issues with ear when diving

[teas]

ok, so i went diving last thursday and at about 6m i had to exit to the water due to my right ear not equalising. this was rather upsetting but such is life.

i went home and check my ears were clean (they were), read up on many techniques and set about practising equalising in the pool (about 2m deep). no problems.

my right ear has been fine, i can feel it clear in the pool etc.

however, i tried diving again today and lo and behold at 5m my ear wouldn't budge, i was alright until that 5m mark. i stopped for a few minutes, and went up and down that desent line with only my left ear clearing like a dream. but my right one was being stubborn :depressed: as i ascended i felt some reverse blocking, so they must have equalise at one point or another.

i have been diving for 5 years now (3 cert.) and i have only ever experienced this once before (same ear if i remember correctly) about 3 year ago. and it wasnt until the near end of that dive the issues started.

i did have flu about 1.5 months ago, but its long gone and i had no issues on the plane. also there is no symptoms of ear infections. i have an appointment booked when i get back with my gp, but with a week left on my hols it kinda bums me out i cant go diving as i really do enjoy it and looking at it as a career.

help

(sorry about my pathetic english skills)

 

[TSandM]

It's quite peculiar that you can equalize in the pool, but not in OW. I wonder if, when you hit OW, you go down further before trying to equalize?

It is not unusual to have one uncooperative ear. No one's anatomy is perfectly symmetrical, and a given amount of swelling may clog one Eustachian tube and not the other. Swelling can be due to illness, but also to allergies or environmental exposures, so it is not necessary to feel ill to have Eustachian tube problems.

 

[teas]

It's a funny one, I was just wondering for any clarification - as I do not suffer from any allergies/hay fever.

 

[Sinbad Scuba]

First, go see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist. You may be asymptomatic to an ear infection. Make sure and explain to the doctor that you want to talk about barotrauma. If everything checks out, ask about using a nasal rinse like Neilmed. I have been diving for 10 yrs and it does a great job of cleaning out my nasal passages. Finally, you should equalize the way they vot in Texas - early and often. Start equalizing on the surface. Do it with every breath. You can not really equalize too often, though you can equalize too hard, so be careful. Good luck.

 

[teas]

thanks, i have a appointment booked when i get home. so i'll let you know what was wrong

 

[Bubbletrubble]

It may be an allergy or illness issue.
It may be due to your unique ear anatomy.
It may also be an issue with improper technique. Have you tried several different techniques and found the one that really works for you?

You should be equalizing the entire time during your initial descent and descending under control, i.e., slowly (no faster than you can equalize). If you ever feel pain/pressure, you're not equalizing often enough. It's possible that the reverse-block problem you described on your last dive was caused by damage you did (barotrauma) during your descent.

I wonder how your ears would react if, on your next dive, you walked hand-under-hand down the anchor line. You could add air to your BCD as needed to remain neutrally buoyant, for the most part. This would definitely limit the speed of your descent.

If you can't equalize your ears, you shouldn't be diving. Find some fun activities to do at 1 ata. The last thing you want to do is hurt yourself. Bear in mind that if you damage your ears while diving, you might have problems adjusting to pressure differences in the cabin on the plane ride home.

Let us know how it all works out...