Hi all, brand new, been getting a lot of great info reading here last few weeks, thank you. Thought I could make a post to pick your brains, hope that's okay.
The short version- I gave myself barotrauma on my first dive ever 3 weeks ago and symptoms are still persisting. My ENT says it shouldn't take this long to resolve and he's concerned. Has anyone else had experience with barotrauma lasting this long or longer? Is this abnormal?
(Didn't hear Dr. specify but I believe it's Middle Ear Barotrauma- symptoms/severity match MEBT)
Long version -
3 weeks ago today I went on my first scuba dive ever on vacation in the Canary Islands. It was amazing, but I had trouble equalizing. After a lot of discomfort I did get the left ear to equalize, and then finally the right one a little while later.
My ears felt weird right away shortly after the dive- really full and uncomfortable, a feeling like water was inside, the pressure was all messed up and I had to keep popping them. The pressure was so uncomfortable the first night that my jaw was in pain from opening it over and over trying pop them. The right one was worse than the left but they were both giving me issues. I flew home to NY the day after the dive. I had a little more discomfort than usual on the flights, but nothing bad or painful.
The fullness persisted and then Saturday, 3 days after the dive, the right ear started to hurt and become irritated/inflamed- the type of feeling like when I'm getting an ear infection. I went to urgent care Sunday, the Dr. said he saw "a red line" on my left eardrum and that my right ear looked sore and infected, and gave me Amoxicillin and antibiotic drops to use on right ear. The pain only lasted a day.
Tuesday (6 days after dive) I saw an ENT w/ a scuba specialty who is on DAN referral list. He diagnosed me with barotrauma, said he saw blood in the left ear (the red line the urgent care MD saw). Right ear looked clear by then to him, he said no infection, discontinue the antibiotics. He explained there was not much I could do but wait, recommended decongestants, and said give it a week.
A week and a half went by with same symptoms- fullness, kind of a sloshy noise when moving certain ways, feeling the need to pop the ears, uncomfortable to bend over, sinus pressure and pain- when the right ear suddenly got worse one night, felt like much more fluid was in it, became totally "clogged"/un-poppable, started ringing a little on and off. The next morning I had blood (black and red) in my saliva right after waking up, just once. Called the ENT who sounded very confused that my symptoms were still persisting at all. He prescribed a short course of steroids which within hours returned my right ear back to where it was before the flare-up. But still have baseline symptoms.
That's where I am now, 3 weeks out. My left ear has had noticeable improvement, but still not 100%. The right ear still feels like it did right after the dive basically. Saw the ENT in person again yesterday who said he can't see anything when he looks at it, and is basically stumped. Hearing tests came out normal on both visits.
I put this all out there to you experts to see if anyone has had similar experiences, if you think it just needs more time, if you think I should be concerned, etc. Or any tips on how to hasten the healing/help the discomfort. It made me a little nervous when the scuba-specialist ENT was saying it shouldn't take this long!! Thank you so much for reading!!
The short version- I gave myself barotrauma on my first dive ever 3 weeks ago and symptoms are still persisting. My ENT says it shouldn't take this long to resolve and he's concerned. Has anyone else had experience with barotrauma lasting this long or longer? Is this abnormal?
(Didn't hear Dr. specify but I believe it's Middle Ear Barotrauma- symptoms/severity match MEBT)
Long version -
3 weeks ago today I went on my first scuba dive ever on vacation in the Canary Islands. It was amazing, but I had trouble equalizing. After a lot of discomfort I did get the left ear to equalize, and then finally the right one a little while later.
My ears felt weird right away shortly after the dive- really full and uncomfortable, a feeling like water was inside, the pressure was all messed up and I had to keep popping them. The pressure was so uncomfortable the first night that my jaw was in pain from opening it over and over trying pop them. The right one was worse than the left but they were both giving me issues. I flew home to NY the day after the dive. I had a little more discomfort than usual on the flights, but nothing bad or painful.
The fullness persisted and then Saturday, 3 days after the dive, the right ear started to hurt and become irritated/inflamed- the type of feeling like when I'm getting an ear infection. I went to urgent care Sunday, the Dr. said he saw "a red line" on my left eardrum and that my right ear looked sore and infected, and gave me Amoxicillin and antibiotic drops to use on right ear. The pain only lasted a day.
Tuesday (6 days after dive) I saw an ENT w/ a scuba specialty who is on DAN referral list. He diagnosed me with barotrauma, said he saw blood in the left ear (the red line the urgent care MD saw). Right ear looked clear by then to him, he said no infection, discontinue the antibiotics. He explained there was not much I could do but wait, recommended decongestants, and said give it a week.
A week and a half went by with same symptoms- fullness, kind of a sloshy noise when moving certain ways, feeling the need to pop the ears, uncomfortable to bend over, sinus pressure and pain- when the right ear suddenly got worse one night, felt like much more fluid was in it, became totally "clogged"/un-poppable, started ringing a little on and off. The next morning I had blood (black and red) in my saliva right after waking up, just once. Called the ENT who sounded very confused that my symptoms were still persisting at all. He prescribed a short course of steroids which within hours returned my right ear back to where it was before the flare-up. But still have baseline symptoms.
That's where I am now, 3 weeks out. My left ear has had noticeable improvement, but still not 100%. The right ear still feels like it did right after the dive basically. Saw the ENT in person again yesterday who said he can't see anything when he looks at it, and is basically stumped. Hearing tests came out normal on both visits.
I put this all out there to you experts to see if anyone has had similar experiences, if you think it just needs more time, if you think I should be concerned, etc. Or any tips on how to hasten the healing/help the discomfort. It made me a little nervous when the scuba-specialist ENT was saying it shouldn't take this long!! Thank you so much for reading!!
