Do watch the linked video before your next session . . . it's very good, and may be of some significant assistance.
Ear pain after failure to equalise on second dive - should I cancel tomorrow?
- Thread starter neil9327
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What you may also have is called 'swimmer's ear' that's the absorption of water by your ear wax causing it to expand and block your ear. Happens to me sometimes. You can try to get a sort of alcohol spray, or if at a pharmacy 'Audiswim' and spray it into the affected ear. Be sure that you have no open wounds in the ear.
DD
Edit
Symptoms are, a blocked ear (feels like an ear plug you can't get out) above water and lasts for awhile.
DD
Edit
Symptoms are, a blocked ear (feels like an ear plug you can't get out) above water and lasts for awhile.
Dive the World
Contributor
Better safe than sorry - more important than ever in diving.
Better to be on shore and wishing you were diving rather than diving and wishing you were on shore.
Better to be on shore and wishing you were diving rather than diving and wishing you were on shore.
Lucas Cordina
Registered
It's definitely better than risking ear problems, I kept pushing it and had to stay out of the water for well over a month, the ear blockage was driving me insane, you might have to wait for another dive, but still, you made the right call, if something goes wrong with your ear, you would have to stay out of the water for at least 3 months, and there's a strong possibility that you'll have some hearing issues
Another thing you should try next time is to pre-pressurize before you go under the water, just equalize a few times on the surface, it'll help you get the equalizing down, and you'll have some positive pressure in your ear, making equalizing easier
And keep in mind to equalize before you feel any discomfort or pressure while descending, your ears should always feel perfectly fine underwater, so equalize every few feet
Apart from that, as you said, if you ascend and still can't equalize, keep ascending and surface if need be, then try to go down again, it really is a matter of finding your ears rhythm, once you get that down (which takes very very little dives), you'll start doing it without realizing!
Anyway, I hope your ear heals soon, enjoy your dives!
Another thing you should try next time is to pre-pressurize before you go under the water, just equalize a few times on the surface, it'll help you get the equalizing down, and you'll have some positive pressure in your ear, making equalizing easier
And keep in mind to equalize before you feel any discomfort or pressure while descending, your ears should always feel perfectly fine underwater, so equalize every few feet
Apart from that, as you said, if you ascend and still can't equalize, keep ascending and surface if need be, then try to go down again, it really is a matter of finding your ears rhythm, once you get that down (which takes very very little dives), you'll start doing it without realizing!
Anyway, I hope your ear heals soon, enjoy your dives!
DukeAMO
Contributor
I usually have to go back up a few feet at some point in that first 10-20 feet to finish equalizing. Sometimes I have to equalize several times at the same depth. That painful feeling can really sneak up on you fast, so you have to learn to notice that you have some pressure in your ears before it hurts. For me, if I feel pain in my ears for even a moment, I will definitely have fluid in my middle ear for a few days. Sigh. The good news is, once you get past that first 20 feet or so, it gets much easier to equalize, because the air volume in your ears doesn't change as quickly.
Good call on waiting until your ears feel better. The fact that it was still hurting after the dive is a warning sign. I've done the same thing by flying with a cold. My doctor checked it out, and my eardrum was red!
It's a good idea to find a good Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) specialist. They're the best! My rule of thumb is usually to go see a doctor the first time something happens (like the first time my ear felt blocked). Then if exactly the same thing happens again, I'll know whether to make an appointment right away, or wait to see if it gets better. But you should get it checked the first time so you can talk through everything with your doctor.
Good call on waiting until your ears feel better. The fact that it was still hurting after the dive is a warning sign. I've done the same thing by flying with a cold. My doctor checked it out, and my eardrum was red!
It's a good idea to find a good Ear, Nose, Throat (ENT) specialist. They're the best! My rule of thumb is usually to go see a doctor the first time something happens (like the first time my ear felt blocked). Then if exactly the same thing happens again, I'll know whether to make an appointment right away, or wait to see if it gets better. But you should get it checked the first time so you can talk through everything with your doctor.
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