Ear Problems

[Zoomer]

Not to Hi-Jack a thread, but do you find it more difficult to clear your ears when the water temps are low?

 

[Mr Kawamura]

Stephanie,

I had a terrible time clearing the first few times going under. I was trying to use the "pinch and blow" technique, which always seems to be taught in books, by instructors and other divers. I have never been able to use this method successfully. Through trial and error, I eventually found the way that works for me, and was able to complete my OW course after a break of a few days (I just tense my jaw muscles in a certain way which works every time for me, on land or in water).

It seems that clearing is something that takes practice for a lot of people - it could be, Stephanie, that you just need more time to find what works for you. As mentioned, decongestants are probably a bad idea - if I remember, this is a question on the final PADI OW quiz, so taking them on an OW dive wouldn't be too clever.

 

[RadRob]

Not to Hi-Jack a thread, but do you find it more difficult to clear your ears when the water temps are low?

Yes. I believe it cause the ducts and vessels in your ears to constrict and causes the build up of bony deposits in the outer ear, called extoses. Extoses is the body's mechanism for protecting the eardrum from the adverse effects of external trauma like pressure, cold, etc.

Cold water also can cause vertigo. This is due to caloric stimulation or the damage to the inner ear which affects balance. Cold water stimulates the tympanic membrane, causing the middle ear to excrete drainage, which affects balance.

 

[Karen Es]

Hi Stephanie,

Well, I had the same trouble when I had to go to my swimming practise during OP classes (but also when taking off in trips, and in mountains) . So, after suffering some months of not hearing anything, and the fact that I felt as if I had a cold, plus that I had to watch my buddies from almost the surface when practising in the pool, made me pay a visit to the doctor. Then, I learnt that I had alergy to any kind of things coming to my nose, and that my Eustachian tubes were thinner that what they were supposed to be... I was prescribed some medicine that works wonderfully when diving.
It would be wise to visit your doctor and see what happens.
Now I take medicine before diving (12-hour tablet and a s spray in my nose) and I can pinch my nose and blow, and it works!
Cheers,
Karen

 

[ghostdiver1957]

Hi all. I'm in the middle of my Scuba class, and I'm having problems clearing my ears. I get to about 10feet and I get a stabbing, burning, pain in my ears. I've gone to every web site on the 'net to try different ways to clear them and none of them work. Tuesdays are my pool sessions and it usually takes until Saturday for them to clear. This is getting really old really fast! Our open water dive is the first weekend of February and I'm worried that I wont be able to dive if I keep having these problams. My ears will not clear underwater, shoot they barely clear above water. I was wondering if anyone has had this problem or if any one had any words of advice for me. Anything mwould be appreiciated. Thanks.

1. DO NOT use Sudafed or any other drug.
2. See an ENT familiar with diving
3. If an ENT can find no medical reason for your problem, then you simply aren't doing it right. Medical reasons can be many things, simple to fix ones include blockage from ear wax, colds, ear infections, allergies. Some that may require surgery include deviated septum, polyps, inner or middle ear cysts, dysfunctional eustation tubes.

If you are checked out and cleared for diving, then make sure you start clearing early and often. Clear all day the day before your pool session, clear on the way to the pool, clear when you get there, clear before you get in the water, clear again on the surface and clear every 1-2 feet until you reach the bottom.

Clearing is not a natural thing for our ears. They must be conditioned to function in the underwater environment. The easiest and my preferred method is to pinch your nose and blow gently. You should feel pressure expanding outward in your ears. Try to determine if both sides are opening in balance. If one side is causing more discomfort than the other or is not opening as quickly, you have the potential for a dangerous effect underwater known as vertigo if this is not addressed.

Hope this helps... and Good Luck!

 

[RonFrank]

I think most things have been covered.

I think seeking medical advice from an ENT is your first objective.

One thing not mentioned is that you should not overdo it. Clear early (I clear on the surface to start), but don't blow too hard when you have your nose pinched. You can do damage.

