Do you hear yourself off gas

[moregooder]

I would like to have a serious chat about this so save the jokes please.

I can hear bubbles in my ears on ascents, not large ones mind you, small ones like Rice Crispies in a bowl of milk. the faster I go up the larger they get. If I slow so I can't hear them the ascent rate graft on my Cobra never even registers, don't know the actual feet per minute, just that I'm usually the last one up, must check that next time out.
Do any of you experience this or am I just a freak.

 

[fisheater]

I think that you're feeling the expanding air from your middle ears exit out your eustation tubes. It's the reverse of what happened when you equalized on the descent.

 

[Crowley]

aww and I had so many jokes!

Sounds like you have a build up of gunk in the ear somewhere - does this happen every time you dive or is it a one-off? The only time I have experienced this is when I went diving with a cold (stupid, yes, I know) and I could hear the air expanding and bubbling out through the mucus that was filling my head.

Possibly you have some growth or some deformation of a tube somewhere - it's not especially uncommon. Do you have problems equalising on the way down? Do you ever have problems in an airplane? This, I have found, is a good indicator of a diver with some form of "tube" problem...

If it is worrying you at all then visit an otolaryngologist.

Hope that helps,

C.

 

[Garrobo]

Probably some air leaving the brain cavity. Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[LakeCountyDiver]

I am pretty sure I know what is going on but really wish I I could draw a Picture or something. It just has to do the release of air as you ascend. In your sinus or inner ear you probabley have ear wax or moisture of sort and as that expansion of air releases it makes a crackle sound.

Dont laugh but it is kinda like when you "off gas" out of the other end if it is wet it is louder. Also the harder you push(faster you go up) the louder it is but if you leak it (go up slow) you dont hear it.

Take it for what you want it but that might be it.

 

[aquaregia]

+1 LCD. I hear crackling in my ears on ascent when they're particularly waxy.

 

[cloudflint]

The crunching or crackling sound will be your eustachian tubes opening up, they are the tubes that run from the back of your throat to your ears. When you ascend the air in your ears expands and goes out of those tubes, otherwise your eardrum would burst! I hear the crunching noise all the time when I ascend and also if I just move my jaw around.

 

[SoccerJeni]

Yep, I hear it too on occassion. I really noticed it once when I was diving at the very very beginning of a sinus infection. It was pretty loud and felt like big bubbles.

 

[LanceLisenby]

I hear that too but the beeping of my computer drowns out the noise if I go up REALLY fast! Lol.
Seriously though, I had been wondering about that, too. Thanks Cloudflint.

 

[wedivebc]

Just to be clear, the term off-gassing refers to the elimination of dissolved gas in tissue when a diver ascends and is quite different from what you are describing above. You are experiencing an equalization of the eustachian as descibed above and it is a very common occurrence. Off-gassing is equally common, just not likely that you would hear it.