Seasiren, I'm going to give you my 2 cents worth (probably worth much less).
I have ruptured or put a hole in my eardrums three times. It sucks having to sit topside for however long it takes for them to heal, but I promise you would much rather do that than permanently damage your eardrums and/or lose your hearing. My doc admonished me that if I damage my ears again she's going to ban me from diving, therefore I am super careful with my ears.
While some have said to avoid Sudafed, I take it religiously on dive trips as well as supplementing with a nasal steroid. I also recommend, from personal experience, JBL's hydroseal ear plugs. I was turned on to them by one of my instructors. I started using them about 10 dives ago and I have not had any more issues with my ears. I am extremely prone to reverse blocks and between my drug regimen and the earplugs I have been able to enjoy my dives instead of fretting about my ears.
So take time to let your ears heal completely, take everyone's advice into account, and figure out what works best for you.
Happy diving!
*This is not medical advice and you should consult your doctor before taking any medications.*
I have ruptured or put a hole in my eardrums three times. It sucks having to sit topside for however long it takes for them to heal, but I promise you would much rather do that than permanently damage your eardrums and/or lose your hearing. My doc admonished me that if I damage my ears again she's going to ban me from diving, therefore I am super careful with my ears.
While some have said to avoid Sudafed, I take it religiously on dive trips as well as supplementing with a nasal steroid. I also recommend, from personal experience, JBL's hydroseal ear plugs. I was turned on to them by one of my instructors. I started using them about 10 dives ago and I have not had any more issues with my ears. I am extremely prone to reverse blocks and between my drug regimen and the earplugs I have been able to enjoy my dives instead of fretting about my ears.
So take time to let your ears heal completely, take everyone's advice into account, and figure out what works best for you.
Happy diving!
*This is not medical advice and you should consult your doctor before taking any medications.*