Treatment For Clogged Ears

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Your body is different than mine, but here is my experience.

As suggested, equalize often and before you submerge, yes, but also *don't equalize so hard.* Your body can generate way more equalizing pressure than you need. Blowing harder doesn't help and may aggravate this problem.

By way of encouragement, I'd offer that this is a common problem that may often get better, perhaps across only a handful of dives. You and I have a similar dive count. During my OW class my descents were terribly slow and sometimes painful. And afterwards, I had fluid trapped in my middle ear for a couple of weeks. (I eventually cleared it up with a combo of Flonase and behind-the-counter Sudafed.) Then I took a trip to Hawaii and after about a half dozen dives my body got accustomed to equalizing, and I could descend faster and with less pain. Less pain led me to blow less hard to equalize, and that helped prevent the problem in the first place. I did a dozen dives and got a little fluid in my ears the first few, but by the end of the week my ears were clear and staying that way. I was also blowing less hard and dropping 40-60 feet quickly and with no pain. Point is, I think this problem may be a rite of passage (or, more accurately, "not passage") for many new divers that may quickly get better for you, too, so don't get discouraged.

Another suggestion which may or may not be helpful in prevention, but it can't hurt: Swallow right before you do the Valsalva. You should be swallowing a lot, anyway, just to help clear, but saliva and mucous can accumulate in the back of the throat, especially when you have a mouthpiece in your mouth (salivary response). If you do the Valsalva with a bunch of goop right at the entrance orifice to your eustachian tubes you can impel that blockage into the tube - especially if you're blowing too hard. Swallow first, then immediately do the Valsalva.

It's probably best to get your current case cleared before diving a lot and working through this. From what I've read, swimmer's ear doesn't usually develop into a serious health matter so long as it doesn't make you dizzy and the fluid doesn't contain an infection. But if you have swelling and/or you're in pain now, you do have an infection, and you need a doctor, not Scubaboard.

Something not yet mentioned that might help you with your current problem is massaging the neck area behind and below the outer ear, in a generally downward direction to manually encourage the fluid to escape. "Manual lymph drainage" can also help. Look it up to see techniques, but the basic idea is to massage fluids away from the region and towards your lymph nodes where the fluid can be picked up by the body and get flushed out. By kneading fluids from all over you head and neck toward your lymph node (in your armpit) you create space for the ear fluid to migrate into. Maybe nothing; can't hurt; you can do it while watching TV.

Bests
 
I'm assuming the Flonase isn't used in the ear, but as it's supposed to be used...in the nose. Right?

Same problem, but my wife and I after taking our OW course over the weekend. My issue is just with my left ear, same ear that doesn't clear as easily. I have Flonase at home and will give it a go tonight as a start.
 
Flonase is for the nose not the ears.

You responded to a year old thread but anyway I have found that the best solution to clogged ears from diving is preemptive rather than reconciliatory, meaning avoid the problem in the first place rather than trying to fix it.

Thanks much.

I figured I'd search for an answer rather than ask the same question that's been asked multiple times in the past and restart the entire conversation, thus the regurgitation of a year old thread since it generated an additional and related question from me. Thanks again.
 
Docs Proplugs are flexible silicone, so they deform into your ear canal as external pressure increases. They have a small vent hole in the center of the earplug. Surface tension keeps the water out, up to a point. This works to about 1 atmosphere (aprox. 10 M/30 ft), then you may get a drop of water past the hole. They do keep the outer ear canal essentially dry.

IST's Pro Ear mask has ear cups attached to the head band. The ear cups have small hoses running from the top of the mask to these ear cups. You exhale into the mask and this equalizes the pressure in the ear cups which keeps your ears dry. The mask works, but there is a learning curve. The hose attachments are somewhat fragile, so don't pull on them hard.

I have a Pro Ear mask on in my avatar image
 
The air chamber between the inside of the Docs Pro Plug and your ear drum has to compress as depth increases. The Docs Pro Plug deforms, flexing deeper into you outer ear canal to accommodate this compression. Remember you are equalizing your ears, so there is added pressure behind the ear drum. There is no air being added behind the ear plug, unless you have a perforated ear drum. If you exceed the flex range of the Docs Pro Plug a small drop of water may intrude past the small hole to maintain the volume of this compressed space.
 
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First, please accept my applause for adding to the older but valuable thread rather than starting a new one.

Back to the subject at hand:

Equalize early and often! Start now. No, really, start now.

If you know how to equalize your ears on a plane, then do it now and every time you think of it. This is exercise for your ears. It gets them used to it.

I equalize a number of times before even getting to the boat and so on and so on. I equalize again just before entering the water and often often often as descending.

If you do decide to try Sudafed, use the 12 hour, rather than standard. We want to avoid reverse blocks.

If, as you descend, you are having more trouble with one ear than the other, stop, go up just a smidge or two, be horizontal in the water and turn the recalcitrant ear to the surface, try again.

Boaty McBoatface has also given excellent advice with regard to stretching out your neck and massaging down from below earlobe by the back of your jaw. Stretch that neck out, use a couple of fingers (or all) and draw them firmly, with some pressure in the fingertips, down towards your collarbone, swallowing as you go.

The other excellent advice offered was to NOT equalize hard. If you're having trouble go up a smidge and then a smidge more, if you must. Honking hard on it to get the pop you crave is going to give you nothing but trouble.

Remember, equalize early, equalize often, equalize gently, equalize now . . .
 
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Adiron,
All air spaces within your body compress as you descend to depth. The way a Docs Pro Plug keeps your ear canal dry is that it creates a separate air space behind the ear plug, in the outer ear canal, to the outside aspect of the ear drum. You are not applying air to the outer ear canal when you equalize as you submerge. When you dive either there is water in your outer ear canal or there is water against the outer surface of the Docs Pro Plug.

Equalizing your ears, unless you have a perforation in your ear drum, does not equalize this air space. This air space compresses as your depth increases and some form of equalization must occur if you have an ear plug in your ear, or you could injure the ear drum. The elasticity of the Docs Pro Plug coupled with the vent hole is how this small air chamber between the ear plug and your ear drum is equalized.

This is why your basic dive training strictly advised you not to use ear plugs. Docs Pro Plugs got around this problem by venting their ear plugs.

BEST DIVING EARPLUGS | DOC'S PROPLUGS
 
My ear issue cleared after using ear drops (mainly isopropyl alcohol) for a couple of days. We now have the Docs Pro Plugs, so will see how those work out during our diving in Cabo.
 
I would never consider ear plugs for diving. As pointed out, there is going to be an air space between the plug and the ear drum ( vented or not ). If the concern is otitis externa, then prevention with isopropyl alcohol based drops right after each dive is the solution. If the problem is serous otitis media, which the OPs description suggested, then better equalization technique +/- a decongestant should help prevent. Once one has serous otitis media, it should clear in 1-2 weeks post diving with or without treatment. If it persists or becomes painful, see a doctor.

No medication you put in your outer ear is going to make it's way to the middle or inner ear. Nasal decongestants may shrink the lining of the Eustacian tube ( if inflamed ) making equalization easier.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/peregrine/

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