ETD

[Kenny MacDonald]

Hi, everyone

I'm new to diving and embarked on a commercial SCUBA course last month. I passed my Open Water course, and did some dives on my AOW and Rescue Diver courses, too, but didn't go on to the commercial section because of my general lack of experience at diving. I need more dives to get comfortable with it, etc. I was told.

In any case, after only a few days of diving my ears began to block up and, despite being home for three weeks now, they're still blocked up. Been to see the doctor a couple of times and they say it's ETD. Was given a nasal decongestant spray but that's not really clearing things up yet. How long does that take to work? Doctors also said it's not something that will prevent me from continuing to dive in the future but I'm not so sure. I didn't have trouble equalising when I was diving but I never really went that deep. However, I have been pretty deaf since coming home, plus I was a bit feverish and dizzy. I get mild headaches with it now too. Is it time to forget about diving, does anyone think?

PS Also had a slight nose bleed one morning when I was diving

 

[Scuba Cobra]

Hello, I sent you a PM. I was diagnosed with ETD myself, and received the surgery to correct it. It sounds to me like you have some pretty serious barotrauma, as I had similar symptoms to include vomiting and DAN told me to go to an ENT where I was diagnosed.

leading up to your dive, practice your Valsalva maneuver once and hour before you hit the water. Once your mask goes on clear again. before your head goes under, clear again. Stay ahead of the clearing as you descend. Don't wait till you feel pressure, but have "positive pressure" before needed.

The medicine- So your Eustachian tube is 2 different parts, a cartilage and a bone part. The medicine can only help you if the restriction is the cartilage portion. You should find that the spray(s) should work in a matter of minutes. I believe my
ENT told me 15 minutes for full effect. Uncomfortable as it is, make sure you are snorting hard enough to get it all the way back to the back of your nasal canal.

If you are serious about diving continuing to be a part of your life I would suggest you talk to your ENT about Eustachian tube balloonplasty , it is a rather new surgery, and I was the 11th person in the Marine Corps to have it done. They go in through your nose and insert a balloon down your Eustachian tube and break open the cartilage like a set of chapped lips, removing the restriction that is causing you the trouble clearing your ears. You will be out of diving for 6-12 weeks post surgery, but I believe it was worth it in every way. However I based off what you said with the medicine not opening up your Eustachian tube that it is probably the bone portion, which the surgery cannot correct.