Ears and the cold

[MM5079]

I was wondering if water temperature has anything to do with being able to equalize ears properly, and if the cold can cause a slight headache after a dive? I completed my confined water dive in about 50-degree water, and afterwards I felt like I had something that resembled a brain freeze and my inner ears were kind of bothering me for a while. I don't know if this was because I failed to properly equalize my ears, or because it was just cold.

Also, if ears give you some trouble equalizing at about 12 feet deep, does that indicate that it's going to be even tougher the deeper I go? At times I didn't know if my ears were eqaulized or not because my hood was so tight and cupped over my ears.

 

[Coldwater_Canuck]

Also, if ears give you some trouble equalizing at about 12 feet deep, does that indicate that it's going to be even tougher the deeper I go? At times I didn't know if my ears were equalized or not because my hood was so tight and cupped over my ears.

No, it tends to get easier once your at depth. Any problem I've had with equalizing has been early on. What I don't mean is that if you can't equalize just go deeper (this is the opposite of what you should be doing) but rather that once you manage to equalize the first couple of times, the rest seem to come pretty easily.

It is kind of tough to know early on if you're equalized, but don't worry: I'm pretty sure it will be obvious you aren't equalized (as in exceedingly painful) before it can do any real damage. Personally, I just equalize regularly, it's probably not needed half the time, but once you're past the first 15 feet or so, it's pretty easy so I just try to equalize a lot.

 

[MagicChicken]

...and if the cold can cause a slight headache after a dive?

Coldwater_Canuck covered the equalizing issue.

Skip breathing is a common cause of post diving headaches. You may do it unintentionally... Just breathe deeply and slowly.

The brain freeze you refer to may be due to the cold water and an unproper neoprene hood (too tight?)... In any case, do not blow too hard when equalizing.

 

[Garrobo]

Beanaz I never wear a hood and never dive in water less than 70 degrees, I can't help you out with the cold thing. But I can say that, in my case, the only time that I feel like I really need to clear my ears is at about three to six meters. At these depths I usually have to sqeeze my nostrils (Waxmans) and blow. After that it's just a matter of swallowing or blowing air through my nose. The deeper I go the easier it is to clear my ears. At some point around 25 meters or so I don't need to any more.

 

[don Francisco]

MM The headaches might have been due to the cold, or possibly from poor equalizing. Some folks can get headaches just from eating ice cream too fast, or from a long walk in cold weather, so it isn't a stretch to imagine that a half hour in cold water mightn't do the same.

I usually don't get headaches diving, but once I had to remove my mask in 42 degree water, and started feeling intense pain in my sinuses which devloped into a lingering headache.


Equalizing doesn't actually get easier at depth but the changes in comparative pressure get slower so you don't have to do it so often. Like most new divers you probably started equalizing too late, and were trying to play catch up. You need to equalize early - within the first few feet, and often - every 2-3 feet of descent for the first 30 feet.

If you wait until after a 3-5 foot descent, it'll be difficult without the Valsalva maneuver, after 7-9 feet it'll be very difficult bordering on the impossible. During descent the unequalized pressure squeezes the eusatchian tubes closed so the sooner you equalize the better. If you find yourself straining to equalize, don't force it, go back up to where you feel about equalized, equalize properly and start down again.

As a new diver keep this in mind for ear pain free diving. - - -If you can't equalize as fast as you descend, descend as slow as you equalize.

 

[BradButler01]

EQ problems can be cause by a hood... Make sure you pull the hood away from your ears from time to time to keep the pressure equal. Also, cold water certainly can cause a brain freeze. down to about 40F I like to climb in with no hood or mask, get used to the water, then put on the mask and hood. Its uncomfortable but it prevents a brain freeze later on, as well as the shock of flooding a mask in cold water.

 

[Coldwater_Canuck]

I was wondering if water temperature has anything to do with being able to equalize ears properly

Sorry, missed this point. I don't believe there is any correlation, but someone correct me if I'm wrong.

Equalizing doesn't actually get easier at depth but the changes in comparative pressure get slower so you don't have to do it so often. Like most new divers you probably started equalizing too late, and were trying to play catch up. You need to equalize early - within the first few feet, and often - every 2-3 feet of descent for the first 30 feet.

If you wait until after a 3-5 foot descent, it'll be difficult without the Valsalva maneuver, after 7-9 feet it'll be very difficult bordering on the impossible. During descent the unequalized pressure squeezes the eusatchian tubes closed so the sooner you equalize the better. If you find yourself straining to equalize, don't force it, go back up to where you feel about equalized, equalize properly and start down again.

As a new diver keep this in mind for ear pain free diving. - - -If you can't equalize as fast as you descend, descend as slow as you equalize.

You're probably right from a scientific perspective, but for practical purposes, it does get easier. And personally, the advice (also given by PADI) to go up a little and try equalizing has never worked for me. If I can't equalize, my only option has been to go right to the surface, try clearing out my sinuses and going down again. I've yet to solve an equalization issue by ascending a little bit: I've always had to go right to the surface. I've also never been able to equalize using anything other than the Valsalva maneuver. I can feel my ears clearing slightly on the surface if I swallow correctly, but when I actually need to fix pressure, I have to hold my nose.