Blocked ear and sore jaw weeks after diving

[Stoo]

Hi, when you say salt water you mean just tap water with table salt in it, or do you mean ocean water?

Boiled water... dissolve a bunch of table salt, allow to cool. I find the key is to gargle so that the water gets well into your throat... It works... Usually pretty quickly if you start it before things get too nasty

 

[spudtatoe]

If there is no ear pain or discharge and only decreased hearing, I'd say you've got a cerumen/wax/dead skin & generalized ear "crud" impaction. You have to see your Primary Care Physician first anyway to have a general otoscopic visual examination of your eardrum and ear canal passages for a differential diagnosis ruling out other causes. . .

Which is why I suggested salt water as a first step. If not treated properly otitus media can become very serious. I know this from experience... My wife developed an ear infection while we were in a remote area... within a few days, it had "exploded" and ultimately required three rounds of antibiotics (the first was injected).

I agree that avoiding antibiotics is desirable, but at the same time, they shouldn't be dismissed outright either.

1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon salt per cup water.
No need to make a trip to the dive site. ..too salty anyway and loaded with organisms.

So I went to the docs, They examined my ears and said that I have an ear infection in my left ear, which is the ear that didn't feel blocked which I thought was weird, and there was a little bit of wax in my right ear but they aren't sure why it feels blocked. So they prescribed me some antibiotics and said if that doesn't fix it then they will have to do further looking.

So I hope the antibiotics sorts it out.

Thanks for everyone's help

 

[Stoo]

I use a 50/50 mixture of hydrogen peroxide and rubbing alcohol as a daily ear rinse when I am on vacation diving. The peroxide eats wax and disinfects. The alcohol also disinfects and drys. Don't overdue it though since this will also dry out the skin in the ear canal. I do it in the shower and then rinse with fresh water...

 

[fmerkel]

Almost a week on antibiotics now. How are you doing?

 

[spudtatoe]

Almost a week on antibiotics now. How are you doing?

Hey, I noticed an improvement within 24 hours of starting antibiotics, which is great so I think I'm all good now.

Thanks

 

[fmerkel]

Great! If you haven't go back to my post #3, then follow those links for some lessons in anatomy, physiology, and proper clearing techniques.