Ears clogged, but I can't pinpoint the problem

[panchodiver]

I just received my OW cert last weekend. During this weekend we did 4 dives along with a pool dive.

In general, I had no problems with equalization. I did it often but I'm pretty sure I should be doing it even more often if the tips I have read were correct (every 2 feet or so).
On the first or second dive, I was tilting my body in various directions while trying to better understand neutral buoyancy. During one of these flips, I had this sudden rush of what sounded like water go into my ear...followed by a full feeling in my ears (no pain or vertigo). I also felt a similar rush happen during my 4th dive (same thing with flips and swimming sideways).

This is normal for me....happened all the time while swimming and doing flips or swimming sideways underwater. Usually it just clears out at night or with some crazy headbanging.

Well after the 1st day (1st and 2nd dives), I did have some difficulty getting my land legs back after getting off the boat. Everything was quite wavy for almost a day. I also did NOT get seasick on the 1st boat ride. The 2nd day (3rd and 4th dives) the REVERSE happened. I DID get seasick on the boat but I had no problem getting my land legs back. This was after my ears were clogged up.

Problem is, it is now 4 days after the last dive, and I cannot get this full feeling out of my ear. My left ear is much more clogged than my right ear. I've tried the typical whiplash techniques but nothing would come out. Tried loosening my earwax, but none has coming out (I do seem to have an extra build up of wax in my ears and it has been decades since I've had them professionally cleaned out). I still do not feel pain, although I did have a bit of brief discomfort in one of my ears (the least clogged) when I woke up today.

I'd like to solve this....and going to an ear doctor is a problem. I cannot afford a session at the moment (no insurance).

Well thank you for reading such a long post. Any advice will be well received.

Frustraded Diver

 

[Web Monkey]

Problem is, it is now 4 days after the last dive, and I cannot get this full feeling out of my ear. My left ear is much more clogged than my right ear. I've tried the typical whiplash techniques but nothing would come out. Tried loosening my earwax, but none has coming out (I do seem to have an extra build up of wax in my ears and it has been decades since I've had them professionally cleaned out). I still do not feel pain, although I did have a bit of brief discomfort in one of my ears (the least clogged) when I woke up today.

I'd like to solve this....and going to an ear doctor is a problem. I cannot afford a session at the moment (no insurance).

You need to have it looked at. Not sure where you live, but in the US, you can call your county's health department. They almost always have or know of a clinic or doctor that will take a look at you even if you can't pay right now.

Terry

 

[CamG]

Greetings pancho, and welcome to SB! First and for most I am not a doctor but I can tell you what has worked for me in the past. I use a three part mixture of 70 % rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and white vinegar. You want a equal amount of each solution and mix them together. Typically I use a 3cc syringe with out the needle to fill my ear canal. I leave it in for a while, mayby 20-30 seconds then turn my head and let it run out. I then use a Q-tip to clean any excess or other material, dirt, wax, etc. I have found that it works well for me but it can dry your ears out if used to much. I have had sinus/ear issues a lot till I started diving and began a routine of preventitive measures. The best advice I could give is resolve your insurance issues and visit a ENT. It revolutionized my diving and put an end to my ear issues! There are some very helpful people here on SB and I am sure you will get some good things to try. I would just be very careful and seek professional help as soon as you can if this does not clear up. Good luck and keep us posted, CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

 

[TSandM]

The real question is where the clogging is. If you have water trapped behind cerumen (earwax) in your external ear, which is possible although somewhat unlikely, using a product like Cerumenex to soften and remove the wax may resolve the issue.

If, as is more likely, the "clogging" is actually fluid accumulation in the middle ear from mild barotrauma, treating the external canal will have no effect at all. This type of fluid accumulation has to resolve with time, but can sometimes be aided by the use of oral decongestants or antiinflammatory medication, if you have no contraindications to their use.

The balance issue you had getting off the boat is not rare! The only time I've been motion sick in my life was in a Chinese restaurant in San Juan, Puerto Rico. I'd been on a sailboat for a week, and my ears were convinced I was still rocking. The combination of a moving restaurant and the smell of stale grease was more than I could bear

 

[cavdeb]

I've had a similar problem in the past, I think, based on your description. You might try drying and shrinking your mucus membranes, utilizing store-brand Sudafed or generic Afrin spray. This sometimes will reduce swelling and drain the middle ear. If still plugged up, definitely see a doctor and be upfront about limited resources. A prescription for generic steroid might be warranted. Good luck - it is miserable to have plugged ears!

 

[ghost483]

Just got back from seeing my ENT about this issue. Your description fit my symptoms exactly. Doctor diagnosed me with a mild ear infection and prescribed Amoxycilin. The "fullness" was water and swelling in my middle ear. Most importantly, he recommended no diving and no flying until it clears up (he thought maybe 10 days).

