Purulent effusion post diving , how long to clear

[Lee Taylor]

weeeeeeeeeeee. this looks fun

How to Unclog the Inner Ear or Eustachian Tube - wikiHow

 

[batman diver]

hmmm i think i may try this .... i realy hope it works , seems very invasive though , dunno ha ha

 

[batman diver]

went to ENT and he said ears look ok now @ 1st he said over his dead body will i dive ha ha , he was worried a rupture my round window , ... i believe i would be deaf then hey ? anyways he sending me for a tympanogram ,,,, wat is that ?

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

weeeeeeeeeeee. this looks fun

How to Unclog the Inner Ear or Eustachian Tube - wikiHow

Oh my. Don't try that at home. Note the heading in big letters: "This article's accuracy is in doubt." That's an understatement.

First of all, it says to use tap water, which will irritate the sinuses even more.

"You may also feel a quick mild or sharp pain when the liquid reaches your inner ear canal as it is not used to feeling this, but it is not harming it. It is no different than using nasal spray in your nose." What it's advocating is taking the neti-pot liquid, which by now has all the mucus and other McNasties that accumulate in the nasal passages and sinuses (not to mention nose spray, which is not approved for forcing into the middle ear), and jamming it into the MIDDLE (not inner) ear. That could lead to a middle ear infection or worse.

I'm a fan of sinus rinses used as directed, but I would definitely steer clear of this.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

i got a reverse squeeze a while back and my inner ear is full of mucous now , im on anti-bio-tics , sudafed and cortizone to get rid of it all , anyone know how long it will take to clear , got a big trip planned for two weeks time ... anything else that can speed up the mucous moving out of inner ear .... can i dive with mucous in my inner ear ? doc wasn't exactly helpful ....PLS been looking forward to this trip all year

Batman,
Use your medications as directed. Sometimes anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen can help. Consult your physician before you try them.

Another thing that's sometimes helpful is to GENTLY perform the Valsalva maneuver every once in a while throughout the day. This adds a little bit of pressure to the middle ear and can assist in clearing liquids out of it.

You should not dive if your ears are still clogged. Your physician is correct - if you try to forcefully clear your ears just because you want to get to the bottom, it could lead to inner ear barotrauma (round window rupture is one form of this) and cause permanent damage to your hearing and balance mechanism. This would ruin not only your upcoming trip, but all your trips after that. Work with your physician closely, do what he tells you to do, and you may be cleared up in time to dive.

Sinus rinses, used as directed (see my previous post) can help clear up mucus from the nasal passages and sinuses. They can be helpful if used just prior to diving.