Ears!

[NWDCGUY]

I was hoping someone could give me some ear advice. I recently just became aware of my problems clearing and I'm annoyed, since I'm all about diving!

Something that I've noticed is that over the course of a long dive day (3-4) dives, my ability to clear gets progressively worse.

By the last dive I have to really blow hard to clear. I hear a loud squeak as my ears equalize slowly. It's like 5 seconds of blowing. Not a pop, a long squeak, like air going through a small hole.

ALso on my ascents I really hear and feel air squeak out of my ears. It's loud! Sometimes it continues to squeak after I've surfaced. It seems like my ears are adjusting incredibly slowly.

Last time I had this issue, I had trouble hearing for a day afterwords, and had a couple brief moments of dizzyness. I felt like I had water in my ear, but I believe it was due to a stressed inner ear. There was no blood.

Does anyone else experience this issue? Is it normal to hear squeaking of air on ascents and descents? Will my ears "loosen" up?

 

[ScubaDadMiami]

If you are not equalizing properly, the related tissues can become swollen and fluid can partially or complete obstruct the pathways that would allow gas to equalize. The longer you do this, the worse it will get.

If your technique is correct, and you are still having these problems, go see an ENT who knows about diving.

 

[gert7to3]

It sounds like you are irritating and inflaming your eustachian tubes. I have done this to myself on a busy dive week. Maybe try starting the week slower, then go on the 3-4 dives per day regimen.

Have you tried slowing your descent rate and alternate equalization methods? Just grabbing your nose and blowing away isn't necessarily the best way to equalize. Here are some links that may help.

www.scuba-doc.com/Equalizing_Techniques.pdf

http://www.scuba-doc.com/entprobs.html

 

[DrSteve]

The squeaking can also be due to small amounts of congestion in the eustachian tubes. I get that sound if I have a cold on the surface.

 

[Saturation]

The squeaking can also be due to small amounts of congestion in the eustachian tubes. I get that sound if I have a cold on the surface.

Concur with DrSteve and gert7to3. Your eustachian tubes are likely getting irritated from the compressed gases you're breathing and less likely any water that could be making its way there. Often, the gases tend to be too dry.

 

[NWDCGUY]

Ok, so my tubes are getting irritated. Once they get irritated they become more difficult to clear.

As far as clearing techniques is concerned I do in fact grab my nose and blow. Unfortunately all the other less forceful techniques don't do much for me. I think I just need to do it more often and descend slower.

My big question is whether or not I can expect this to improve, or will it only worsen as I continue to dive more and more.

I'm doing a 5 day liveaboard in July, it would suck to be "grounded" due to tube irritation. Should I try some drugs?

 

[DrSteve]

Ok, so my tubes are getting irritated. Once they get irritated they become more difficult to clear.

As far as clearing techniques is concerned I do in fact grab my nose and blow. Unfortunately all the other less forceful techniques don't do much for me. I think I just need to do it more often and descend slower.

My big question is whether or not I can expect this to improve, or will it only worsen as I continue to dive more and more.

I'm doing a 5 day liveaboard in July, it would suck to be "grounded" due to tube irritation. Should I try some drugs?

A couple of suggestions...try clearing your ears during the regular day 10 times. That helps your ears and tubes get used to the act of ear clearing. Also do not descend head first as anecdotal reports have claimed this can cause gunk in your ears to block tubes etc.,

As for drugs I am not an MD so cannot officially recommend anything. However, as someone who has had chronic ear problems all his life I regularly take zyrtec and nasonex during the summer months. In addition I may also use sudafed -12h relief, guaiefesin (sp?) and Afrin. The medical advice I have received has always said it is desirable not to take the drugs, but if you have to, you have to (and I'd do it with or without medical advice, I like diving too much).

 

[gert7to3]

I too have used decongestant meds prior to diving. My ENT really doesn't like Sudafed. It can make you jittery and exacerbate blood pressure issues. I have used Afrin. It does less to your overall system. However, it is harder on your sinuses, drying them out too much with frequent use. This can get you into a rebound situation fairly fast, like on a 5 day dive tour.

One method I picked up in Cozumel was to snort a hand full of sea water up your nose (I am not making this up) and expectorate it. This both clears and hydrates your sinuses. I have found this helpful. There are hydrating nasal sprays available for this purpose. You have to use a lot of the spray, not just a squirt or two. Don't do this with the harbor water when you first get on the dive boat, or if there is any question about pollution.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

You don't mention where you are from or where you usually dive or what kind of exposure protection you are wearing. Are you in warm water or cold? My husband starts having clearing issues when he starts to chill which causes the muscles in his neck and around his eustacian tube (among others) to tense. Your post makes it sound like each dive it's harder to clear than the last dive, this could be consistent with getting chilled even though you don't realize it's happening. Normally we dive in cold water so this can happen on the first or second dive of the day to my husband. When we dive warm water it's later in the week after we have done several dives and his core temperature has dropped some that he starts having clearing problems. I'm no doctor but this might give you something else to consider.
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[jwvanno]

I have "symptoms" almost exactly as NWDCGUY describes, except that I have had it on every dive since the first time I ever got into the pool.

I thought it was normal, now I guess I'm learning it's not...

I've learned that I can make it easier to clear, and not blow so hard, if I tilt my head left and right, to lengthen the eustachian tubes on one side, then the other. But even then, I always get a "squeek" or "whistle" the entire time, as my ears equalize. I have paid attention to it, since the beginning, and have not worried about it since it sounds exactly like what I would expect it to sound like when air was filling a small cavity.

I've never had to abort a dive and only once or twice have I had to even slow my descent, to clear.

For ascents, I've learned that if I stay below about 20 feet per minute, particularly in the last 10 feet, my ears are clear when I get to the surface. If I ascend at 40-60 fpm, I can lay money on the fact that I won't be able to hear, and I will have ears that feel like they have water in them for the next 3 days.

Am I making things worse by not doing anything about it?!?

Most of my dives are in South Florida, or the Florida Springs. So the water is almost always over 72 degrees F.