Clearing My Ears... ?

[BartBe]

Hi all...

Next week I finally start my course (can't wait - You guys make it sound so great ). Today I went to check out the local swimming pool where the course will be given and went for a little swim. As I bought my basic (starter) gear a few days ago I took the mask with me and had a bit of a 'get crap from the bottom' swim.
At the deepest end the pool is 3,6m deep, that would be about 12 to 13 feet if i'm not mistaking. I had no problems getting down there but the pressure killed my ears. I've read up about it and tried to clear my ears but I just didn't get it right. I held my nose and blew..., i swallowed, stuff like that, but i didn't manage to clear them properly. Sometimes one would pop but not the other or sometimes noting at all. I must say sitting here now i still feel it a bit in my right ear.

Am i doing something wrong, should i blow so hard that my eyeballs are rolling freely in my mask, is it normal that my ears heart even at that depth ?

My girlfriend had a go and told me her ears also heart so i guess it's fairly normal (unless we're that match made in heaven :mean: )

Please give me some pointers here as i don't want to be the guy that can't even do his first pool exercise next tuesday because his ears won't pop...

Tnx

 

[norcaldiver]

No, do not blow very hard. You'll end up blowing out your ear. If you're waiting til it hurts to try to equalize, you're wiating too long. Try to equalize before you even go under...then every few feet. It won't seem like you need to, but you do.

 

[scubajoe]

Don't worry, you are normal! 3.6m (13ft) is just about 1/2 of an atmosephere worth of pressure. This is just my guess/opinion but you probably started trying to clear too late. I had lots of trouble clearing my ears when I first started diving. I wasn't listening/hearing when told to clear early and often. I was on a night dive at the Turtle farm in Cayman and the DM gave the best briefing I've ever heard. He included equalizing in it. He said to clear your ears three times before the top of your head went under water. It works for me. Since then my ears have become trained and i have no trouble at all. All of the methods you described work except blowing your eyes out. If the pressure gets to pain it is almost impossible to clear. Early and often. i tell students every foot or so. If it hurts go up a bit and try again.
It will be easier to do on scuba then snorkling also, no worries about not having air to clear the snorkle.
Good luck with your certification!
Joe

BTW there is no match match made in heaven. you just have to make the best of what you have!

 

[BartBe]

Thanks for the info guys... I'll try do do it sooner next time
Another problem with this though is that in my specific case this morning I just had my mask. No fins and No weightbelt ! So to get down to 13 ft i kinda had to do some sort of a quick and forcefull dive, kicking fairly hard to get down and going down quite fast.
I guess if i get the right technique in pressurising i'll do it automatically but this morning i was probably more concerned about getting down there then about pressurising my ears :/

Question... ? the fact that my right ear feels a bit funny now, it's kind of a very light pain, would that be a problem or have i just overdone it a bit and will it probably be fine tomorrow or the day after ?

Question... ? What technique works best to clear the ears ? As you say you have to do it every feet i guess it has to be something easy and quick like just swallow all the way down ?

 

[scubasean]

Equalize early and often....

Begin on the surface, and then reequalize each few feet, especially in the first 15-20 feet of depth. Blow gently...gently....gently....(LOL!)

It has almost become second nature for me.

 

[scubajoe]

I hold my nose and blow GENTLY. Haven't been successful with the other methods. Your ear should be ok but... if it isn't soon get it checked out!
Joe

 

[scywin]

For starters you are not doing scuba when you are just free diving with your mask, etc. As you descend with scuba gear you are breathing in at progressively higher pressures, so you have equal pressure inside your body and out. The problem of equalizing your ears is that the air you are breathing in does not migrate to every cavity immediately, so your ears, or some other part of your body can be lagging what is going on in your lungs.

Without the scuba gear what is in your lungs is still surface pressure. It isn't going to equalize without breathing.

When you get into scuba gear, take your time when descending. Do all the stuff that has been suggested, but don't expect to be able to do the same things without a tank!

 

[etype]

here in Canada and probably the same in the States, we have a nasal decongestant called 'Otrivin'. Whether you are congested or not, when it comes to clearing the sinal cavities for equalization, nothing is as effective. Look on the web for info on Otrivin, buy some off the web, i garuantee it is very effective for divers.

So in Belgium look for a nasal decongestant spray that is know to be effective. Most people i know who have had equalization problems find they can use equalization techniques successfully after a few nostril sprays of Otrivin.

Warning: these decongestants become addictive, especially with their effectiveness at sinus cavity equalization. A diver should use these sparingly. The very important reasons following:

Often first time divers can equalize effectively after the use of a nasal decongestant. After a few dives, the salt water itself, and repeated equalizations...the nasal passages open up and the diver gains the ability to equalize without nasal decongestants.

A diver can use these decongestants...but should develop the skill (and you will be able to) to equalize without medical aids.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO USE DECONGESTANT ONLY WHEN NEEDED AND TO WEAN ONESELF OFF THE USE?

READ THIS:

This is a VERY IMPORTANT piece of info....the problem with medical decongestants is that they wear off...and they can wear off at depth. Thus a diver could experience equalization problems not while descending, but WHILE ASCENDING....imagine being trapped at 10 meters below the surface and not being able to ascend without the blinding pain of pressure striction. The solution to this problem is often not thought out properly....which is to descend to 15 or more meters...untill the pressure subsides,,,and attempt to equalize before ascending.
But what if it's a emergency ascent? So you can see the problem and imagine the pain of being forced to ascend with equalization problems? It could be fatal.

However, the above mostly happens to divers who depend on nasal decongestants...so that their effectiveness decreases and they are prone to shorter periods of effectiveness. Used with caution, nasal deconestants can unblock the sinus and allow equalization to occur. However, please keep in mind how important and how disasterous it could be to become dependant on medical aids that could wear off in the middle of a dive.

Many people believe they will never be divers because they cannot equalize effectively based on their previous experiences skin diving or dunking their head in the bath tub. Generally everyone can learn to equalize, it's just harder for some than others. If you have problems, do not dispair, keep working at it and learning new angles...you will be able to equalize. Often the first successful attempts, coupled with the pressure and water inside your nasal cavities (especially salt water) make each subsequent equalization easier...till the diver who suspected they would never be able to equalize can do it at will and with ease.

 

[etype]

please, i'm conscious of the fact that i shouldn't be recommending nasal decongestives to new divers. So i shouldn't of said anything. But if you do use these...use them just to get the ball rolling...and then stop as soon as you can. They are not that dangerous if you do not dive deep on decongestives...but only use to acquaint yourself with successful equalization.

 

[pipedope]

Go to;
http://faculty.washington.edu/ekay/index.html

Look for;

Streaming Video Lecture
"The Diver's Ear - Under Pressure"

Scuba diving and snorkeling can be fun ways to explore the depths - especially if you can clear your ears as the pressure changes. In this video lecture Dr. Edmond Kay discusses techniques for preventing middle ear barotrauma. Learn what to do to equalize pressure in your ears, teach others proper techniques and learn the safest way to prevent "ear squeeze". This talk was recorded live in September, 2000 and is now available for Internet viewing over the University's video portal .


Watch the streaming video and it will answer questions you didn't even know to ask, yet.