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Ears crackling on ascent.. According to DAN this is bad, very bad?
- Thread starter Wineaux
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When you ascend, the air in your middle ear will expand, and it has to leave the middle ear via the Eustachian tube. Whether this process generates any sound is quite personal, and dependent on your anatomy. If my ears make ANY sound on ascent, I am in serious trouble, and very close to a block; 99% of the time, they make no sound at all. But I have learned that that is actually not the norm. Most people DO hear something as their ears equilibrate on ascent. Whether it's a squeak or a crackle or some other noise, many people hear something.
On the other hand, if you are feeling fullness in your ears the day after diving, that goes along with the idea that you didn't equalize quickly and thoroughly enough, and caused some mild barotrauma. During the dive, that can result in eventual failure to equalize, or its ascent equivalent, which is squeaking and crackling. After the dive, the symptoms are fullness, muffled hearing, and sometimes crackling sounds when you chew or swallow. This should be a sign that you need to equalize earlier and more often.
On the other hand, if you are feeling fullness in your ears the day after diving, that goes along with the idea that you didn't equalize quickly and thoroughly enough, and caused some mild barotrauma. During the dive, that can result in eventual failure to equalize, or its ascent equivalent, which is squeaking and crackling. After the dive, the symptoms are fullness, muffled hearing, and sometimes crackling sounds when you chew or swallow. This should be a sign that you need to equalize earlier and more often.
I took the DAN quiz you referred to, and I interpreted the question as meaning hearing crackling (or feeling fullness) some time AFTER you have reached the surface, not hearing crackling noises WHILE ascending. When I experienced the former, the doctor diagnosed it as middle ear barotrauma. But I sometimes hear noises from my ears while ascending and some dullness or fullness just after the dive that quickly clears up and figured that's not the same thing.
Late to the thread, but +1 to what TSandM said. I always hear some noise on ascent and descent, but persistent pain, hearing loss, dizziness, etc... after equalization has been completed is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Here is my article on the relevant anatomy and physiology.
Mike
OP
Wineaux
Contributor
Thank you for the additional replies and the article. I will pay particular attention to my ears and to equalize even more on my dives this weekend. I feel like I already do it pretty often: Go down the line 2-3 hand over hands, add some air to the dry suit, equalize the ears, repeat, repeat, etc... but will be even more vigilant and will slow the ascent to give the ears a little extra time.
fisheater
Contributor
I equalize on every breath, starting at the surface and continuing for the first 40' or so. Then, it's as needed.
Learned that the hard way.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
Learned that the hard way.
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
When I first started diving, I had a lot of trouble equalizing. When I finally did get the process going, I always heard a crackling. For the first couple of years of my diving life, that was a welcome sound. It meant all systems were working. Then as I got more experienced and did a lot more diving, my Eustachian tubes got the hang of things, and the crackling went away. I haven't heard it in years.
Although the feeling of fullness after diving can be mild barotrauma as described above, it can be something else as well. Back when I was first diving, I had that feeling a lot on one of my first trips. It continued after I got home, and then it got painful. I figured I had really screwed things up, so I went to my doctor. It was otitis externa--outer ear infection. I had let water hang around in my outer ear canal long enough for bacteria to make a home. The next time I went diving and felt that feeling of fullness, I put a few of those alcohol ear drying drops in each ear and experienced a miracle cure. Today I carry a homemade solution of half isopropyl alcohol and half white vinegar for that purpose. It won't do you any good if the problem is in the middle ear, but sometimes it is hard to tell the difference.
Although the feeling of fullness after diving can be mild barotrauma as described above, it can be something else as well. Back when I was first diving, I had that feeling a lot on one of my first trips. It continued after I got home, and then it got painful. I figured I had really screwed things up, so I went to my doctor. It was otitis externa--outer ear infection. I had let water hang around in my outer ear canal long enough for bacteria to make a home. The next time I went diving and felt that feeling of fullness, I put a few of those alcohol ear drying drops in each ear and experienced a miracle cure. Today I carry a homemade solution of half isopropyl alcohol and half white vinegar for that purpose. It won't do you any good if the problem is in the middle ear, but sometimes it is hard to tell the difference.
I dived with a cold once in 1989. It was difficult to equalize, but I forced myself to. I heard a loud squeak in my ears when I did this. I've had crackling in both ears ever since. I went to my Doctor, but she didn't find anything amiss. I now hear crackling every time I swallow or move my jaw. It hasn't affected my diving over the past 24 years and it's not painful so I've learned to live with it.
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