 

[silvernotch]

Greetings pancho, and welcome to SB! First and for most I am not a doctor but I can tell you what has worked for me in the past. I use a three part mixture of 70 % rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, and white vinegar. You want a equal amount of each solution and mix them together. Typically I use a 3cc syringe with out the needle to fill my ear canal. I leave it in for a while, mayby 20-30 seconds then turn my head and let it run out. I then use a Q-tip to clean any excess or other material, dirt, wax, etc. I have found that it works well for me but it can dry your ears out if used to much. I have had sinus/ear issues a lot till I started diving and began a routine of preventitive measures. The best advice I could give is resolve your insurance issues and visit a ENT. It revolutionized my diving and put an end to my ear issues! There are some very helpful people here on SB and I am sure you will get some good things to try. I would just be very careful and seek professional help as soon as you can if this does not clear up. Good luck and keep us posted, CamG Keep diving....keep training....keep learning!

I recently got some water clogged in my ear and decided to poured some hydrogen peroxide in, let it run out, then used a Q-tip. next thing I knew I was having hearing problems and went to the ear doctor. The doctor told me to NEVER use hydrogen peroxide in your ear because it will pull the moisture out of your earwax and when you use the Q-tip it will compound it hard and can cause a plug which is exactly what happened to me. I had to have him flush me out with a syringe to unplug it (and it hurt like a $*@&%!!!!)

It may work for some people but unfortunately for me it made it worse

 

[rawls]

Sorry to hear about your ear problems panchodiver. I will say ditto to what Web Monkey stated. Go to your community health center and let a physician do an assessment. I personally would like to know if you were forcefully equalizing your ears. Did you have a cold or any kind of congestion when you did your dives? How many somersaults did you do If you were forcefully clearing your ears then you may have suffered some barotrauma to your middle ear and that could cause the full feeling and the resultant swelling could be causing the full feeling.
Unfortunately many people have problems with insurance these days but again do what Web Monkey suggested. At least for now, everyone still has access to health care in this country....Good luck....And a hardy welcome to:sblogo:

 

[panchodiver]

Well, I'm rather delighted at how many responses were made after just one day! I appreciate that.

I was not congested or sick before or during the dive. I do have sinus issues, but they have been that way since I was very young. I don't take any medication. I MAY have been forcefully EQing...but really I don't have the expertise to tell for sure. I do know that the rush of water entering my ear felt NO different than every other time I went swimming and it didn't happen during any descent. It happened when I was in a certain position. I'm not sure if one feels this rush of water immediately after a case of barotrauma.

Well, I will try to let things clear up a bit. Maybe I'll take a decongestant and see how it goes until the end of the week. I will be trying the health dept when they open though. Sounds like a good idea.

i.e - Funny thing about that hydrogen peroxide....I actually did use that in my ears after a day of sloshing in my ears. Heck, I even tried olive oil. Ah well, I will definitely post the results after all this clears up.

 

[DandyDon]

Uh, Panchodiver, there is a reason we have a medical profession and we are lucky we do. Go - See - A - Doctor...

Or you can wait until the pain is unbearable and fight tears in the waiting room hoping you can get in over the weekend...?

I know, I'm a little harsh, but I've been the one nearly crying in a waiting room to see the only doc in town seeing patients on a Saturday.

I recently got some water clogged in my ear and decided to poured some hydrogen peroxide in, let it run out, then used a Q-tip. next thing I knew I was having hearing problems and went to the ear doctor. The doctor told me to NEVER use hydrogen peroxide in your ear because it will pull the moisture out of your earwax and when you use the Q-tip it will compound it hard and can cause a plug which is exactly what happened to me. I had to have him flush me out with a syringe to unplug it (and it hurt like a $*@&%!!!!)

It may work for some people but unfortunately for me it made it worse

Where did you get the idea that hydrogen peroxide was a good idea in your ears? Wow!

I have heard of people mixing hydrogen peroxide with alcohol and vinegar as a post dive treatment - which is wrong, but probly harmless as I think that the other two liquids will make the H2O2 break down to water quickly enough, thereby yielding the correct ear wash: 1/3 alcohol, 1/3 vinegar, 1/3 water - or I used equal parts 70% alcohol and vinegar @ 5% acidity to prevent "swimmers ear" infections. DAN has many articles on ear care. Log-in at DAN Divers Alert Network and "ear" - this is one of my favs, discussing the 6 most common ear problems, solutions, etc: DAN Divers Alert Network : Common Ear Injuries While Diving

Just got back from seeing my ENT about this issue. Your description fit my symptoms exactly. Doctor diagnosed me with a mild ear infection and prescribed Amoxycilin. The "fullness" was water and swelling in my middle ear. Most importantly, he recommended no diving and no flying until it clears up (he thought maybe 10 days).

Wise move.

I used to get "swimmers ear" infections until I became diligent about treating with the alcohol vinegar mix; now haven't had one in years, but my home bud has chronic problems equalizing and severe memory problems about what he's learned the hard way over this. It really takes both of us to keep him in tune with...
> Diligent equalizing, and
> Diligent ear washing, both.
He was getting much better after a week on our last trip, the day before we came home :silly: but then that's important too as you have to equalize some on the planes. The Equalizing link in my Sig below is to a 45 minute video that has been very helpful to many...