Eustachian tube dysfunction

[DandyDon]

Many divers choose a simple home remedy that is cheaper and works just as well. Boil two cups of tap water for 10 minutes, stir in one teaspoon of salt (refined sea salt is recommended to avoid additives, but isn't necessary) and one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Adding more salt than recommended can do more harm than good, so don’t overdo it.

To easily accomplish that, I mix 4 tablespoons (60 ml) sale to 1 tablespoon (15 ml) baking soda in a marked, plastic container with lid - then use a rounded teaspoon (6 ml) of that mix. Well, I do when I try it, but it really doesn't impress me - yet I try to keep an open mind and try it again now & then. My daughter seems to like the nasal rinse.

 

[Buadhai]

Many divers choose a simple home remedy that is cheaper and works just as well. Boil two cups of tap water for 10 minutes, stir in one teaspoon of salt (refined sea salt is recommended to avoid additives, but isn't necessary) and one-quarter teaspoon of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate). Adding more salt than recommended can do more harm than good, so don’t overdo it.

Easy enough. Thanks.

 

[gert7to3]

Listen to doctor V ........... That said, I use nasal irrigation first thing in the morning on dive trips.

There is one medication I will regularly use on dive trips and that is a mucus thinning med, brand name or equivalent in the U.S. is Mucinex. My otolaryngologist suggested this. It seems to help keep things flowing where the nasal irrigation doesn't reach.

Off the water if I have congestion, an allergic reaction or sinus dryness I will also use nasal irrigation.

 

[Buadhai]

Turns out that the readily available brand in Thailand is "Hashi". I bought a kit in order to get the gear. I imagine I'll just make my own solution when the original supply runs out.

Cute YouTube video: (Hashi) VS.1 - YouTube

 

[DandyDon]

Turns out that the readily available brand in Thailand is "Hashi". I bought a kit in order to get the gear. I imagine I'll just make my own solution when the original supply runs out.

Cute YouTube video: (Hashi) VS.1 - YouTube

Cute video. With the population being 95% Buddhist, I had a hunch it was readily available there and used by many. We had a Thai girl as an exchange student last year but the subject never came up, but I figured. As long as it's been in practice, I have to wonder how common brain infections are from using tap water, but - play it safe with bottled water.

 

[Buadhai]

I have no idea how common this is. My wife didn't know what to ask for at the pharmacy. But, after a short conversation the clerk made a beeline for this product and seemed to know all about it. The Thai word for it is: อุปกรณ์ล้างจมูก (uppakorn lang jamuk) which is literally: "equipment wash nose".

Now we know!

 

[latestartfish]

Hello,

Haven't been in the water yet, just trying to get some minor issues (which could be major underwater) cleared up before I dive in... I also have issues with the e. tubes and equalizing (on flights at least). Is phenylephrine an effective alternative to pseudoephederine? Oh, I know how amazingly pseudoephederine works, it has just gotten so I feel like a criminal when I have to buy it...It's the only thing that works for my husband's allergies (he's not a diver).

I appreciate the input!

LSF

 

[Buadhai]

IMHO phenylephrine is not as effective as pseudo ephedrine.

By way of follow up to the OP:

I went to an ENT specialist early this week, mainly to get s prescription for pseudo ephedrine. The Doc checked my ears, including shoving a dental-type mirror down my throat to observe my eustachian tubes. He pronounced me fit do dive: nothing going on.

He gave me some tablets with pseudo ephedrine and loratadine plus a nose spray with mometasone furoate. He suggested starting the nose spray a few days before a dive trip and then taking the tablets in the morning about an hour before the first dive.

BTW, I was never able to find any OTC medication containing pseudo ephedrine here in Thailand. It's all by prescription only now.

 

[DandyDon]

Hello,

Haven't been in the water yet, just trying to get some minor issues (which could be major underwater) cleared up before I dive in... I also have issues with the e. tubes and equalizing (on flights at least). Is phenylephrine an effective alternative to pseudoephederine? Oh, I know how amazingly pseudoephederine works, it has just gotten so I feel like a criminal when I have to buy it...It's the only thing that works for my husband's allergies (he's not a diver).

I appreciate the input!

LSF

I haven't tried phenylephrine, but I have never heard anything good about it. I thought that pseudoephedrine had been banned there, but I guess it's prescription only - like we have in a few of our states. No reason to feel bad about buying the prescription med you need.

I guess this didn't help either: 7m pseudoephedrine pills unaccounted for at Udon hospital - The Nation

 

[Buadhai]

Here's the situation in Thailand: Huge numbers of pseudo ephedrine tablets were diverted from hospitals, dispensaries and pharmacies to meth labs in neighboring countries, mostly Burma. Since corruption is so endemic here the government felt it had no choice but to clamp down in a huge way, severely limiting inventories that were allowed to be kept on hand and made the drug prescription only.

So, in the space of less than 20 years Thailand has gone from a country where almost every drug was available over the counter to one where even allergy meds require a prescription.

However, you can still aid the cause of drug resistant bacteria by buying huge of unnecessary antibiotics over the counter....