Can't hear after diving

[sprklep]

I can't hear out of my left ear after diving. I had no trouble clearing or anything else during my dives. Just post diving, I can't hear. Anyone know what happened?

 

[DandyDon]

Welcome to SB. With your diving experiences, I guess you know about enough about equalizing and barotrauma. We can guess and discuss guesses. Mine is ear wax. When did this start? How soon can you see a doctor...??

 

[Kevrumbo]

Cerumen (ear wax, dead skin & other gunk) impaction, the debris swelling with the water immersion and occluding the external auditory canal and/or press up against the eardrum, which can hinder hearing.

If this is the problem, get a doctor to remove the plug with a curette and/or an ear canal flush irrigation with a syringe. (I usually syringe myself . . .and look for gold in the stuff that comes out!)

 

[tc]

Several possibilities, ear wax blocking the outer ear as mentioned or fluid in the middle ear are two of the more common issues. Using a rubber bulb syringe and warm water you can gently flush the outer ear to see if that fixes the problem. If not a visit to the doc is probably in order to see if something more serious could be the problem.

 

[maderadiver]

My brother had a piece of cotton in his ear that would swell with water and make hearing hard

We freed it with one of those wax loops they sell at the pharmacy

 

[DandyDon]

My brother had a piece of cotton in his ear that would swell with water and make hearing hard

We freed it with one of those wax loops they sell at the pharmacy

Danger, danger, Will Robinson...!

1: Don't stick anything in your ears, like Q-tips. Wash the ear that shows with a wash cloth, but not inside.

2: If you do get something inside your ear, don't dig it out at home.
​

Back to my original question...??

How soon can you see a doctor...??

Now, I have had doctors use ear syringes and water to flush out ear wax globs that looked like pencil erasers, and wow - I could hear again.

But finally a doctor also told me I could to flush my own, if I was careful. I got obsessed for a while and injured my drum once, but nowadays I'm more gentle. He had me put some baby oil in each ear, held in overnight with cotton balls, then wash. Worked well.

Walgreen's has a nice kit for $7 that includes softener drops: link

There is an ear wax vacuum online that looks dangerous, and a kit that includes a 16 oz spray bottle I hose, but I wouldn't.

 

[doctormike]

Please don't just assume that all hearing loss after diving is earwax. This is a complicated question that comes up frequently, so here is my sticky on this issue.

You don't provide a lot of information in your original post, so even though we aren't supposed to diagnose anything online, it's hard to even make guesses based on this. Take a look at the article, and feel free to either discuss this further (timing, profile, associated symptoms, pain, vertigo, etc..), or PM me (sometimes I can give you a local referral).

Happy New Year!

Mike

 

[DandyDon]

And, it's helpful to get the good advice! Thanks DoctorMike

 

[sprklep]

Thanks...all ENT docs are off today and I did go ahead and called DAN. DAN said maybe baratruama (sp?) but I did not ever have any discomfort. DAN hated my dive profiles...long and deep. Gave me a ENT guy with dive experience in my neighborhood. I will try and get in to him tomorrow. DAN hated my dive profiles, long and deep but only had a little deco on a few dives but cleared it out before I came up. In the meantime, I am going to CVS for some wax ear kits, drops, etc. I am already taking Sudafed, Dan said to continue that. Dived were:

Cozumel

12/25 84 feet/75 mins & 64 feet/82 mins
12/26 103 feet/76 mins & 76 feet/77 mins
night of 12/26 was when I noticed the hearing loss

12/27 off

12/28 100 feet/52 mins & 70 feet/64 mins no clearing issues or pain

12/29 off

12/30 102 feet/ 75 mins & 102 feet/ 79 mins

12/31 flew back to Dallas no ear issues on the plane

Surface intervals between the two dives each day are about 1:45

My wrist computer went into deco three of the dives but never by much, 4 mins and I cleared it. My console computer never went into deco. Wrist Aries Manta Console Atmos 2. Dove air. I only use Nitrox when on liveaboards. Cozumel since two dives a day, just use air.

I am 48 yrs old, very fit female. I am a competitive distance runner. Thanks for your help !!!

 

[doctormike]

Thanks...all ENT docs are off today and I did go ahead and called DAN.

Hey, how come I don't get the day off??

Profiles (that is, nitrogen loading and deco) would mainly be an issue if there was a question of inner ear DCS, which is pretty rare, and people are usually fairly symptomatic (dizziness, etc..). Rapid descents (less commonly ascent), especially with poor equalization could cause middle ear barotrauma problems (blood in the middle ear, perforation of the eardrum), or rarely inner ear barotrauma problems (i.e. perilymph fistula). Sudafed has a pretty minor effect on middle ear barotrauma related to the accumulation of fluid behind an intact eardrum...

Outer ear problems (wax, trapped water) are possibilities if there is no dizziness or pain. The only thing that I would caution you about is that if you do have an eardrum perforation you should not be putting earwax drops in your ears. And the only way to tell that would be to have someone look inside...

Mike