Ear Equalization Issue preventing cert: advice?

[fmerkel]

The post by 60plus is I'm sure in absolutely good faith. It is not physiologically accurate unless his description is missing some information. Swimmers get outer ear infections unless something unusual was going on. . This is not insignificant, but it is not related to barotrauma or Eustachian canal problems. We get posting all the time that make it clear the person with ear problems can't tell if the issue is outer or inner ear. It makes a huge difference which problem it is as treatments are completely different, as are the likely outcomes if things go bad.

IMO the various aromatic lozenges are pretty much useless as clearing aides. The strong smell coming up into the nose from the back of the throat makes it feel like your nose is working better, but it's really the highly volatile smell that is doing it. A significant portion of our sense of taste is the food molecules coming up into the hose from the back of the throat.Getting a whiff of something very aromatic is not the same as opening up passageways.

Side note - sucking on papaya lozenges actually works a little. The enzyme acts as a mild anti-inflammatory and has essentially no side effects. Some varieties taste pretty good too. I pass them out on the boat to puzzled divers and use them on the way to the dive site.

Absolutely agree with the caution about open water saline flushing. Water is getting more and more polluted from population, poor sanitation practices, agriculture, animals, industry, and global warming. Tourists get pretty hyped up about their food, drink, accommodations and immediate surroundings but seldom give a thought about the kind of critical infrastructure needed to keep the water clean.

 

[60plus]

To clarify my post. The infection was a bacteria that very specifically attacked the eustation tubes. The doctors conclusion was that it was being spread by the school swimming pool water although no steps were taken to prove this. The hypochlorite dose was upped for while as a precaution. The only people affected were the school swimming team who were in the pool 3 or 4 times a week and a few others who swam frequently. Antibiotics killed the infection in a few days but the tubes remained clogged for up to several weeks preventing pressure equalization - this is what caused the pain. If you were really unlucky the tubes could collapse or heal up completely so that it was no longer a tube. I only know of one person who had to have an operation and that was only on one side about 3 years later.
Regarding the aromatic lozenges, this works for me in cold weather or when flying, my upper nasal cavity / sinus area dries out and reduces breathing capacity through my nose and can make my sinus area feel "pinched". Spicy barbecued ribs works as well but they are not on budget airlines menus.

 

[fmerkel]

Thank you for the clarification. Sounds like you may have been one of the early recipients of a MRSA strain.....

Lozenges can keep the salivary glands flowing, which is good during flying as the air is extremely dry. Very dry air is an irritant.
Spicy (capsaisin) is a known and modestly effective anti-inflammatory and mucolytic. There is an over the counter product called Sinus Buster Nasal Spray, Natural Chili Pepper, I use routinely in addition to sinus rinses and Flonase steroid spray. I need a LOT of support to keep diving. Sinus Buster is almost as good as Afrin for clearing up the nose with no side effect other than about a 30 second burn. It's likely instrumental in keeping nasal polyps under control also.

 

[lowlysubaruguy]

I have a family of divers three of them have issues equalizing. One of them has problems with her ears on corners and hills even when driving. She also gets sea sick. One thing I do with them before we dive is go to the pool ( we get a whole lane to ourselves and its like 7 to 8 feet depending on which lane)

I have who evers headed diving with me spend as much time as they need getting some in water time, a full tank of air is usually good for more time in the pool than they can stand. But it seems to help them a lot. Will it help you i dont know but its stressless no ones in a time constraint or under any pressure.

My wife also takes ginger pills and sometimes Sudafed and something shes recently tried is a papaya pill. She just told me that she does not drink or eat anything with dairy a few weeks before were going diving. Which in my opinion we should not have dairy in our diet for any reason any way.

While she still has issues with some dives its usually a result of the pre dive and not her ears. If we end up on a boat with heavy fuel or exhaust smells or smokers upwind this can set her up for a bad dive. But shes mastered puking in her regulator

When the 5 of us certified quite a few of our fellow classmates dropped out because of ear issues one of my boys had ear issues as did my wife to some degree. But we were not educated enough with the need to equalize and I think by the time the pool activities were half done most of the class had stressed there ears and brains from not equalizing right. Today all of my family is fine with it they take a few slow runs getting it right and from there do just fine.

 

[fmerkel]

IMO most instructors are lousy at teaching equalizing properly. If there is a single skill that needs to be addressed and stressed in OW1 it's equalization. If you equalize easily, you may not be able to appreciate or understand people that cannot

 

[BoltSnap]

IMO most instructors are lousy at teaching equalizing properly. If there is a single skill that needs to be addressed and stressed in OW1 it's equalization. If you equalize easily, you may not be able to appreciate or understand people that cannot

How should they teach it according to you?

 

[fmerkel]

How should they teach it according to you?

By teaching it.
I don't remember it being addressed other than "you need to equalize" in my own class. I've gotten a lot of feedback from divers to the same effect (diving 20+ years in a very active dive club).
The frequency of this problem showing up on places like this board, when it's known to be a major issue with divers, means it's either not being addressed, or the students aren't paying attention. Can't help but think if it was stressed then it would be taught, and students might pay attention. They are students, they don't know at that stage what they need to pay attention to.
It's not like it's a 5 hour course. About 5-10 minutes in class with explanation, demonstration, and return demonstration, then moving that to the pool with reinforcement should take care of a majority of people, and show the people that are having problems.

I'm sure there are instructors that do this. I'm also sure there are instructors that do not.

 

[Damselfish]

I wonder if people that have a lot of trouble with this are less inclined to become instructors or dive pros of any sort? (I know if I had any such inclination this would be a big issue for me.) And some of the easy-clearing sorts that become instructors have a tendency to just not get what it's like? Obviously not universal, and purely a WAG on my part.

 

[BoltSnap]

By teaching it.
I don't remember it being addressed other than "you need to equalize" in my own class. I've gotten a lot of feedback from divers to the same effect (diving 20+ years in a very active dive club).
The frequency of this problem showing up on places like this board, when it's known to be a major issue with divers, means it's either not being addressed, or the students aren't paying attention. Can't help but think if it was stressed then it would be taught, and students might pay attention. They are students, they don't know at that stage what they need to pay attention to.
It's not like it's a 5 hour course. About 5-10 minutes in class with explanation, demonstration, and return demonstration, then moving that to the pool with reinforcement should take care of a majority of people, and show the people that are having problems.

I'm sure there are instructors that do this. I'm also sure there are instructors that do not.

I just thought that you had a "special" way to teaching it that is more effective than what the average instructor does.

 

[The Chairman]

IMO most instructors are lousy at teaching equalizing properly.

Ain't that the truth.

OK, the biggest problem I see with slow equalizers is the position of the chin. If you try to equalize with your chin tucked into your chest, you're bending the Eustachian tubes and making it harder to clear. Point your chin away from your chest and gently rock side to side alternately stretching each tube while trying the Valsalva maneuver.

The second biggest problem I see is indeed congestion. Sometimes doing snot rockets just before you dive is enough. It doesn't take much mucous to clog the tubes. Clear as much as you can.

Finally, too many divers wait until they feel pressure before they equalize. Blow, then go. Equalize before you descend and again before you feel any pressure building up. You'll have to anticipate this. The soft tissues next to the tubes can collapse around the lower pressure in the tubes effectively occluding them. This is why some people have to force the issue and that will inflame the tissues causing them to swell and close up as well.

No, I am not a medical doctor, but I was the first one in this thread to use "occluding".