alfkristian
Registered
Hey!
TL;DR:
Lasting ETD after reverse block. Air won't escape eustachian tube on ASCENT. Descent works fine. Problems arises on all flights, dives (which I've stopped) and trips to above ~1000m above water. Have experienced ruptured air drum, and facial baroparesis one time each. Now I'm functionally grounded at water levels, and depressed.
I have a lasting problem that occurred after a reverse block on a very shallow free dive about 5 years ago. I was cruising a 6 meter deep beach area for about 30 min. After ascending the last time, air did not escape, and the pain forced me to descend again. I tried a couple of times with no resolution, and gave up. Medium amounts of pain and muffled hearing in right ear stayed with me for several days.
Fast forward to today. Problem still exists, albeit only on ascent in an air plane. After a few more test dives the year after, I gave up diving all together. Now, every time I fly, I get increasing pressure and pain in right ear on ascent. Sometimes the air finally releases/pops (most long flights). Sometimes it persists during the whole flight (short flights), only to relieve itself on descent.
On two occasions it became horrible. Once, my eardrum ruptured. Sounded like a gun was fired in my head, but the relief overshadowed the pain. Last time i flew, I got facial baroparesis on the right side. My gf thought I was having a stroke. Now I don't dare to fly anymore.
I've visited 4 ear specialist doctors (ENT?) over the years. All but the last of them claim that air escapes automatically on ascent, and that I'm misunderstanding anatomy (seriously). One invited me to remove water from the middle ear through the airdrum, but changed his mind on the operation day due to not seing enough "water mirror" (translated from norwegian).
The last one is now actually taking me seriously. He is sending me to a CT, and considering a balloon-inflation treatment for the eustachian tube. We've tried a nasal spray daily for 6 months, but it doesn't help. I still have to insist every time I talk to him, that the problem is ON ASCENT. Descent is fine, swallowing or valsalva "refills" the middle ear.
I've read that one can have nasal polyps on the entrance to the eustachian tube middle ear side. I'm also a bit worried about tumors...
Anyone here have experience or knowledge or could help?
I can't fly, I can't go over 1000m to the cabin or a mountain trip, I can't dive, and ENTs are not impressing me
Sincerely,
AK
TL;DR:
Lasting ETD after reverse block. Air won't escape eustachian tube on ASCENT. Descent works fine. Problems arises on all flights, dives (which I've stopped) and trips to above ~1000m above water. Have experienced ruptured air drum, and facial baroparesis one time each. Now I'm functionally grounded at water levels, and depressed.
I have a lasting problem that occurred after a reverse block on a very shallow free dive about 5 years ago. I was cruising a 6 meter deep beach area for about 30 min. After ascending the last time, air did not escape, and the pain forced me to descend again. I tried a couple of times with no resolution, and gave up. Medium amounts of pain and muffled hearing in right ear stayed with me for several days.
Fast forward to today. Problem still exists, albeit only on ascent in an air plane. After a few more test dives the year after, I gave up diving all together. Now, every time I fly, I get increasing pressure and pain in right ear on ascent. Sometimes the air finally releases/pops (most long flights). Sometimes it persists during the whole flight (short flights), only to relieve itself on descent.
On two occasions it became horrible. Once, my eardrum ruptured. Sounded like a gun was fired in my head, but the relief overshadowed the pain. Last time i flew, I got facial baroparesis on the right side. My gf thought I was having a stroke. Now I don't dare to fly anymore.
I've visited 4 ear specialist doctors (ENT?) over the years. All but the last of them claim that air escapes automatically on ascent, and that I'm misunderstanding anatomy (seriously). One invited me to remove water from the middle ear through the airdrum, but changed his mind on the operation day due to not seing enough "water mirror" (translated from norwegian).
The last one is now actually taking me seriously. He is sending me to a CT, and considering a balloon-inflation treatment for the eustachian tube. We've tried a nasal spray daily for 6 months, but it doesn't help. I still have to insist every time I talk to him, that the problem is ON ASCENT. Descent is fine, swallowing or valsalva "refills" the middle ear.
I've read that one can have nasal polyps on the entrance to the eustachian tube middle ear side. I'm also a bit worried about tumors...
Anyone here have experience or knowledge or could help?
I can't fly, I can't go over 1000m to the cabin or a mountain trip, I can't dive, and ENTs are not impressing me
Sincerely,
AK