Equalizing ears but air leaks from around the eyes

[TSandM]

Any equalization method that involves pressurizing the nasopharynx has the potential to blow air out the lacrimal ducts. Whether you are using the Valsalva or the Frenzel maneuvers, you will be raising the pressure at the orifices of the Eustachian tubes and the lacrimal ducts. For most people, the ducts aren't so patent that they get a lot of air coming up through them, but that's an anatomic matter. The only equalization techniques that don't have the potential to do this are the passive ones, like swallowing, jaw wiggling, or voluntary tubal opening (which I sure wish I could master) where air is simply allowed to go where pressure gradients send it.

 

[ganu76]

Great responses! This is exactly the type of stuff I was looking for.

Thanks to all.

 

[Thomas R Tippins]

Valsalva maneuver, which is what she is trying to do is often taught wrong. You do NOT really want to blow your nose, but blow your throat. Direct air to your throat and hold your nose so it doesn't escape. Your soft palate alone is not strong enough to block this over pressure which is why you hold your nose.

By having air escape from her eyes, it's telling me she's directing the majority of her pressure into her nose where her tear ducts connect. She's constricting her throat and blocking her eustachian tube openings.

A lot of divers when doing this technique will squeeze and constrict their throat to blow hard. The result is that they direct air and mainly blow their nose. This does nothing to help an effect on your eustatchian tubes. You have to open your mouth, hitch your jaw forward and blow into your mouth cavity to allow more air into your throat area to allow the most air to pass where your eustachian tubes are.

If you can't build up enough pressure in this way to counteract the water pressure, you've waited too late to equalize.

If you have never had the problem of air coming out of your eyes you would be hard pressed to understand the problem and the solution for these people . Imagination is more important than knowledge. For two people, that I know of so far, their solution is to squeeze their eyes shut as they equalize their ears. The technique is now called the Tippy Technique !!!!