Ear issue even in very shallow water

[cordalette]

I have been a swimmer all my life im 27 and for the last few years i have been experiencing problems every time i go under water 2 feet or more. I am not a scuba diver although i used to be able to dive about 20 feet or so while snorkeling. But now whenever i attempt to go under water my right ear has a sudden realease of pressure which i can both hear and feel and then i have sudden pain and the sensation of water in my ear. Sounds like a ruptured or preforated ear drum, but every time this has happened i have gone to an ENT and they have said that i am fine. They even performed a pressure test one time because i refused for them to tell me i was fine by just looking at my ear and the test came out clear. They say give it a couple of months and you will be fine so i gave my ear 10 months with the only water exposure in my shower and then i swam down two feet and right away the same problem! Im trying to figure out whats my next move because its heartbreaking fro me not to be able to swim, surf, snorkle, and hopefully dive one day. Has anyone experienced an issue like this or know whats my best plan of action to take? Thanks so much for reading!

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A ScubaBoard Staff Message...

This old thread was recently revived, and the original poster has returned (post 23) to explain that the problem is not only still ongoing, it has gotten worse. I moved it to the Diving Medicine forum in the hope that one or more of our participating physicians can help.

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[Scuba.com]

I know I've posted this a few times, so please don't shoot me. ;o) It's more geared towards diving but all in all applies here as well.

Here's a piece of advice I was first given by my Course Director in my IDC some years ago after having a similar blockage that prevented me from completing a fun dive after our IE. Keep in mind that your Eustachian tube and the area inside your ear that you are trying to equalize the pressure in, is tissue. Just as we'd no sooner hop up from our computers right this moment and run a 100 meter sprint and expect our body to perform without some sort of negative and probably painful reaction, we shouldn't expect our ears to suddenly be subjected to this forced pressure and pressure changes without some sort of similar resistance.
He advised me that in his experience, if I were to get into the habit of clearing my ears every hour or so through out the day prior to my diving, my ear canal would be a lot more accustomed to performing the task I'm asking it. Very similar to stretching before a workout or run. Medically, I cannot say whether that advice is sound for that particular part of the body, but I can attest to the fact that it was the last time I've experienced any ear blockage of any type in 17 years.
It's also advice I've passed on to my students and instructor candidates over the years, and to my sometimes foggy knowledge, I cannot think of a student I've ever had who has been forced to abort a training dive due to equalization problems.

 

[cordalette]

Thanks for sharing that, i know for a lot of people this post i made may seem like its been covered before. However, i did not just blindly post it, I did search the forums but failed to find anything that was discussed that i felt was the problem i was having. I have spoken to so many folks about this issue with no real solutions so i figured i would turn to folks who's life and passion is diving and would do anything to fix a problem if something stood in their way of doing what they loved. I just yesterday went swimming in a pool and after going under past 2 feet i could feel my right ear de-pressurizing itself but very suddenly, it was not controlled like when you pressure regulate while diving it was more like a tire blowing out and then an on rush of water surging in. And once again i went to an ENT right afterwards and he said all was fine the only thing he noticed was a little red and inflammation but nothing for me to worry about... Well i am worried i am being pulled away from something i love and no one can tell me why. Again, thank you very much for taking the time to read my post and i will be very thankful for further advise
-Josh

 

[Bob DBF]

You might want to call or email and see what DAN Divers Alert Network : Contact DAN has to say about your problem. They may be able to tell you what you are experiencing and refer you to a doctor who has expertise in resolving diving issues.

Good Luck

Bob

 

[spectrum]

I agree that the ability to clear is very related to conditioning.

When I used to fly I would be deaf for 18 hours, unable to clear. Since becoming a diver I don't even notice air travel. Also with repetition clearing while diving becomes a breeze and it's sometimes automatic.

Do mock clearings a few times daily. You need to learn to sneak up on your ears with just enough pressure to get a gentle pressure shift.

This is worth a viewing too.

Pete

 

[cordalette]

Thank you all very much for your feed back, i really appreciate the time and advise!

 

[TSandM]

I think the reason you are not getting a lot of advice here is that your symptoms are quite odd, and nobody knows quite what to make of them. A sudden release of pressure sounds like either sudden equalization or eardrum perforation, and from what you have said, and the results of the pressure test, it isn't the latter. So it makes me think you aren't equalizing, and then suddenly, your ear does it itself. Have you, in the past, needed to do anything in particular to equalize your ears? Maybe you used to be able to equalize without a specific procedure, but now require one?

 

[j.doe]

my wife has found an ear plug that is made specifically for divers. It has a pin hole in them that allows them to be used safely while diving and yet she and 4 others that I know swear up and down that it saves the ears a hundred times over.

She has gone from one that takes minutes to get down 20 feet, to one that cam plumet 100 feet like a stone. I am a believer, sorry I can not remember the name of them manufacturer off the top of my head.

 

[Damselfish]

I'm a big fan of the vented proplugs but for the OP I think they really need to figure out what's going on first. I too was wondering, what technique are you using to equalize, when and how often?

 

[--tom--]

And don't forget the how quickly the pressure/volume changes that are occurring at shallow depths.
The pressure/volume compression (compared to the surface) in 2 feet salt water is ~ 6% change, at 4' ~ 11%; 20% by ~ 8'. You may be a bit more sensitive; but be very aware that the dramatic pressure changes are at shallow depths. So that the problem occurs in shallow depth is not surprising; the good news is that once you have the shallow depth issues sorted out, your ears should be able to handle deeper dives with minimal issues.