jl_va_21
Contributor
So I think I'm about due to finally got to an ENT doc and get things checked now that I've got a little cold weather lull in my diving schedule. I checked with DAN for a recommendation, their guy is about an hour drive from my house, but there are several others very close to where I live. So the first question is, does it make a difference who I go to? Are there special scuba related factors for which I should go to a specific person or will any ENT do the same basic stuff.
So, in case any of you have any other tips, here are my general issues. I have one ear that does not equalize very well. Always the same ear. I've only been diving a couple years, but I noticed about a year prior to my first dive that this same ear was starting to have issues whenever I flew somewhere too. Anyway, between more flying and a couple years of diving, I've learned more about how to equalize and so forth and things are better, but still not ideal. Here is my routine: about 5 days before flying or diving I start taking regular doses Pseudophedrine and stop drinking/eating milk products. I do this to start getting the passages clear (apparently mine typically aren't very clear on their own maybe?) and usually (unless I have a cold or something too) then I'm ok to fly or dive. The flying part I have down pretty well and can valsalva my way through it, occasionally needing to simultaneously swallow a gulp of water.
Diving is tougher. Part of it may just be the regulator changing the position of my mouth (anyone ever tried taking it out to equalize, I'm considering it) and the fact that the dryness makes it hard to swallow at least at first. At any rate I have done about 25 dives over the last couple years and have worked out a system that generally gets the job done, but it takes me a long time to descend (really long) and I tend to use up a larger than desirable percentage of my air, wrestling with my ear during the descent.
On my last day of diving (granted I was just barely over a cold too) I took a long time to equalize my ear, but eventually got down ok on dive 1. On dive 2, my ear was better (usually not as bad on repetitive dives) but I had my first ever sinus squeeze. I just went really slowly and waited every so often and it seemed to work itself out.
In general, when my good ear equalizes, its a quick "pop" and its good. My other ear though, even when I get it to equalize a little when diving, it is not a full equalization... I need to get several equalizations at each depth before it feels really "equalized."
Anyway - there are a whole list of issues - let me know if anyone sees anything suspicious or has any other tips.
I'll let you know what the ENT doc says once I decide which one to go to.
So, in case any of you have any other tips, here are my general issues. I have one ear that does not equalize very well. Always the same ear. I've only been diving a couple years, but I noticed about a year prior to my first dive that this same ear was starting to have issues whenever I flew somewhere too. Anyway, between more flying and a couple years of diving, I've learned more about how to equalize and so forth and things are better, but still not ideal. Here is my routine: about 5 days before flying or diving I start taking regular doses Pseudophedrine and stop drinking/eating milk products. I do this to start getting the passages clear (apparently mine typically aren't very clear on their own maybe?) and usually (unless I have a cold or something too) then I'm ok to fly or dive. The flying part I have down pretty well and can valsalva my way through it, occasionally needing to simultaneously swallow a gulp of water.
Diving is tougher. Part of it may just be the regulator changing the position of my mouth (anyone ever tried taking it out to equalize, I'm considering it) and the fact that the dryness makes it hard to swallow at least at first. At any rate I have done about 25 dives over the last couple years and have worked out a system that generally gets the job done, but it takes me a long time to descend (really long) and I tend to use up a larger than desirable percentage of my air, wrestling with my ear during the descent.
On my last day of diving (granted I was just barely over a cold too) I took a long time to equalize my ear, but eventually got down ok on dive 1. On dive 2, my ear was better (usually not as bad on repetitive dives) but I had my first ever sinus squeeze. I just went really slowly and waited every so often and it seemed to work itself out.
In general, when my good ear equalizes, its a quick "pop" and its good. My other ear though, even when I get it to equalize a little when diving, it is not a full equalization... I need to get several equalizations at each depth before it feels really "equalized."
Anyway - there are a whole list of issues - let me know if anyone sees anything suspicious or has any other tips.
I'll let you know what the ENT doc says once I decide which one to go to.