One heck of a certification story.....

[Herk_Man]

It's fairly common to have one ear slower than the other. Variety of reasons but if it is consistent over a long period of time she probably just has a smaller tube on the right. This means she is going to have to be aggressive (doesn't mean blow hard, just do it early and often) about pre-clearing her ears and make sure that she feels the right ear clearing before she descends further.

Also might look into ProPlugs. A lot of people with slow ears report great results with these. I haven't tried them but will be getting them for my wife on our next dive trip. She has similar issues.

 

[TSandM]

BTW, it is not true that vaccinations only last ten years. Some don't last nearly that long, and others last longer. And there is individual variation, which is why I had to have antibody titers to rubella drawn when I was in medical school (to make sure I wasn't capable of carrying the virus into the hospitals).

 

[Herk_Man]

And they didn't notice all the robotic modifications when you did that?

 

[fnfalman]

She says she does really well clearing her left ear, but for some reason she only has problems with her right. We did an explore scuba in Belize and she had problems clearing her right ear then. So before we took the scuba class we had gone to the ENT and he did a cat scan and some other test. He said she should have no problems diving. I don't understand while she can clear her left ear fine, but not her right.

It happens. Maybe her ear canal isn't as straight through as yours, but thats why we have doctors for.

Also check out the Doc's Pro Plugs for divers. Some divers with ear equalization have used these plugs to great success. Make sure that the plugs are diver's plugs and not swimmer's plugs. The diver's plugs have holes for equalization.

 

[FFPEREZ]

Thank you for all the replies.

We Just got back from the ENT and here is what we have found out. He wants her to visit a dentist, which it is almost time for her 6 mos anyway, to see if there is an infection in her teeth. The ENT thinks she has TMJ, and maybe just maybe something wrong with her sinuses.....We go back for another apt. in 2 weeks and I guess the ENT is going to put a camera up her nose and look around....hopefully that reveals something. There just doesn't seem to be a smoking gun yet to what the problem is.

Thanks again

FFPEREZ

 

[Bubbletrubble]

Thanks for keeping us updated on the issue.

Assuming that the doctors/dentists don't find any problems, I think it would be worthwhile for your wife to try a dive during which she descends very slowly while equalizing early/often. This can be done very easily by "hand-walking" down an anchorline or some other fixed object with hand grips. Have her add/dump air in small increments while she's doing this.

Novice divers rarely have good enough buoyancy control to stop at any given depth while attempting to sort out equalization issues. Time and time again I see beginner divers empty their BCDs completely upon initial descent. This, combined with likely overweighting, causes a rapidly accelerating descent. When the diver begins to feel pain in the ears, he/she starts kicking like mad. Although effective, this can be very tiring -- definitely a suboptimal approach. Poor or inadequate ear equalization leads to ear injuries. If your wife is feeling any pressure in her ears at all, she isn't equalizing often enough.

TSandM suggested that you have your wife watch Dr. Kay's video on the web. That's an excellent recommendation. His website also lists several different methods to perform ear equalization. Feel free to click on the link in my sig. Good luck with everything.

 

[Blackwood]

I'll extend that to with more equalizing.

Once cleared by the doctor I suggest doing it daily.

Funny, I do it all the time (probably >10 times per day). It has become a habit. Almost like yawning is 'contageous,' merely thinking or reading about diving often leads to me subconsciously reaching up and doing a Valsalva maneuver.

 

[stakanak]

I have to clear my ears immediately when I submerge, within the first two feet, in order to clear as I descend. My cousin also has this issue. If I cannot clear, I surface and try to clear before any pressure begins. My doctor says this is a common occurrence.
Good luck and good diving

 

[iztok]

BTW, it is not true that vaccinations only last ten years. Some don't last nearly that long, and others last longer. And there is individual variation, which is why I had to have antibody titers to rubella drawn when I was in medical school (to make sure I wasn't capable of carrying the virus into the hospitals).

It is also not true that vaccinations cause Autism.

 

[gypsyjim]

It is also not true that vaccinations cause Autism.

REALLY? You mean my chiropractor is a quack?