Ear Hell – comments & advice REALLY appreciated

[AndrewR]

My ears, or rather my right ear is playing up again and I’ve had enough. It’s always the same pattern. Ear feels like it still has water in it after diving, it becomes increasingly painful (though not so bad this time), a green/yellow fluid oozes from it and it feels blocked. Also, when I dive in this state (know I probably shouldn’t), I can equalise, but it feels strange – almost like there is a stream of small bubbles continuously escaping from my right ear and there’s some very odd noises.

It occurs with alarming frequency. I’ve seen two doctors, an ENT specialist and a family doctor. Both put it down to a simple ear infection. I’m willing to go with this, but why is it always my right ear and what should I do to stop it happening in the future. At the moment, I’m thinking the Pro-ear mask and/or some form of home brew post-dive ear wash (a mixture of white vinegar and alcohol).

Don’t know if it’s relevant, but I had a couple of ear ops when I was a kid (usual grommet stuff). A family doctor examined my ear before learning to dive and said it was fine, although she could see scar tissue from the op. This was four years ago. Could water be getting ‘trapped’ in the scar tissue, thereby making a breeding ground for bacteria or fungi.

Any help much appreciated.

 

[Rick Murchison]

AndrewR once bubbled...
a green/yellow fluid oozes from it

This does not sound good to me... Though not an ENT, I would suspect you have a chronic infection that's living in that ear all the time, and is exacerbated by getting water in there. If I were you I'd request a culture be done to see if a specific critter can be identified and treated.
Rick

 

[Drew Sailbum]

"Air bubbles" escaping from your ear is definitely not normal. That sounds like a ruptured eardrum. Is it actually bubbles (your buddy may need to verify) or is it a sort of slow squeaking as you equalize?

Is this green/yellow fluid escaping from your ear canal?

 

[Bob3]

A possible culprit may be a middle ear infection resulting in a perforated eardrum. I used to get those all the time as a kid. Hurt like hell.
Nasty stuff, you need to have that looked at by a good ENT. Diving in that condition is a definate no-no.
Using an ear rinse recipe AFTER the ear heals if a must, do not go over 25% alcohol though, it's way irritating to the ear canal
Does your side of the neck & throat burn when you're diving?

 

[annie]

I'm having ear trouble as well. I don't know if you have an eardrum injury - I guess not if your doctors haven't found it.

Otherwise it's a chronic infection brought on by your ear constantly getting wet inside. Going from there I think you should try to keep it dry at all times, so the Pro-ear mask would be the thing. I've heard of a mask that somehow incorporates your ears, I presume it's the same thing. Might even try it myself.

 

[Bob3]

You should request a test to see if your drum is perforated, perforations are not always visible with a simple look see. The test they do involving "retracted eardrums" will tell the story. One of the diving docs please chime in; what's the "proper" name for the test?

My Dr always has to ask if my right drum is perforated or not, the scar tissue makes it difficult to tell visually. I've had the suckers perforated & ruptured so many times I can easily tell on my own w/o the test.
Keep in mind that chronic infections can do permanent damage, its not something to be taken lightly. If there is any sort of drainage, stay the heck out of the water 'till its properly evaluated, treated, and healed.

 

[AndrewR]

Thanks for the replies. To answer the queries: The oozing only occurs when I'm having an episode, not all the time and the feeling that bubbles are escaping from my ear only occurs when I'm equalising underwater. I should have been clearer about this, but hopefully this is a good sign - right?

I have no other symptoms apart from those directly affecting the offending ear.

Annie: I've used the Pro-ear mask before and can confirm that whatever the other merits of the product may or may not be, it does keep your ears dry.

As for staying out of the water. Yes, I know you're all right, but I've just started my DM and am really keen to get on with it. Will take the advice though.

 

[Meddler]

It sounds to me like a ruptured eardrum and infection. I had one a few weeks ago.

If you hold your nose and gently blow do you get bubbling noises or whistling? If so does it seem like you can keep blowing forever?

Whatever it is I would go and see a proper dive doctor or an ENT specialist, because in my experience GPs are a waste of time with this sort of thing.

 

[AndrewR]

I'm off to see another ENT specialist shortly. If it is a ruptured eardrum, then what does this mean for my diving, especially as it seems to be happening on a regular basis.

I'm very careful about equalising during a dive, so what can I do to stop it happening again?

 

[AndrewR]

Hey guys, spot on with the diagnosis.


I've just seen an ENT doctor who was very thorough and has at last come up with a plausible explanation. To cut a long story short, it's a perforated ear drum, with a secondary middle ear infection caused by entry of sea water. I'm sure this sequence of events explains all previous incidences that I've had. The perforation is tiny and ear drops are therefore useless. He has prescribed some anti-biotic capsules and recommended that I stay out of the water for a week before seeing him again and hopefully, getting the OK.

Just for the record, I'm very careful about equalising and had no trouble equalising on any recent dives.

It's also interesting to note that the perforation occurred in just the spot where grommets are usually placed (according to the doc). He thinks that it is possible that the op caused a weakening of my right ear drum, hence I only get the problem in that ear.

Will be extra careful when equalising in the future, but other than that, not much else I can do is there?