Ear bubbles

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Amber

Contributor
Messages
260
Reaction score
0
Location
Tampa Bay, FL
I posted a different thread about how everytime I ascend, it feels as if there are bubbles coming out of my ears. This is a reply I got back:

I'm pretty sure that when the pressure drops on ascent the overpressure in your middle ear clears by forcing itself back through the Eustachian Tubes. If bubbles are coming out of your ears, I think that may mean a perforated drum. I'm not a doctor, maybe one can explain better and more accurately

I was wondering if this is true or not. I don't see how it could be considering it doesn't hurt and I don't think I've ever injured my ears. I thought I would check anyway.

Thank you :),
Amber
 
When a diver ruptures an eardrum, cold water entering the middle ear space on that side often causes dizziness. It also can be quite painful. Upon surfacing, bleeding may be noticeable, as may hearing loss & ringing in the ear/odd sounds. A diver with a ruptured eardrum may experience the sensation of air moving out of the ear upon ascent. On the other hand, a tympanic membrane can rupture without showing any of these features.

However, it seems very unlikely that a diver with a breached eardrum could make repeated dives with such a condition without experiencing any of these signs or symptoms other than a feeling of bubbles coming out of the ear, nor without eventually developing a middle ear infection.

Of course, for such a feeling to arise in both ears as the result of a torn eardrum there would need to be ruptures bilaterally. Not only is it rather improbable that this would have occurred in the absence of a clearly identifiable event, but it is even more improbable that none of the other discussed signs or symptoms would have appeared after continued diving.

Given the sole phenomenon of a sensation of bubbles coming out of the ear upon ascents, it would appear more likely that an inefficiently clearing or congested air space somewhere in the head, such as the middle ear system, is responsible.

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such. Issues related the ear & diving should be discussed with the diver's personal physician.

Best regards.

DocVikingo
 
As your dive day wears on, the surfaces within the nose, sinuses and ears can become irritated and some fluid may form.

This stuff may move through the ear canals and be percieved as "bubbles" crackling in the ears. There is nothing to see and there is no pain if there has been no injury.

The Tempero-Mandibular joints may also create sounds as you grasp the regulator with your teeth. Joint noises can be clicks, pops, and may sound like bubbles.

I wonder if this is also a mistaken reference to the microbubbles that have been observed in tears and their relationship to an incidence of DCS as the number increases.

Larry Stein
 
Do you wear a hood?Does it happen only when you turn your head to the side?
Im wondering that if you are wearing a hood maybe trapped air is leaking out or water is leaking in? Just a thought...
Something like this happened to me not too long ago and that is what it felt like but it was only on the right ear and when I turned my head to the right to buddy check.I didnt have any ear problems whatsoever though.


Tom
 
Tommygun53 once bubbled...
Do you wear a hood?Does it happen only when you turn your head to the side?
Im wondering that if you are wearing a hood maybe trapped air is leaking out or water is leaking in? Just a thought...
Something like this happened to me not too long ago and that is what it felt like but it was only on the right ear and when I turned my head to the right to buddy check.I didnt have any ear problems whatsoever though.


Tom

No, I don't wear a hood. And no, it doesn't just happen when I turn my head. It just happens when I ascend. Like I said, i've never hurt my ears and I feel no pain or discomfort when it does this. It tickles.
I guess I'm just weird and it will be an enigma.
 
That happens to me too. It feels like little bubbles are coming out of my ear when I acend. No pain, it just kind of tickles.
 
Hi, I had a similar feeling and would have been quite happy blowing bubbles out my ear (only right ear). No pain. But at the safety stop I got my buddy to look and he thought it was verry entertaining how I could blow bubbles out my ear while equalizing. This pretty much meant I had a ruptured ear drum. Dr confirmed that and said I should stay out of the water for a while to let it heal and gave me antibiotics to prevent any possibility of infection that could slow the healing. Moral of the story is: get your buddy to see if there realy is a stream of bubbles coming out your ears or if it is only a sensation then go from there.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

Back
Top Bottom