Ear Hurting

[RedyTedy]

Let me start this off by saying I ski a lot as well as scuba. For the past few years I occasionally have felt an ache in my left ear going up a mountain, and I assumed it was the helmet not fitting right. After recently scuba diving, I'm starting to think differently.

I went scuba diving, and after the trip, I had slight hearing loss and pain in that same left ear for a week. Only in that ear! Now, a month later, I still feel pain when I press my palm to the ear.

What does all this mean? Could I have had an ear infection for the last 2+ years? Or is it unhealed barotrauma?

 

[descent]

... after the trip, I had slight hearing loss and pain in that same left ear for a week. Only in that ear! Now, a month later, I still feel pain when I press my palm to the ear. ...

Hey, RedyTedy, welcome to SB!

First, don't answer questions like these if you want to keep your medical history hidden from the Eye of Google:

Have you ever broken your jaw, or taken a spill (perhaps skiing?) that gave you a jolt to the jaw? Tree branch to the face?

Any brawling or fisticuffs?

Do you think you might be grinding your teeth without knowing about it?​

I am certainly not an MD, so please value these ideas at what you paid for them.

(Also, this sure looks like a medical thread.)

 

[John L.]

Did you have trouble equalizing at all when going down? Or back up? I'd say visit your normal doc and have him scope your ear. He should be able to tell if something is "off". It could be something as simple as blockage. Perhapse that ear doesn't equalize as easily as the other causing pain. It would explain the pain caused by increasing elevation while skiing.

 

[Pedro Burrito]

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

Moved to Diving Medicine from Basic

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[RedyTedy]

Hey, RedyTedy, welcome to SB!

First, don't answer questions like these if you want to keep your medical history hidden from the Eye of Google:

Have you ever broken your jaw, or taken a spill (perhaps skiing?) that gave you a jolt to the jaw? Tree branch to the face?

Any brawling or fisticuffs?

Do you think you might be grinding your teeth without knowing about it?​

I am certainly not an MD, so please value these ideas at what you paid for them.

(Also, this sure looks like a medical thread.)

No fights or broken jaw as far as I can recall.

---------- Post added January 23rd, 2015 at 07:32 AM ----------

Did you have trouble equalizing at all when going down? Or back up? I'd say visit your normal doc and have him scope your ear. He should be able to tell if something is "off". It could be something as simple as blockage. Perhapse that ear doesn't equalize as easily as the other causing pain. It would explain the pain caused by increasing elevation while skiing.

It feels like I can equalize both ears, but maybe the left isn't fully equalizing? I only noticed the pain after diving.

 

[TSandM]

Well, it's almost impossible that you have had an ear infection for 2 years. Further, it's very unusual for someone to have more trouble equalizing going up than going down (at least on a regular basis -- in a single situation, you could be able to equalize on the way down and have a reverse block coming up).

I don't have a good suggestion for a diagnosis of ear pain occurring when ascending on a chair lift but not any other time. If you have some kind of Eustachian tube problem, it should be symptomatic ANY time you change altitude.

 

[RedyTedy]

Well, it's almost impossible that you have had an ear infection for 2 years. Further, it's very unusual for someone to have more trouble equalizing going up than going down (at least on a regular basis -- in a single situation, you could be able to equalize on the way down and have a reverse block coming up).

I don't have a good suggestion for a diagnosis of ear pain occurring when ascending on a chair lift but not any other time. If you have some kind of Eustachian tube problem, it should be symptomatic ANY time you change altitude.

It wasn't specifically going up, I just noticed at the time. It was probably just the general pressure change? It feels sort of like there is a drop off water stuck in my ear that I can't get out.

 

[TSandM]

Well, it IS possible to have a cerumen impaction. I would certainly think it reasonable to go in and have someone look in your ear and see if anything appears abnormal. Or you could make a home trial of cerumenex or Debrox or something to get rid of earwax and see if it makes any difference.

 

[RedyTedy]

Well, it IS possible to have a cerumen impaction. I would certainly think it reasonable to go in and have someone look in your ear and see if anything appears abnormal. Or you could make a home trial of cerumenex or Debrox or something to get rid of earwax and see if it makes any difference.

Would a cerumen impaction get much worse after diving? I noticed it skiing, went diving ~1.5 years later, and the pain was a lot more noticeable. A month later and I can still feel pain when I press the ear.

 

[uncfnp]

Or the skiing is unrelated and you have a mild case of swimmers ear. Go get it checked. No good guessing.