Ear Problem Did The Doc. Do The Right Thing

[Ed66]

I have a question this past weekend I did my OW skills and passed (the water was so cold every time I did mask removal and clear it felt as if I couldnt get a breath off the reg.) The problem is I was allways the last down it took me 7-10 mins to clear and I did it by the book. The problem is on the asccent I felt the reverse squeeze and I went back down but when I came out it felt as if water was still trapped in the ear( I also felt a little off balance coming out of the water and it went away in under a minute. Well that day I tried all the tricks to get the water out but it felt as if water was still inside. I have no pain or loss of hearing just a fullness and a crackling sound when I swallow or they pop. I went to the doc today and she said the inner ear was very red and I had fuild behind the ear drum and that the eardrum was bulging out ready to pop and she saw some blood at the base but no tear thank God. She put me on Zyterc D twice a day and a Z-pack of Zithromax and she said if I have no improvement in 3 days to come back, I also have a re-check in 12 days and cannot go near any water until she gives me an OK. I just want to know is this the common treatment or should I go to an ENT doc. just to be safe. Thanks Ed

 

[Arnaud]

Not sure what you mean on the "7-10 min. to clear". If you start having ear problems, definitely go see an ENT who understands diving medicine.

If you try to equalize too much by blowing in your nose too strongly, you can get a ruptured round window and have perilymph invade the middle ear. That's bad! The fact that you felt off balance would confirm that. There's a lot of stuff behind your ear drum, plenty of important stuff... If you want more details on the ear, you can look
here.

I'm not a doc and can't really discuss your treatment.

You may want to have another conversation with your instructor about equalizing. Until you recover, don't try to equalize as it would make matter even worse! And obviously, do not dive.

We are all concerned and careful with our ears. Can't dive if they don't work properly. Take it seriously. Not only because of diving.

There's always going to be some water getting in your ears, unless you have a dry hood. There are several tricks to get the water out, but none of them are recommended in your conditions.

 

[Ed66]

It took me 7-10 mins to get to 20ft. The 1st two dives on sat it took me a little longer. I was using a line to go down and started to clear at the surface before I went under. As I think back I think my eustachian tube got blocked on the way up because on the 1st couple of dives after I came up I had a salty taste in the back of my mouth like post nasal or something,( I did not have a cold and no alleriges everything was clear) I think the cold water (57-60 deg.) when I had to do the mask clearing set off the post nasal and when I came up the post nasal plugged the eustachian tube up. I have been taking the zyrtec D (twice a day)z-pack since yesterday and drinking about a gallon or so of water throughout the day I still have the crackling sound when I swallow but not as bad. I also called the Doc and got the number of the ENT Doc. when I contacted them they said they could see me Tue. and that I should wait for a few days to give the Zyrtec D time to work does this sound like a good option or go somewhere they could get me asap.

 

[Arnaud]

It's too bad none of the docs are around. But there is a several options to explain your situation. I just don't want to go there as I am not a doctor.

I would advise you just don't see any ENT. See one who's knowledgeable about diving. You should call DAN and ask for a referral in your area.

 

[phree337]

Just did my OW cert. dives this last weekend and found out today that my middle ears are filled with fluid too. When I did my descents, I did them rather quickly because I felt no pain in my ears. Only twice did I feel slight pressure when finally reaching the bottom (17 fsw first day, 25 ffw the second). I suspect that I did try to equalize too hard after feeling the pressure, and did feel dizzy for a few minutes the first day after a return to the bottom from a OOA ascent exercise. Bottom line is that I am stuck with fluid/blood in my ears (but no rupture of the eardrum), and can't dive until it clears up. Just a note to beginners, from my experience--just because it doesn't hurt, doesn't mean that you're not causing damage! I will be working on slow descents with lots of gentle equalization when I heal!

 

[Arnaud]

phree337 once bubbled...
...Bottom line is that I am stuck with fluid/blood in my ears (but no rupture of the eardrum), and can't dive until it clears up...

