ears

[mhobbs_17]

I am new to scuba diving and i recently found out i have an ear infection. i was wondering if i should put ear drops in my ear after every dive to lower my risk of another ear infection??? my ears are also popping and crackling when i swollow or yawn.. is this normal for a new scuba diver? will it go away?

 

[kent_1848]

Putting drying drops into your ears after diving is usually a good idea. It may help with ear infections, and it helps prevent swimmers ear. As far as your ears, is it only underwater when you "hear" this?

 

[dpbishop]

Some peoples ears have constricted passages which inhibit drainage and promote infection. Check with your doctor, he may prescribe cortisporin ear drops to fight infection if your ears are subject to it.

 

[stevedavens]

I'm failry new too. Put drying drops in your ears, and you can also use drops for swimmers ear prevention before a dive. THe crackling and popping is nnormal for me too, but I sometimes don't clear properly or well enough. Ensure you are able to clear your ears and do it often. Practice beofre the dive, and try to do it a couple times a day anyways, to strencthen your muscles to help valsalva easier on dive days............

 

[JustinW]

If I understood you correctly, you currently have an ear infection. I won't dive until the ear infection and all symptoms are gone.

 

[mhobbs_17]

i wasnt planning on diving for atleast a couple of weeks when this infection is gone.

 

[mhobbs_17]

my ears pop and crackle out of the water when i swollow or yawn..it has been alittle over a week sence i last dived

 

[spectrum]

my ears pop and crackle out of the water when i swollow or yawn..it has been alittle over a week sence i last dived

This is probably not indicative of an infection. Usually it means some fluid has been squished into one of the ear cavities and it will be absorbed in a few weeks. I got it when doing my OW class. It comes from not equalizing early enough. Consider it a friendly warning from your eardrums!

As for ear drops this is usualy to prevent swimmers ear. My doctor recomended the following after I got it and it has done the trick for my wife and myself for the last 200 cumulative dives including skin dives.

Mix 50% rubbing alchohol and 50% white venegar and load into a dropper bottle. We bought one of the swim ear products initially and have been refilling that bottle.
Lay on your side and fill the ear and rest for a full 5 minuites, no cheating allowed! I do it on the bed watching TV and it goes by fast. Roll over and so the other ear.

The alchohol helps draw water out of the inner spaces and kills of some of the bugs.The vinegar is acidic and also makes life miserable for the bugs and restores the acidic condition that is normally in the ear that gets rinsed away when in the water.

Swimmers ear usually comes from bugs normally present in the human ear. Prolonged non acidic dampness from water sports lets them flourish out of control. Check whith your doctor if you are being treated for swimmers ear since diving is often allowed during treatment!

I'm not a doctor, just been there done that.

Pete

 

[Barracuda2]

My family doc knows I'm a diver and I take trips as much as $ allows. Whenever I need Domeboro otic ear drops (prescription only) He accommodates me by writing a prescription without me making an office call. It is standard equipment in my dive kit and has either prevented or stopped dead in its tracks swimmer's ear. If you ever get a bad dose of SE, you'll never forget it and take every precaution to avoid it. The first time I got it, it almost ruined a dive trip for me because I didn't know what it was. Fortunately, the captain's girlfriend was a nurse and was able to get these drops through her doc. Saved the day!!

 

[pipedope]

Time to learn more and then practice more.

Go to;
http://faculty.washington.edu/ekay/

and watch the streaming video.

It will bring you up to speed on your ears and diving and things that go right and wrong and how to keep things right more of the time.