Barotrauma of the Eye + slight bleeding nose

[RobSyd]

Hi there, i hope i can get a little advice about my last dive

I went on my first boat dive this weekend. When descending down to 18 metres i noticed my right ear was really aching (its happened once before just down to 10metres). Even though i could clear my ears and they would pop correctly, it was still hurting. I tried slowing the descent but it didn't seem to matter. Once i reached the bottom all was fine, the aching went, and i enjoyed the dive.

A few problems started when i surfaced after ~ 45mins:
1) just as i took my mask off my nose was bleeding a little. i've read on the forums that this is actually quite common with divers? Well its unusual for me... I've NEVER had a bleeding nose my entire life.

2) I started to get REALLY nauseas and almost vomitted. I was fine going out on the boat but coming back to the dive center... yeah i didn't feel well at all. So i cancelled the 2nd boat dive and rested for atleast an hour. After some orange juice i felt much better and was keen for another dive.

3) I went to the toilet and realised all around my eyes were really badly red pigmented and almost looked like i'd been given 2 black eyes! After reading about this on the net i realised it was a problem with not equalising my mask properly and that its a form of Barotrauma of the Eye? Is this something i should be worried about? I've never had this problem before and actually didn't feel any pressure in my mask while descending so didn't think to equalise my mast. I guess i should just learn from that? Or should i be worried?

Anyway, so that was the first dive.

2nd Dive:
About 2 hours later, we decided to just take a shore dive. After ~50minutes i got out and again my nose was just barely bleeding and i had the taste of blood in the back of my mouth Then after 10minutes or so, again i felt slightly sick, not nearly to the extent that i felt on the boat, but still enough to be worried as i've never felt this before.

Oh, i also had problems with hearing after both dives. Another sympton is that occasionly, after a dive i'll hold my nose to pop my ears but my right will sort of crackle and not pop cleanly... this has happened sometimes my whole life so i don't worry about it

The water was 20 degrees, in sydney and i was wearing a 5mm semi-dry

The only factor which i think might have caused problems is that i drank ~ a bottle of wine the night before (yeah mistake i know). That morning i was slightly hung over, but not badly.

Annnyway... anyone have some advice on this bit rambling post? I'd really apprciate it.

I short i just want to know if i should worry about this? Should i take a break? should i see a doc? All of the above?

 

[wcl]

See a doctor, preferably one with diving medicine experience. If there is any chance of trauma to your ears, it should be checked out, to be sure ... if it's nothing, you're out some money and time; if it is important and you don't check it out, you may have permanent injury.

Not sure, but DAN may be able to provide a referral over by you (not sure about international coverage of the database):
http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/physicians.asp

Best wishes,
Walter

 

[TSandM]

It sounds as though you perhaps were not taught very well about equalizing ears and mask. Vertigo can be a result of one ear equalizing and the other not, or of inner ear trauma. A bloody nose can be a sign of sinus barotrauma.

If you are having persistent problems with your ears -- muffled hearing, ringing or buzzing sounds, or pain -- you should see an ENT doc.

If you are now fine, I would highly recommend Dr. Edmund Kay's video on the diver's ear. You'll learn a lot about the anatomy, and about how to manage your ears underwater.

 

[jpatmore]

I had a similar problem when diving the Ningaloo reef in Exmouth a while back. It my first dive in over a year, and I remember feeling my mask squeeze quite hard. I was slightly underweighted so was concentrating on swimming down and didnt equalise my mask. I remember my eyes feeling sore afterwards .... I went on a second dive, and it wasnt until I got back to the shop and looked in a mirror that I realised my eyes looked like I'd been punched, and were really bloodshot. The swelling went down after a day or so, but the bloodshot eyes to about 3 weeks to clear ( it got worse before it got better ). I didn't get any nausea or anything, and felt fine, just shocked myself when I looked in the mirror. I went to the doc, and he checked me out, and said that I had just burst some blood vessels in the eyes and it would gradually go, which it did !

 

[ianr33]

Was there a lot of current on the descent? As this was your first boat dive I wonder if you were task loaded and only cleared your ears when they started hurting,which really is too late.

I remember a dive a few years ago in the Gulf of Mexico.The current was ripping and we had to haul ourselves down the anchor line.I hurt my left ear due to clearing too late and another diver had an amazing mask squeeze,looked like he had been punched.

Equalise/pressurise your ears on the surface before descent and then every few feet,even if you dont feel the need to.

 

[gert7to3]

TSandM,

Great lead on the diver's ear equalization video presentation, thank you.

It bears repeating, here's the link:

http://www.uwtv.org/programs/displayevent.aspx?rID=2272

Instructors should make this mandatory viewing for all new divers.

I found the physiological changes evident in that cold water diver interesting. Never realized that mild trauma could hve such an effect. Especially in a part of one's body that you wouldn't think changes much.

 

[RobSyd]

thanks everyone for the advice...

yeah someone mentioned equalising ears before i decend and every few feet. I do remember descending quite quickly because i didn't want to hold up the people above using the descent line. Next dive i'll DEFINATELY spend more time clearing making absolutely sure i equalise my mask properly.

As someone mentioned, my eyes cleared up after a few days but actually my right ear is still unable to clear properly (week later). I have no pain, muffled hearing, ringing or any symptoms - it just won't clear. I'll see a dive doc before another dive, it could be the cause of dizziness