Someoneone987
New
Hello. I am a huge fan of snorkeling and amateur freediving. I have scuba dived once in my life in Turkey in 2009. Now, in 2019, I'd like to do another dive, in Malta.
What I would like to ask is what tips do you have for senzitive ears?
In case it's too long:
What do I do about the sensitivity of my ears? I would apreciate any suggestions. On my own I've thought of 2 options: putting cooking oil in my ears directly. Like ear drops. That will probably wash out quickly. Second idea: vaseline, also known by the name petroleum jelly. Is there any danger to diving with a bit of petroleum jelly in my ears?
Some context:
I've always felt anxious when it comes to my ears when in the water. For most of my life up to 2011 I just dived normally, I have a mask but nothing for my ears. I was always bothered by the sensation of getting water in my ears especially at pressure, but I thought... nothing I can do about it. I'm just paranoid so I should just get over it.
In 2011 I had some kind of injury from misuse of ears plugs (long, irelevant story) in my ear canal. I went on holiday in Greece, snorkeling and "freediving" (like 1 meter depth, nothing spectacular) and got a horrifically painful ears infection. The greek doctor said it was otitis but on facebook I spoke with some divers and they said otitis isn't all that painful... and mine was so painful I almost fainted form the pain. Supposedly that kind of otitis is a mix of bacterial and fungal infections at the same time? I dont know. I do know the greek doctor prescribed serious antibiotics.
I had to go to a medical check weeks later (not because of my ears... in Romania you need a doctors note for going to driving school... I was healthy at that time) and the doctor there saw something in my ear that made her realise I had had otitis - a scar i think it was. She said as an advice, home remedy, old-wives tale kind of thing, to put ear plugs made of cotton and soaked in cooking oil in my ears. I have done that everytime I've been in the water since. The oil creates a barrier between the water and the skin of my ear canal and the cotton plug ensures the oil doesnt leak out immediately.
I have never subjected this to a rigorous scientific test, but I wouldn't be surprised if the difference was minimal. I have dived sometimes without anything in my ear and havent gotten anymore otitis. Also sometimes most of the oil washes out. BUT.... I love the feeling of having that in my ear. It's PLACEBO, i think. I feel more relaxed knowing I have something, anything, in my ear to, maybe protect it. The paranoia I mentioned above dissapears.
But I want to progress from snorkeling to scuba diving. I'll only be doing a DSD for fun on this trip to Malta. Maybe I'll get certified in the more distant future. But one way or another I want to do scuba diving.
Obviously, given the pressure in scuba diving, plugs, cotton or otherwise, are out of the question.
So... What do I do about my ears? I would apreciate any suggestions.
On my own I've thought of 2 options: putting cooking oil in my ears directly. Like ear drops.
That will probably wash out quickly. Second idea: vaseline, also known by the name petroleum jelly.
Is there any danger to diving with a bit of petroleum jelly in my ears?
Thank you.
What I would like to ask is what tips do you have for senzitive ears?
In case it's too long:
What do I do about the sensitivity of my ears? I would apreciate any suggestions. On my own I've thought of 2 options: putting cooking oil in my ears directly. Like ear drops. That will probably wash out quickly. Second idea: vaseline, also known by the name petroleum jelly. Is there any danger to diving with a bit of petroleum jelly in my ears?
Some context:
I've always felt anxious when it comes to my ears when in the water. For most of my life up to 2011 I just dived normally, I have a mask but nothing for my ears. I was always bothered by the sensation of getting water in my ears especially at pressure, but I thought... nothing I can do about it. I'm just paranoid so I should just get over it.
In 2011 I had some kind of injury from misuse of ears plugs (long, irelevant story) in my ear canal. I went on holiday in Greece, snorkeling and "freediving" (like 1 meter depth, nothing spectacular) and got a horrifically painful ears infection. The greek doctor said it was otitis but on facebook I spoke with some divers and they said otitis isn't all that painful... and mine was so painful I almost fainted form the pain. Supposedly that kind of otitis is a mix of bacterial and fungal infections at the same time? I dont know. I do know the greek doctor prescribed serious antibiotics.
I had to go to a medical check weeks later (not because of my ears... in Romania you need a doctors note for going to driving school... I was healthy at that time) and the doctor there saw something in my ear that made her realise I had had otitis - a scar i think it was. She said as an advice, home remedy, old-wives tale kind of thing, to put ear plugs made of cotton and soaked in cooking oil in my ears. I have done that everytime I've been in the water since. The oil creates a barrier between the water and the skin of my ear canal and the cotton plug ensures the oil doesnt leak out immediately.
I have never subjected this to a rigorous scientific test, but I wouldn't be surprised if the difference was minimal. I have dived sometimes without anything in my ear and havent gotten anymore otitis. Also sometimes most of the oil washes out. BUT.... I love the feeling of having that in my ear. It's PLACEBO, i think. I feel more relaxed knowing I have something, anything, in my ear to, maybe protect it. The paranoia I mentioned above dissapears.
But I want to progress from snorkeling to scuba diving. I'll only be doing a DSD for fun on this trip to Malta. Maybe I'll get certified in the more distant future. But one way or another I want to do scuba diving.
Obviously, given the pressure in scuba diving, plugs, cotton or otherwise, are out of the question.
So... What do I do about my ears? I would apreciate any suggestions.
On my own I've thought of 2 options: putting cooking oil in my ears directly. Like ear drops.
That will probably wash out quickly. Second idea: vaseline, also known by the name petroleum jelly.
Is there any danger to diving with a bit of petroleum jelly in my ears?
Thank you.
