Equalizing while ascending

[idocsteve]

I most likely was wearing a hood, albeit a thin one, maybe 1mm.

It doesn't matter how thin the hood is, it's going to trap air.

That air can seep out through holes in the neoprene that were made specifically for that purpose, or perhaps out of the edges of the hood around your face, where they can run up and around your mask, up and around your neck, and give a diver the sensation that they've just blown out their ears.

BRB gotta get a Qtip my ears itch now.

 

[fairybasslet]

It doesn't matter how thin the hood is, it's going to trap air.

That air can seep out through holes in the neoprene that were made specifically for that purpose, or perhaps out of the edges of the hood around your face, where they can run up and around your mask, up and around your neck, and give a diver the sensation that they've just blown out their ears.

BRB gotta get a Qtip my ears itch now.

I made a hole at the top of the hood so air wouldn't get trapped and I wouldn't have a bubble head.

 

[idocsteve]

I made a hole at the top of the hood so air wouldn't get trapped and I wouldn't have a bubble head.

That's only going to help for air that makes it TO the top of the head. You can easily get an air space adjacent to your ear due to hood flexure, and the air cannot get above it to the top of your skull..which is why holes are drilled in the sides of the hood, preferrably during a time the mask is not being worn by the diver.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

Now that the thread has drifted a bit into specific questions, I hope it's okay if I ask about my situation (I rambled about it earlier).

From a new-OW diver, I got the impression that I was supposed to be equalizing on ascent. Being a new diver myself (but with classwork far behind me), I thought that "Huh, I must have forgotten that?" so I began equalizing (pinch nose/blow) on my ascent. I did this for four dives (now I'm home and have time to check and find out that this was a mistake).

About three days after the last dive, I got what seemed like some sinus blockage, and while that is gone, it left me with middle ear effusion (fluid/gunk in middle ear).

Could this have been caused or exacerbated by my equalizing on ascent for those four dives? I ask because I'm going to the doctor next week (not a diving specialist) and I want to bring up my ear problem (it has lasted three weeks). I don't want to pin it on diving if that was most likely not the cause.

Probably TMI: After the dives I was fine. No ear pain or anything else unusual. Three days later it felt like I was getting a cold. Gunk in nose/sinuses and post-nasal drip. I never did get a cold, but for about 5 days I was blowing greenish gunk out of my nose. Since it was gunky, I had to blow hard to get rid of it. After that went away, my left ear did not clear up. It's not blocked, but I can tell there is fluid in it. When I yawn or burp it "pops" and crackles a bit. At first I could hear my pulse in my ear when I would lie down to go to sleep, and equalizing (pinch nose blow gently) would pop the ear and fix that. That is now gone but the former symptoms remain.

Thanks for any input. This does not hurt, and is not *too* bothersome now; but OTOH it's not normal, and I don't want it to interfere with future diving. Some Internet reading has shown this to become a horrible, chronic problem for some people. I can tell you that I will *never* blow my nose hard again when I have a sinus problem.

I'm thinking it was a simple germ-related problem, but... reading this thread is making me a bit nervous. I *knew* I did not remember having to purposely equalize upon ascent, but I was too open to suggestion.

B.

 

[idocsteve]

Could this have been caused or exacerbated by my equalizing on ascent for those four dives? I ask because I'm going to the doctor next week (not a diving specialist) and I want to bring up my ear problem (it has lasted three weeks). I don't want to pin it on diving if that was most likely not the cause.

Definitely mention the diving to your doc.

I wouldn't wait a week if it was me.

 

[Blue Sparkle]

I wouldn't wait a week if it was me.

Idoc,

Can you elaborate on that? I've done some research on the Internet, and from what I'm reading the "danger" would be an infection, but that should present with pain or fever (neither of which I have had at any time in the past three weeks).

The overwhelming amount of advice for middle ear effusion that does not present with pain or fever seems to be "just wait and hope it goes away."

I'd been thinking I'd rather see my regular doctor (a week from tomorrow) over popping in to an Urgent Care type of place (sooner), because I can't see them recommending anything but perhaps decongestant or "wait and see if it goes away," and in my mind there is much to be said for the continuity my regular doctor provides.

So....

1) Of course I don't want to do anything that will endanger my health, so please tell me your reasoning behind not waiting if it were you -- especially since it sounds as though you're a doctor.

2) I wanted to get other divers' opinions on whether this could have been caused by equalizing upon ascent, given that no symptoms showed up until at least 3-4 days after I was done diving, and there was no pain or fever or other "bad" symptoms, such as vertigo, vomiting, or etc. Also, I *did* have the green snot, etc. that normally accompany a viral "cold." I just got to wondering when I read this thread, since (coincidentally... maybe) I had equalized upon ascent on my last four dives.

I will mention diving to my doctor.

Thanks,
B.

 

[Interceptor121]

Idoc,

Can you elaborate on that? I've done some research on the Internet, and from what I'm reading the "danger" would be an infection, but that should present with pain or fever (neither of which I have had at any time in the past three weeks).

The overwhelming amount of advice for middle ear effusion that does not present with pain or fever seems to be "just wait and hope it goes away."

I'd been thinking I'd rather see my regular doctor (a week from tomorrow) over popping in to an Urgent Care type of place (sooner), because I can't see them recommending anything but perhaps decongestant or "wait and see if it goes away," and in my mind there is much to be said for the continuity my regular doctor provides.

So....

1) Of course I don't want to do anything that will endanger my health, so please tell me your reasoning behind not waiting if it were you -- especially since it sounds as though you're a doctor.

2) I wanted to get other divers' opinions on whether this could have been caused by equalizing upon ascent, given that no symptoms showed up until at least 3-4 days after I was done diving, and there was no pain or fever or other "bad" symptoms, such as vertigo, vomiting, or etc. Also, I *did* have the green snot, etc. that normally accompany a viral "cold." I just got to wondering when I read this thread, since (coincidentally... maybe) I had equalized upon ascent on my last four dives.

I will mention diving to my doctor.

Thanks,
B.

blowing your nose on ascent is a bad idea as per my post
If you had discharge most likely you perforated your ear drum
Go to a doctor ASAP
Your instructor should have told you it is important not to pinch nose and blow on ascent

 

[fairybasslet]

Idoc,



I will mention diving to my doctor.

Thanks,
B.

Call DAN and see if there is an ENT (I know they aren't called that anymore but I forget what they are called) and see if they recommend a doctor. Doctors who aren't divers don't get us. I think that Steve meant you could have an infection so that's why you wouldn't want to wait. I waited a week once when I first started diving and it turned out there was blood in my middle ear.

 

[idocsteve]

I think that Steve meant you could have an infection so that's why you wouldn't want to wait.

^^ This.

 

[Interceptor121]

When you perforate an ear drum you feel a sharp pain then nothing else and the discharge starts
If you have a middle ear infection instead the pain continues in time until this gets resolved
I would go and check with a doctor who can at least see a perforated ear drum and if you have DAN even call them for a chat