OP
Chris Fotache
Registered
One more question... do you think there's any reason i should avoid getting water in my [outer] ears (going in the pool)? Could that affect this in any way?
Muffled ear after cert dives
- Thread starter Chris Fotache
- Start date
Please register or login
Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.
Benefits of registering include
- Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
- A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
- You can make this box go away
Dan
Contributor
I haven't heard about people having ear problems from swimming in the pool. If you already have inner ear problem, then it'll take longer to drain the fluid out of your inner ear, when your sinuses are saturated with moisture by swimming in the pool.
The pool is usually chlorinated to keep living bacterias in the pool low. It's a good preventive maintenance to dry your outer ears after getting them wet anyway as bacterias love to grow in the dark, warm & moist cavity like your ear holes.
I get a habit to dry my ear holes with Q-tips after shower. Just need to be careful not to get the Q-tips too deep into the holes
The pool is usually chlorinated to keep living bacterias in the pool low. It's a good preventive maintenance to dry your outer ears after getting them wet anyway as bacterias love to grow in the dark, warm & moist cavity like your ear holes.
I get a habit to dry my ear holes with Q-tips after shower. Just need to be careful not to get the Q-tips too deep into the holes
Last edited:
What you have is probably trauma in the eardrum and the "muffled" feeling (or water in the ear feeling) is increased blood in the eardrum blood vessels. You need to see an ENT ASAP (he will probably prescribe antibiotic and anti-inflammation medicine).
Don't let it get worse and turn into a severe ear infection, go and see an ENT ASAP.
NOTE: I am not a medical doctor and I am not a qualified medical care provider, just an dive instructor and EMT with over 40 years of dive experience and 30 years as an instructor. Go and see an ENT and don't delay. Ear infections are no fun and sometimes it could develop into a severe case where the doctor would need to put a medicine soaked wick in the ear for over a week and it is most annoying. Again, don't listen to anyone including myself, just see a specialist, an ENT ASAP!!
Common Ear Injuries While Diving — DAN | Divers Alert Network — Medical Dive Article
Don't let it get worse and turn into a severe ear infection, go and see an ENT ASAP.
NOTE: I am not a medical doctor and I am not a qualified medical care provider, just an dive instructor and EMT with over 40 years of dive experience and 30 years as an instructor. Go and see an ENT and don't delay. Ear infections are no fun and sometimes it could develop into a severe case where the doctor would need to put a medicine soaked wick in the ear for over a week and it is most annoying. Again, don't listen to anyone including myself, just see a specialist, an ENT ASAP!!
Common Ear Injuries While Diving — DAN | Divers Alert Network — Medical Dive Article
Kevrumbo
Banned
- Messages
- 5,659
- Reaction score
- 1,364
- # of dives
- 1000 - 2499
Absent any acute pain, fever, discharge or complete loss of hearing, go see your regular Primary Care Physician for at least a simple otoscope exam to initiate the differential diagnosis process. It might be as simple as a cerumen/ear wax & crud impaction that can be taken care of easily, or your PCP may refer you to an ENT Specialist for further work-up. . .
fmerkel
Contributor
I can read fine. The OP still seems confused between middle ear and outer ear. In this case it is clearly middle ear problem and no issue with the outer ear. It's not unusual for people to to be confused between the difference, and bringing up the ear beer recipe and all the wonderful things it can to to cleanse and enlighten you just clouds the issue and confuses people more.
Treatment with antibiotics which is also pretty routinely pushed on this forum (of course with the ever present caveat that "I'm not a doctor and you should go see an ENT ASAP!") is also NOT the standard of treatment anymore, and has not been for some time. When the barotrauma first occurs the exudate into the middle ear is sterile. Baring complications it should stay that way and be dealt with by the body in much the same way as a bruise.
There are non-trivial complications from overuse of antibiotics when they are not required that are being resolutely ignored by both the public and even the medical community.
Treating middle ear infection
Treatment with antibiotics which is also pretty routinely pushed on this forum (of course with the ever present caveat that "I'm not a doctor and you should go see an ENT ASAP!") is also NOT the standard of treatment anymore, and has not been for some time. When the barotrauma first occurs the exudate into the middle ear is sterile. Baring complications it should stay that way and be dealt with by the body in much the same way as a bruise.
There are non-trivial complications from overuse of antibiotics when they are not required that are being resolutely ignored by both the public and even the medical community.
Treating middle ear infection
Last edited:
OP
Chris Fotache
Registered
Fmerkel is right, I was a bit confused with the middle/outer ears in the beginning. (yeah yeah I know it was in the PADI course...). I think it's getting better, I keep testing with headphones. Hopefully the issue will be gone soon.
Is there a risk this would happen again next time I dive? Or is it just because I'm a total newbie and didn't properly equalize?
Is there a risk this would happen again next time I dive? Or is it just because I'm a total newbie and didn't properly equalize?
What fmerkel said. Discomfort in the ears in one thing- clear and go. But pain, that's another. No one should force a descent (or ascent) through painful ears or a painful ear. Yes, you should be concerned. Get checked out, and then work on clearing techniques. (But that's another post).
DivemasterDennis
DivemasterDennis
fmerkel
Contributor
Hey Chris, are you going to see an ENT? A physician?
I never said you could not, nor even should not seek medical intervention. I did give you some specific symptom guides that clearly indicated when you should.
In all probability this happened because you failed to equalize properly. It is THE MOST COMMON DIVE INJURY THERE IS.
Clearing techniques are often taught poorly if at all in OW1. Sometimes all you get is 'clear early and often', with no clarification of what that means or even elaboration of techniques to do so. There are lots of sites, links and information available on clearing techniques. Make SURE you know how to do that before you go in the water again.
If you can't clear on land, you won't be able to clear in the water. You want to be sure this episode is well and truly over before you try diving again.
Water in the outer ear in no way affects what is going on in the middle ear. Having said that, water in the outer ear can create it's own set of problems and needs to be something you think about if you are going to dive frequently.
I never said you could not, nor even should not seek medical intervention. I did give you some specific symptom guides that clearly indicated when you should.
In all probability this happened because you failed to equalize properly. It is THE MOST COMMON DIVE INJURY THERE IS.
Clearing techniques are often taught poorly if at all in OW1. Sometimes all you get is 'clear early and often', with no clarification of what that means or even elaboration of techniques to do so. There are lots of sites, links and information available on clearing techniques. Make SURE you know how to do that before you go in the water again.
If you can't clear on land, you won't be able to clear in the water. You want to be sure this episode is well and truly over before you try diving again.
Water in the outer ear in no way affects what is going on in the middle ear. Having said that, water in the outer ear can create it's own set of problems and needs to be something you think about if you are going to dive frequently.
OP
Chris Fotache
Registered
I really appreciate all the responses and explanations... It was my very first post on this board and didn't expect so many helpful people.
But as I mentioned in the first post, I'm not a "doctor person". I could've gone to one, and saved bothering you all with my questions, but still won't go unless this lags for too long, or it becomes painful (like an infection).
Probably won't dive until a wintertime tropical vacation, and until then I'll try to research more on clearing techniques.
But as I mentioned in the first post, I'm not a "doctor person". I could've gone to one, and saved bothering you all with my questions, but still won't go unless this lags for too long, or it becomes painful (like an infection).
Probably won't dive until a wintertime tropical vacation, and until then I'll try to research more on clearing techniques.
Similar threads
