Sensitive ears

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Hello. I am a huge fan of snorkeling and amateur freediving. I have scuba dived once in my life in Turkey in 2009. Now, in 2019, I'd like to do another dive, in Malta.

What I would like to ask is what tips do you have for senzitive ears?

In case it's too long:
What do I do about the sensitivity of my ears? I would apreciate any suggestions. On my own I've thought of 2 options: putting cooking oil in my ears directly. Like ear drops. That will probably wash out quickly. Second idea: vaseline, also known by the name petroleum jelly. Is there any danger to diving with a bit of petroleum jelly in my ears?

Some context:

I've always felt anxious when it comes to my ears when in the water. For most of my life up to 2011 I just dived normally, I have a mask but nothing for my ears. I was always bothered by the sensation of getting water in my ears especially at pressure, but I thought... nothing I can do about it. I'm just paranoid so I should just get over it.

In 2011 I had some kind of injury from misuse of ears plugs (long, irelevant story) in my ear canal. I went on holiday in Greece, snorkeling and "freediving" (like 1 meter depth, nothing spectacular) and got a horrifically painful ears infection. The greek doctor said it was otitis but on facebook I spoke with some divers and they said otitis isn't all that painful... and mine was so painful I almost fainted form the pain. Supposedly that kind of otitis is a mix of bacterial and fungal infections at the same time? I dont know. I do know the greek doctor prescribed serious antibiotics.

I had to go to a medical check weeks later (not because of my ears... in Romania you need a doctors note for going to driving school... I was healthy at that time) and the doctor there saw something in my ear that made her realise I had had otitis - a scar i think it was. She said as an advice, home remedy, old-wives tale kind of thing, to put ear plugs made of cotton and soaked in cooking oil in my ears. I have done that everytime I've been in the water since. The oil creates a barrier between the water and the skin of my ear canal and the cotton plug ensures the oil doesnt leak out immediately.

I have never subjected this to a rigorous scientific test, but I wouldn't be surprised if the difference was minimal. I have dived sometimes without anything in my ear and havent gotten anymore otitis. Also sometimes most of the oil washes out. BUT.... I love the feeling of having that in my ear. It's PLACEBO, i think. I feel more relaxed knowing I have something, anything, in my ear to, maybe protect it. The paranoia I mentioned above dissapears.

But I want to progress from snorkeling to scuba diving. I'll only be doing a DSD for fun on this trip to Malta. Maybe I'll get certified in the more distant future. But one way or another I want to do scuba diving.

Obviously, given the pressure in scuba diving, plugs, cotton or otherwise, are out of the question.

So... What do I do about my ears? I would apreciate any suggestions.

On my own I've thought of 2 options: putting cooking oil in my ears directly. Like ear drops.

That will probably wash out quickly. Second idea: vaseline, also known by the name petroleum jelly.

Is there any danger to diving with a bit of petroleum jelly in my ears?

Thank you.
 
Try EarPro... It is made with an oil that stays in the ear for several hours and it also has anti bacterial qualities... I love it... I used to fear ear troubles but now I dive worry free all the time
 
My wife tried and liked EarShield. She also used an ear drier after diving, Mack's I think, really likes it. She did great on a recent trip to Bonaire, 44 dives in 12 days
 
Not to state the obvious, but are you sure you're equalizing properly?
Maybe the scar was from a ruptured eardrum?
If you developed the painful ear condition immediately after the dive, then it sounds more like a ruptured eardrum.
Infections usually take a couple of days
 
ear problems suck... had to sit out half a liveaboard on Palau for an infection and have been super careful ever since.
I used the drying stuff for a while and earshield also but I found a product recently called earpro which seems to work a bit better.. spray it in before the dives and all is wonderful with the world.
 
If you want to avoid entirely water in your ear channels, and still be able to equalize normally, Scubapro manufactures a special mask equipped with two pressure-equalized ear cups. Called Pro Ear 2000.
This is the only safe way to prevent water entering sensitive ears and stll be able to dive normally.
Scubapro Pro Ear 2000 Diving Mask
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

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