Ear problems on first dive

[Badly Drawn Girl]

Hi all! I'm obviously new to the sport of diving and went on my first Discover Scuba dive yesterday, which was AWESOME...except, my ears were killing me. On my first dive I didn't have much of a problem although I had some moderate discomfort going down because my ears were not clearing with the "pinch your nose" technique no matter how many times I did it. But on the second dive, which was a bit deeper, I had to cut my time short because the discomfort was so bad. I have never had any ear pressure problems in airplanes so I didn't think I would have an issue with this, but now I'm kind of worried that I won't be able to ever do it. Has this ever happened to anyone?

 

[H2Andy]

hmmm...

well.... the biggest thing is to really clear your ears slow and easy every time you descend ... even a few feet will make it necessary to clear

if it gets to hurting, it's much too late. you should clear at the very first hint of pressure.

in fact, it's a good idea to clear even if you don't need to clear

later, with more diving, this will get easier (almost second nature) as you will recognize the early need to clear and act quickly before the problem escalates

what i would suggest is to constantly clear on the way down, slowly and continously

if it starts to hurt, stop, ascend a few feet, clear thoroughly, and then continue to clear as you descend again

this is rather common, btw, with new divers, and it is easily solved

 

[spectrum]

Has this ever happened to anyone?

Probably to most of us.

If you had any sort of congestion going on that would aggravate things and may even make diving prohibitive.

Setting congestion aside equalizing by doing the valsalva maneuver (pinch nose and blow lightly) is something that develops. Before diving I was a mess after an airline flight and nothing would clear my ears for 12 hours. When I started diving I need to be patient and go down slowly, sometimes pausing or even rising up a bit to relieve the pressure. By the time I reached 50 dives I could equalize at will.

As you go though daily life try equalizing a few times per day. Your eustachian tubes will respond by opening more easily and it will make a huge difference. Also with practice you will learn how to sneak up on your ears with just enough pressure. When you get in the pool for your first dive class. Equalize while setting your gear up. Do it again just before going down and repeat on each breath while descending.

If you can't get them to behave when doing it in daily life go see an ENT doctor. Sometimes a good flushing does wonders.

While we are at it this is good stuff to know to avoid swimmers ear.

Good luck,
Pete

 

[Badly Drawn Girl]

Awesome, thanks for the quick replies guys! Glad to know that this isn't a prohibitive problem - I was SO stoked about diving other than my ears making it hell on me. Is it odd that I've never really been able to "pop" my ears purposefully (well, without a significant amount of discomfort that is)? I wonder if this is just a skill that you can learn - hopefully anyway.

I wasn't aware I had to do it so often...the way my instructor explained it, it was only if I started feeling pain. I wonder if I'd done it earlier I'd have been able to salvage the last part of my second dive.

My right ear is still all whacked out, by the way...but hopefully it'll clear out by tomorrow.

 

[H2Andy]

..the way my instructor explained it, it was only if I started feeling pain.

no, that's much too late

the goal is to never feel the pain. if you do, ascend a few feet, clear, and descend while clearing

and you will get the hang of it. it's just a matter of practice

 

[jonesbf]

My right ear is still all whacked out, by the way...but hopefully it'll clear out by tomorrow.

Don't take this lightly. The first time I dove I had one ear that stayed "whacked out" for a week before I finally decided I needed to see an ENT. Turned out I had a barotrauma due to the pressure on my ear during the dive. Fortunately it cleared up over time and I've learned better how to equalize my ears. Never be afraid to stop and ascend a little to get your ears equalized. DO NOT JUST KEEP GOING. If it hurts you need to ascend and try again. I pretty much know it will take me longer than most everyone else to get my ears equal and I tell the people I'm diving with every time.

Here is a good article on barotrauma and how to prevent it: http://faculty.washington.edu/ekay/MEbaro.html

There is a video lecture that covers the subject as well that is really good: http://www.uwtv.org/programs/displayevent.aspx?rID=2272

Be careful and enjoy!

 

[Badly Drawn Girl]

Ouch! That was an excellent article though, thanks so much - it really explained a lot that I was not understanding prior to my dive. I noted in particular the part about "ear fear" occurring in "individuals who have had prior middle ear trauma, a frequent childhood history of middle ear infections." That would definitely be me - I had a lot of severe ear infections as a kid and am really squeamish about any ear pressure and have never learned to pop my ears.

My right one is still clogged and a little painful today - should I be trying to see an ENT?

 

[H2Andy]

My right one is still clogged and a little painful today - should I be trying to see an ENT?

hmmm... hard to say ... i'd give it a few days and then see your doctor

(but i am way too lax on seeing doctors anyway)

 

[spectrum]

My right one is still clogged and a little painful today - should I be trying to see an ENT?

Are you hearing a crackling sound in your ear like when you swallow by any chance? When a diver pushes it a little too far some ear fluids can be forced into the wrong places. The good news is that it clears up on it's own in 1-2 weeks as things return to normal. This is very common with new divers, I did it to myself in one of my first pool sessions.

As far as the clogged part goes, have you been doing the alcohol and vinegar soak in my link? If you do have trapped water that will help draw it out.

Stay out of the water until this feels right again.

As for the ENT it's your call. Your GP may be adequate.

Pete

 

[Badly Drawn Girl]

hmmm... hard to say ... i'd give it a few days and then see your doctor

(but i am way too lax on seeing doctors anyway)

Hey, I'm with you there - I'm an American living in NZ and I've got zero insurance.