Ear Issues

[Minion_Diver]

I have been having some ear issues and recently got some treatment for them but it has not fully healed it. When I went to the doctor they said that I have fluid behind one of my ear drums, resulting in a muffled hearing from my one ear. This issue started before I started diving last season. I told them that I dive but they did not seem to fully understand my issue whenever I asked them if it would hinder me from diving in the future. I have never had any issues after diving except after an ocean dive I did during the summer and that included some ear pressure for a couple days afterwards. But I also got sea sick on the boat as well. But I am just concerned about diving this next season because of fluid behind my ear. I am thinking about going to an ENT to get a professional consultation about the issue. I was wondering if anyone has ever had this issue before and could give me any insite on what may have happened after seeing a doctor on this issues.

 

[Jax]

Call DAN, or have your doctor call DAN. DAN | Mission

1-800-446-2671 or +1-919-684-2948, Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (ET)

 

[TSandM]

It really is impossible to give you advice on this over the internet, but if you have a persistent middle ear effusion (fluid behind the drum) over months, you really ought to see an ENT doc about it.

 

[tbone1004]

yeah, ENT man, worth going to a specialist. A diving doc may be able to tell you why it's back there, but an ENT will be able to treat it. May have been some nasty barotrauma that has caused it to linger but because it started before the diving, a diving doc really isn't going to help. ENT is the only way out of it. Even if one of us had the same problem, the answer is always going to be go to an ENT or diving physician

 

[Minion_Diver]

thanks. I was just trying to see if anyone else has had this issue before and if it had hindered them in diving in any way.

I plan on going to an ENT soon before I start putting money down on advance training for the summer. Thanks for the input

 

[doctormike]

Sure.. sorry it's hard to be specific in these forums, but the bottom line is that to dive you need to equalize, and middle ear fluid is usually a sign of Eustachian tube dysfunction, which implies problems with equalization.

An accurate diagnosis is important, though, and a lot of time what is thought to be middle ear fluid is something else. No substitute for a formal audiogram (hearing test) by an audiologist, and an ENT exam.

In the meantime, here are two good resources for you to read:

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/faq/download/DiversGuidetoEars.pdf

Doc's Diving Medicine Home Page

Mike

 

[morecowbells]

That is an awesome article Doctormike! Definitely one I will save and refer to often. As a child I had multiple trips to the ENT doctor and required tubes. I am amazed that I am even able to dive with my history of eustachian tube dysfunction. I am the slowest descender in the world. Fortuntaely, my ears speak to me often and I frequently equalize.

After my last trip to Cozumel, I noticed that my right ear was feeling full and sounds were muffled on our last night on the island. I blew it off as we were flying back home the next day and after a nights sleep, it appeared to be resolved. Everything was fine until our aircraft started descending. The fullness returned and the pain was unbearable. Despite many attempts, I could not equalize. I work in the OR and fortunately had the ability to see an ENT doctor I work with the following day. My eardrum had multiple tears and I was prescribed Zithromax and 5 days of steroids. There is still a possibility that I may need a myringotomy to drain the fluid. My ENT doctor is a diver and realized my mistakes. His advise was the following: First, continue equalizing through out the dive-even if not descending. Second, make it a habit to equalize multiple times every day regardless of planning a vacation etc. Third, make sure to equalize religiously after dives to clear out mucous. I believe my mistake was focusing on equalizing during descent only and not being diligent afterwards.

Out of curiosity WVUdiver1, what was your treatment? I definitely agree that a visit to and ENT doc is a must.

 

[Minion_Diver]

I was given a a nasal spray from my family doc. they said that it would help drain the fluid by shrinking the nasal passages and allowing the tubes in my ear to open up. It has seemed to help but there have been times through out the day that the muffledness comes back to my hearing.

morecowbells- What you have wrote down is similar to what i am currently experiencing. I noticed that one time diving in a local quarry (not very deep only bout 15') that the ear that i am having trouble with was not equalizing all the way. But it was the first time that i dove with a hood and the hood did not fit me properly and allowed air to come in the hood. I thought then that it was just the air that was trying to come into my ear and never thought anything about because it was not causing any pain or issues other than just taking a little bit longer to equalize than normal. But then after my ocean dive later in the summer after it was when I was having some issues with it, but never during the dive though. Its weird on how inconsistent it is, and its more of a nuisance than anything but have been wanting to see what other divers may have experienced.