Guys, there's a lot of stuff that can "break" in the ear, beside the drum. It's best to equalize before the pressure is felt, every few feet.

 

[JollyMon]

Boy, this must be the problem of the week.
I just did my open water certification two weekends ago and my ears STILL haven't cleared. Somehow I've managed to get fluid into the inner ear that simply will not come out. From time to time the left one will clear but only on a temporary basis. If I keep my head tilted back, I can keep it open but as soon as I look start ahead, it plugs up again. I've also noticed that when I wake up in the morning and am still laying in bed I can hear pretty much normal but as soon as I get up and walk around, agian they plug up. A good deep yawn will sometimes TEMPORAIRiLY clear them with a popping or cracking sound but the problem comes back.
I don't feel dizzy and there's not pain just that water in the ear feeling.
I haven't seen a doctor yet but I have tried the alcohol in the ear thing, Afrin nasel spray (before the dive as well as for the past three days), and Sudafed decongestant but nothing has worked.
Looks like it's time to find a good ENT man I guess.
Whatever thoughts or suggestions anyone else might have will be appreciated.

 

[jbd]

is something that should be done GENTLY. As Arnaud has pointed out you should clear every few feet. Do not wait until you have to forcefully clear your ears.

In your middle ear, which is the space that you are trying to equalize, there are three membranes that can rupture:

1. Tympanic membrane i.e ear drum

2. Round window

3. Oval window

Number 2 & 3 seperate the inner ear from the middle ear. There is fluid behind these membranes. If either of these membranes is ruptured the fluid will move into the middle ear space.

I would recommend that you have a follow up with an ENT with experience in dive related injuries of this type.

 

[JollyMon]

jbd,

Thanks for the input. I have an appointment tonight with a new primary care physician and I will do my best to discuss the problem with him. In addition, I will see when I can get into see an ENT with dive expertise. I have to tell you that I've becomemore than a little concerned after reading some of these posts. I hope that sooner or later this will be a problem that can be fixed because right now I feel like I'm walking around with earplugs. It's difficult to imagine going through the rest of my life this way.

JM

 

[merricksmom]

Hi guys, you all sound just like me. I am a vet who's allergic to cats and dogs, so just imagine my sinuses. I had no idea it was a problem until my OW dives, where I had pain and tremendous difficulty EQ, and felt like I took half the spring home with me in my ears. Here's what I think about all this.

If you're trying to equalize with any sinus issues at all (allergies, cold, whatever), it's not going to happen. The problem is that when you hold your nose and blow, instead of nice clear air from your sinuses going up into your eustacian tube to equalize the pressure inside, you're actually trying to blow thick boogers up an already swollen tube (which isn't really a tube at all....just a "potential" space which is completely closed when left alone). Just not going to EQ and very dangerous to your precious eardrums. You HAVE to get cleared out before you even get started so you can EQ on the ways down and up, and so you don't end up with tubes full of goo (the watery stuff you feel in your ear on the ride home.....it's not in the outer ear where the ear flushes can get, it's in your clogged swollen gloppy eustacian tubes where you can't get to it at all).

I truly thought I could not be a diver due to my crappy ears, but here's what I've found works for me (and I think I win the "worst ears award" for the year so far). The night before dive day I take a benadryl. The morning of the dive I spray Afrin before I leave the house, and depending on the drive, take 2 Sudafed about 2 hours before I plan to go down. If it's an all day trip, I take 2 more at lunchtime. This has made a WORLD of difference for me. If I still have any trouble, I lay my head from side to side when I blow to EQ, stretching the eust tube out within my head as I lean, which allows the air to get up there more easily. I still have tight tubes, and I know when my equalization blow worked because I can literally hear the air squeal in (and out when I'm ascending). I have to blow every few feet on the way down and if I'm still the slowest one, then the rest of you can just wait for me at the bottom.

Hope this helps, happy diving!

Wendy