo,

Fear not--they most assuredly do.

Regards,

Doc

 

[DandyDon]

Hey Don Donaldo,

Fear not--they most assuredly do.

Regards,

Doc

Thanks! I don't think I've ever asked them or here before. That resolves Julies' "don't have the money to run to the ER" problem, but then I guess her question was whether to go last night or today - so mute here.