Minor Trouble

[DivingInMaine]

I just started my OW cert (I have my second class tomorrow) and I experienced pain in my ears after the first pool dive. It didn't start to hurt until about an hour or two after I had finished my dive. It felt like I had fluid in my ear and couldn't clear them. It kept me up until 3am. I definately want to avoid this in my future dives.

While I was awake that night I had a lot of time to read online about the inner workings of the human ear. I have heard that the first 30 feet of diving or so has the most drastic pressure change and therefor can cause the most problems. I have also read that going up and down constantly can cause problems. I was in a 9ft pool going up and down for at least an hour (horsing around with my BCD, or course ). I plan to be more cautious on future dives and even bought a simple OTC nasal spray to help clear my middle ear before and after the dive. Any other thoughts from from those of you with more experience (probably everyone here).

 

[DA Aquamaster]

New divers will tend to clear their ears when they feel pain, rather than when they feel pressure. If you wait until it hurts, you have waited too long and it can often be difficult to clear without ascending a few feet first.

More importantly though, the effects of a little bit of pressure over a long period of time can be worse. If you spend an hour at the bottom of a 9 ft pool with just a bit of unequalized pressures on your ears (not enough to hurt and sometimes not even enough to really notice) it will cause a significant amount of swelling and your body will also attempt to equalize the pressure by moving fluid into the affected area of the ear (usually the middle ear). This then can cause pain after you ascend. It can also lead to infection as it will take a fairly significant period of time for the body to re-absorb that fluid.

So if in doubt, clear your ears, especially when you reach the bottom, and it's not a bad idea to clear them every few feet in the first 20-30 ft of the water column.

 

[Firebrand]

Just to back-up what DA Aquamaster said, the best way to avoid problems with your ears is to equalize early and often. Try to equalize once BEFORE you begin making your descent, then every couple of feet on the way down. I usually keep one hand on my nose the entire time I'm descending and I do so every few feet. Try that and see how it goes.

 

[steelemagnolia6]

I second what both of the guys have said. I have always equalized from the second that I start my descent.

I have found that if I use a 12 hour nose spray about a hour prior to the dive that I have less trouble equalizing.

Don't be afraid to equalize and do it often it might take you a bit longer to get down but you'll get there and as you get more experience diving you'll get better at it.

Good Luck and Welcome to the "land" under the water!

 

[DivingInMaine]

Thanks for the advice guys! I will definately try all that. I have been warned about decongestants while diving, but I believe that is only when you have a cold or the flu, right? A little nasal spray should only help clear the ears a little. Thanks again!

 

[Firebrand]

I think the danger lies with when you took the decongestant in relation to when you'll be diving, and it's effective timeframe. My dad was a scuba instructor for 15 years, and every time he was in fresh water, he took a pseudofed about 30 minutes before diving and never had a problem. Certainly, a 24 hour nasal spray should give you the window of opportunity you're looking for. I recommend you consult a physician familiar with diving before taking matters into your own hands.

 

[TSandM]

Just one word of caution about the 12 hour OTC nasal sprays . . . they are powerful vasoconstrictors (make blood vessels narrow) which is how they work. As they wear off, there is often a rebound phenomenon, where the nose gets even more congested than it was before the medication was taken. This is not an issue if you use it right before diving on a given day, and do not plan to dive the next. But I could see it causing a significant problem if one were using the medication routinely and diving multiple days.