Ear still pluged after a week ???? help

[Joelzee]

:huh: I'm a new diver and just got back from Grand Cayman and after my first dive I haven't been able to hear the same, my left ear finllay can hear my right is still clowdy, muffled, has a fealy of being full of something.

Any Ideas how long it takes to clear up or if I should go to the doctor. no pain just weird feeling. we did 14 dives and I thought I'd start looking for something to keep out the water next time I dive.

it's been a week today. Help

 

[Mark Vlahos]

First let me say that I am not a doctor. My opinion comes from my own practical experience and is definitely NOT worth more than the phosphors it is written on.

I have had a similar experience to what you are describing. In my case it was water or some other junk (probably ear wax) trapped in my ear canal. This is not uncommon but in my case the stuff was trapped toward the inside of my eardrum, not the outside. I had tried to use over the counter ear wax remover and my doctor told me that would have worked if it had not been prevented from getting at the junk by my otherwise healthy eardrum.

He gave me a prescription for some meds that solved the problem in a few days. I have been diving for over 10 years and this has only happened twice, unfortunately the two incidents were about a month apart and one was from fresh water while the other was salt. I have been diving many times since and have never been bothered by it again.

Of course my malady may have been completely different from what you have, in any event a week is far too long to have stuffed ears, you should see a doctor. I worry if I have stuffed ears for a few hours let alone days leading to weeks.

Good luck,

Mark Vlahos

 

[Web Monkey]

Call DAN at 1-800-446-2671 and get a referral to an ENT in your area that understands diving.

Anybody else here would just be guessing.

Terry

:huh: I'm a new diver and just got back from Grand Cayman and after my first dive I haven't been able to hear the same, my left ear finllay can hear my right is still clowdy, muffled, has a fealy of being full of something.

Any Ideas how long it takes to clear up or if I should go to the doctor. no pain just weird feeling. we did 14 dives and I thought I'd start looking for something to keep out the water next time I dive.

it's been a week today. Help

 

[beche de mer]

The possbilities are:

1) Debris in the ear canal. (Unlikely, in my opinion.)
2) Eustachian incompetence. (Inability to equalise the pressure in the middle ear with ambient due to blockage of the Eustachian canal. Can you make your eardrum pop?)
3) Barotrauma - which can range from slight bleeding into the ear drum to complete rupture.

As a new diver, you are more susceptible to barotrauma than someone who has years of experience in clearing their ears.

You should definitely see a doctor, preferably someone experienced in dealing with dive related issues. It doesn't necessarily need to be an ENT. A family physician would be a good starting point. He/she will refer you on if needs be.

 

[Footslogger]

The best advice by far is to see an ENT with diving experience. That said ...I will tell you that I had a similar experience after a week on a liveaboard. At the end of the trip I noticed a difference in the hearing between my ears but it didn't really hit me until I got to the airport. I picked up the pay phone and couldn't hear the dial tone. I flew home and went to an ENT the next morning. While in his office we got DAN on the phone in a 3 way conference call. The DAN medical director at the time (Yancy Mebane) listened to my description of the diving I had done and the symptoms. He explained that it was too late for re-compression therapy so he suggested a fairly strong and immediate steroid regiment. Mebane's theory was that I had probably experienced a micro bubble in the inner ear that ruptured the membrane that separates two different types of endolmph fluid in the coclea and allowed them to mix, which in turn caused the sensory neural hearing loss symptoms.

Long story short ...Mebane was correct (Yeah DAN!!) I stayed on a high dose of steroids for a week (which was no picnic) and had audiograms every 3 - 4 days. After 2 weeks my hearing had returned to 100%.

I was lucky and will never forget that as long as I dive. Bottom line is that as you age the dive tables (and computer algorithms) which were designed for 18 year old sailors are way too aggresive. Yancy Mebane suggested that I take whatever the dive tables say I can do and lop 10 - 15% off right away. I have continued to practice that approach and have added Nitrox to the mix. That original incident occured in 1995 and I have never had another episode.

Your situation may well be something totally different but I thought I'd take this opportunity to share.

Best of luck to you ...

'Slogger

 

[Joelzee]

Thanks for all the info everyone !!

the muffled hearing is gone and I can hear great again.

My wife reminded me that this similar thing happened in Nov2005 in Cabo St Lucas

I'm now looking into something to keep water out of my ears.

Joel

 

[Footslogger]

Thanks for all the info everyone !!

the muffled hearing is gone and I can hear great again.

My wife reminded me that this similar thing happened in Nov2005 in Cabo St Lucas

I'm now looking into something to keep water out of my ears.

Joel

====================================
Best way to do that is a mix of isopropyl alcohol and acetic acid (white vinegar). You can make up your own solution at home and buy an eye dropper at the drug store for application. Use after EVERY dive. You can also buy the commercial preparations like Swimmers Ear and such. You're paying more for the dispenser than the solution though. I used to have a lot of problems with residual water in my ears until I began using this approach. The alcohol absorbs the moisture and breaks down the surface tension so that the water can exit the ear canal. The vinegar help maintain the normal pH in the canal

'Slogger

 

[beche de mer]

Thanks for all the info everyone !!

the muffled hearing is gone and I can hear great again.

My wife reminded me that this similar thing happened in Nov2005 in Cabo St Lucas

I'm now looking into something to keep water out of my ears.

Joel

Joel, not only is it almost impossible to keep water out of your ears when diving at several atmospheres of pressure, it is unnecessary. Don't go barking up the wrong tree.

From what you have written, I would guess that your problem was due to otic barotrauma (pressure damage the to the eardrum due to delayed or inadequate equalisation) or Eustachian incompetence post-dive. (See note in my earlier post.)

FWIW, my advice is to practice equalisation. Experienced divers do it almost without thinking. Less experienced divers should make a point of consciously equalising at no more than a couple of metres below the surface. Don't go deeper until you have it sorted out. The deeper you go, the harder it becomes.

 

[page.crow]

Hey Joelzzz!

"Your head's on crooked". <grinning>

From the natural healthcare perspective, you may be demonstrating symptoms common for most, of vertebral dysfunction, causing Eustachain tube pressure imbalance and inability to accomodate. The sluggish return to normal\balance often means your neck and upper back vertebrae are probably affecting the nervous system, which affects your inner-ear.

People have been going to chiropractors for decades for ear problems: hearing, dizzy, infections, balance, ear equalization. For most people (to be fair, not every single one, but MOST) when they take chiropractic treatments, their ears get better usually IMMEDIATELY, and often very quickly. The treatments are safe and safer than drugs.

page crow DC (a chiropractor)

 

[DocVikingo]

Your remark, "For most people (to be fair, not every single one, but MOST) when they take chiropractic treatments, their ears get better usually IMMEDIATELY, and often very quickly," strikes me as entirely without credibility.

Would you be so kind as to direct interested readers to studies published in recognized, refereed, scientific journals which support this assertion? In none exist, I'd be interested in any published research, regardless of where it appears.

Thank you.

DocVikingo