Avoid the Valsalva Maneuver for Equalizing!

[tursiops]

Another post appeared on ScubaBoard today about someone who hurt their ears while learning/trying to equalize. This should not be happening!
A common method taught to do this is the Valsalva maneuver, which consists of closing your mouth, holding your nose, and blowing.
IT IS TOO COMMON TO BLOW TOO HARD! A result can be physical and hearing damage to your ears.
There are much better equalizing techniques than Valsalva. Divers Alert Network (DAN) lists 6 of them, which DAN mostly describes aa "safer." They are, quoting:

PASSIVE | Requires No Effort​

Typically occurs during ascent.​

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VOLUNTARY TUBAL OPENING | Tense Your Throat and Push Your Jaw Forward​

Tense the muscles of the soft palate and the throat while pushing the jaw forward and down as if starting to yawn. These muscles pull the Eustachian tubes open. This requires a lot of practice, but some divers can learn to control those muscles and hold their tubes open for continuous equalization.​

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TOYNBEE MANEUVER | Pinch Your Nose and Swallow​

With your nostrils pinched or blocked against your mask skirt, swallow. Swallowing pulls open your Eustachian tubes while the movement of your tongue, with your nose closed, compresses air against them.​

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FRENZEL MANEUVER | Pinch Your Nose and Make the Sound of the Letter “K”​

Close your nostrils, and close the back of your throat as if straining to lift a weight. Then make the sound of the letter “K.” This forces the back of your tongue upward, compressing air against the openings of your Eustachian tubes.​

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LOWRY TECHNIQUE | Pinch Your Nose, Blow and Swallow​

A combination of Valsalva and Toynbee: while closing your nostrils, blow and swallow at the same time.​

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EDMONDS TECHNIQUE | Pinch Your Nose and Blow and Push Your Jaw Forward​

While tensing the soft palate (the soft tissue at the back of the roof of your mouth) and throat muscles and pushing the jaw forward and down, do a Valsalva maneuver.​

Try the Toynbee technique; it is really simple, really effective, and not dangerous.

Lastly; equalize early (BEFORE you feel the pressure in your ears) and often (every few seconds during initial descent.

See also: https://dan.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/smartguide_ears_2017_lores.pdf

 

[GreggS]

Absolutely agree. I hated the Valsalva method. Ordinarily, especially on the first dive of the day, I would struggle to equalize. I would have to blow hard and shake my head and when it did finally equalize it would hurt. But for the first few years of diving, it was the only way I could equalize.

I had tried using my jaw to equalize but couldn't. With the 2nd stage in my mouth I simply couldn't do it like I could on land...until one day I was determined I was going to find a different way. I don't know how I thought about it but I pulled the 2nd stage forward in my mouth to where the mouthpiece was just in front of my teeth but still in my mouth so I could breath. I started working my jaw and, surprise, my ears equalized. I kept working on it and within a few minutes I was able to equalize with the 2nd stage in my mouth and moving my jaw forward instead of down like I was used to on land. I've not pinched my nose since. And my ear problems have practically disappeared.

I've actually had dive buddies comment on how quickly I can descend now without having to stop and equalize. I tell them I'm equalizing constantly and try to help them use this method. Some get it, some don't. I hope those that don't keep working on it.

 

[DogDiver]

Sorry I’ve been equalizing my ears using the valsalva technique for 56 years now. When done correctly there should be no problem.

 

[tursiops]

Sorry I’ve been equalizing my ears using the valsalva technique for 56 years now. When done correctly there should be no problem.

Good for you. It is still a dangerous technique, and should not be taught as the "only" technique in OW classes, especially when there are others that work as well or better. Read through the "equalization problem" and "ear problem" threads on SB and see that many -- if not most -- of them are due to over-Valsalving.

 

[TMHeimer]

Sorry I’ve been equalizing my ears using the valsalva technique for 56 years now. When done correctly there should be no problem.

Yeah I agree with tursiops. I've read over the years it can be dangerous. Best not to present it as the only way in an OW course-- perhaps as an alternate if other ways don't work. Some like myself don't need any of the methods and do it internally. But yes I'm sure you are at no risk since you do it properly. It's like the arguement that practicing CESA can rip your lungs-- well yeah if you hold your breath.
I've been swabbing my ears after diving with a Q-Tip and after showering every day since about age 15 (I'm 67). Of course, I don't recommend it to some youngster who may try to dig to China....

 

[inquis]

All these years I thought I've been doing Valsalva. After reading up on alternatives a while back, I realized that I've been doing Frenzel all along.

 

[inquis]

I think most people who are injured are waiting WAY too long. I'm pretty sure they don't injure themselves with Valsalva in a car or airplane.

 

[chris kippax]

Equalise gently and often, simple stuff. Some sports/hobbies are not for everyone.

 

[chillyinCanada]

I equalize early, so early that I haven't even reached the water yet nor geared up.

 

[chris kippax]

Yep, I equalise before I descend.
I also stretch my Eustachian tubes the night before. Maybe these things could assist in prevent injury.