The good news is that generally the first 15feet are the most difficult to clear, so once you get that first good clear, it becomes just a quick blow to continue to clear as you decend deeper.

If you feel pressure don't force clear, but rather ascend until the pressure is gone, and clear then. If you can not clear at that point, then stay at that depth until you can clear. Once you go to deep and the pressure builds up it becomes next to impossible to clear, and you can do damange attemting to force it.

Ear issues are the number one problem in divers, however it's often due to infections rather than equalizing.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Agree with the "see an ENT" and practice on the surface as mentioned by the others. Just another quick note, sometimes when I watch students trying to clear they tense the muscles of their neck and face. Tensing those muscles can prevent your eustachian tube from allowing air into your middle ear. If you are using the Valsalva method focus on relaxing your upper body (face, neck, jaw and shoulders) when you clear, don't clench your teeth either. Relax, gently pinch your nose and gently blow. When I have one ear that's a little stubborn I continue to relax and turn my head so that ear is pointing up (stretches the eustachian tube) then gently blow again. The more frustrated and tense you get the less likely your ears are to clear. I always make sure to "drop" my shoulders before clearing, for me that helps relax my neck muscles.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[O2BBubbleFree]

One thing I should have mentioned before, and didn't see in scanning the thread is that if you do feel pressure on your ear on descent, ascend until you don't feel it, then try to clear. Likewise, if you feel it while ascending, descend and clear. Trying to clear after you feel the pressure is usually useless, and can cause problems.

In my earlier post, I suggested using Sudafed (pseudoephedrine). Some others have stated that you should never use it. I suggest that you spend some time on the Diver's Alert Network website. They are the experts.

My take on pseudoephedrine, having read much on their site, is that it is OK as long as:

a) it will last through your dive

b) you know how it affects you on the surface. In some people it causes excitability, which could increase your susceptibility to panic. I know that it does not have this effect on me

c) you are taking it for regular, recurring ear problems and not because you have a cold or something irregular on a particular dive trip. In this case, it's better to sit it out.

d) some OTC medications containg pseudoephedrine also contain other medicines. Make sure, if you are going to use pseudoephedrine, that it is NOT one that also contains other drugs. For instance there’s Sudafed Sinus and Allergy, which also contains an antihistamine that causes drowsiness, there’s Sudafed PE, which doesn’t actually contain pseudoephedrine at all, there’s Sudafed Sinus Headache which contains acetaminophen for pain… The tablets I’m talking about using have only one active ingredient: Pseudoephedrine HCl.

But I'm not a doctor, and you need to decide for yourself.

Good luck.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Likewise, if you feel it while ascending, descend and clear.

In this case you have a reverse block (squeeze) and attempting to Valsalva will only make it worse. Clearing a block while ascending does involve descending a bit until the pressure subsides. Try yawning, wiggling your jaw or closing your nose and mouth and INHALING rather than blowing. Getting a reverse block to clear can be difficult to impossible but whatever you do don't add more air to the middle ear.

b) you know how it affects you on the surface. In some people it causes excitability, which could increase your susceptibility to panic. I know that it does not have this effect on me

Another thing to take into consideration if you decide to use Sudafed is how it reacts with any other medications you may take such as seasick meds. I found out the hard way that I can dive with one or the other but when I combine them I get extremely paranoid and anxious. The first time I combined them I was convinced that there was a monster waiting to eat me at the bottom of the anchor line (we were diving Lake Huron). I was so freaked out I had to abort the dive and it wasn't until a couple years later when I finally figured out it was the two medications combined with the pressure that were giving me the "bad trip" if you will.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[darylm74]

I haven't seen this mentioned so I will go ahead and say that I usually swallow to get my ears to equalize. I sometimes use the hold and blow method but swallowing works best for me (ok get your mind out of the gutter). I do find it hard to do in salt water because my mouth tends to dry out faster in salt water for some odd reason. I take Sudafed sometimes but I have allergies and most of the time I just make sure that I am on a maintenance plan for my allergies and I don't have any problems.