Ear Beer

[pfirejack]

Several years ago I had the same problem. Mine was actually blood and was caused when clearing while diving. Also had a little nose bleed. Reason for the occurrence was I was taking aspirin for a hurting tooth and this caused my blood vessels to be easier to rupture. I did not go to the doctor while on the trip, but when I returned to the states. I had 3 hour plane ride and I did not have any issues with pain on the flight. I am not going to weigh in how intelligent this was on my part, just saying I was ok on the plane.

Leaves the question is this water behind the eardrum? If it is water then it sounds like a ruptured ear drum and that will be extremely painful on the plane.

Have flown several times with no real discomfort. Only a feeling that there is something in my ear like a chunk of wax or something. Always able to equalize upon landing. Thanks again everyone for all advise & comments.
Currently have a nasal spray prescribed by physician with zero results so far.

 

[ggunn]

Leaves the question is this water behind the eardrum? If it is water then it sounds like a ruptured ear drum and that will be extremely painful on the plane.

It depends on how bad the rupture is and if it has closed up. When I was much younger I ruptured an eardrum swinging on a rope and dropping off into the water. It was so badly ruptured that I turned my head sideways, held my nose, and blew the water out of my middle ear. It was several weeks before the tear closed up. A plane ride would not have bothered me, but that ear has never been the same.

 

[Sloeber]

If its behind the ear drum your only option is patience. Most the time the body will absorb the water and the problem corrects itself. In some cases it'll cause an infection which is treated with doctor prescribed antibiotics. Ear beer won't help this. Good luck buddy.

 

[DandyDon]

Have flown several times with no real discomfort. Only a feeling that there is something in my ear like a chunk of wax or something. Always able to equalize upon landing. Thanks again everyone for all advise & comments.
Currently have a nasal spray prescribed by physician with zero results so far.

Glad you can fly ok. Take offs and landings in a commercial jet are usually small changes. Only once decades ago did I experience pain. I was new to flying, hadn't dived then, didn't know about equalizing, and a landing in Dallas hurt. Never knew why exactly.

Wax buildup can be another problem, not the one you described. I've had doctors clean mine twice, but have since learned to do it myself carefully.

Your problem has no real treatment. Just no diving for a week and go see the doctor again.

 

[ReefHound]

I have seen posts by people adamantly opposed to using alcohol in the ears. I can’t remember the reason offhand. Personally I use 50-50 mix. The tricky part is finding a suitable dispenser.

 

[DandyDon]

I have seen posts by people adamantly opposed to using alcohol in the ears. I can’t remember the reason offhand. Personally I use 50-50 mix. The tricky part is finding a suitable dispenser.

I can't imagine why one would not use alcohol. It's the drying agent. It's the active ingredient in the store sold bottles. I mix with vinegar with it as a ph fixer, but I think that breaks down in a month so I remix for every trip. I think old mixes would still work, albeit not as well. I have seen articles against using hydrogen peroxide, but I think it will break down to water quickly when mixed so no harm. Note: I am not a chemist. I wish one would explain these understandings, right or wrong.

At first, I used store sold mixes in dispensers. When I first got committed to using my mix, I actually bought an extra bottle of cheap mix at the store just for the bottles, emptied the new bottle in my collection, and filled all with my mix. I've been using the same three bottles for over a decade.

My daughter's family counts on me now to supply them for trips that involve playing in water, and I know that they will not keep up with those bottles and return to me for remixing, so I buy lots of plastic bottles on ebay. This contributes to the world plastic problem, but I have failed at teaching them better habits for years. It's easy for an individual to keep up with old bottles and reuse them tho.

 

[Sloeber]

I could be wrong, but I believe the concern is using alcohol without also using a lubricant. Alcohol will dry out your skin and you need something to remain and protect it after the alcohol has done its job.

 

[charlier]

My two cents, mostly used while guiding/teaching in SE Asia (~3-4 dives/day for say 6 weeks). For my outer ear, I used Otic Domeboro Solution: 2 percent acetic acid, water, aluminum acetate, sodium acetate and boric acid. According to DAN, acetic acid slow down bacterial growth, while the aluminum and sodium acetate act as astringents, drawing excess water out of the cells lining the ear canal. On occasion, I used an antihistamine, such as Benadryl. Best of luck and take your time equalizing.

 

[DandyDon]

I could be wrong, but I believe the concern is using alcohol without also using a lubricant. Alcohol will dry out your skin and you need something to remain and protect it after the alcohol has done its job.

Maybe so. I use a squirt of glycerin in my mix hoping it'll help with the sting of using the mix a dozen or more times in a trip.

 

[pfirejack]

Just a quick follow up. After using Nasal spray for about 10 days fluid is gone & the symptoms have subsided. Hopefully be ok now will get back in water as soon as I have the opportunity. Thanks everyone for your comments.