My ear still hurts.

[otter-cat]

As time goes on, I am becoming increasingly worried. I believe that I experienced a barotrauma on one of the final dives during a 4-day trip on a liveaboard in June. Towards the end of the dive I experienced a brief, sharp pain in my right ear. I do not believe I was ascending when this occurred. I immediately dropped down a few feet, and the pain subsided. It seemed like the pain came out of nowhere, and was gone almost as quickly. My reaction was "What was THAT?" When I ascended at the end of the dive, I had no problems. I completed a few additional dives in the next day or so without any problems.

A few days after I returned home, I was experiencing ear pain, and I saw a Nurse-Practitioner who prescribed ear drops for an infection in my ear canal, and antibiotics (SMZ/TMP) for a middle ear infection. The drops worked to clear up the external infection. After the course of antibiotics was complete, I had no more ear pain. I went on one dive, where I experienced no ear pain, but my right ear felt like the hood was pressing on it the whole time. I had a max depth of 28 feet, with a total dive time of 13 minutes.

A few days (maybe a week) after that, I went to see my doctor because my ear still didn't feel right. The middle ear was still infected, and she prescribed a 10 day course of amoxicillin. While the amoxicillin suppressed most of the pain, it returned the day after I finished the amoxicillin. I went back to my doctor, who said my middle ear still looked slightly infected, and prescribed 10 days of Augmentin.

I have been taking the Augmentin for 4 days now, and my ear still hurts.;-0

I am scheduled to see another doctor (my regular doctor is on vacation) when the 10 days of Augmentin are up. My doctor is a great doctor, but she is not a diving physician. I am fairly certain that the other doctor I see in her place this week also is not one.

Because I am on my 3rd 10-day course of antibiotics, and I am still experiencing significant ear pain, I am beginning to get really worried about my ear. Does it sound like I've suffered a serious injury to my ear? Have I done permanent damage? (When) will I be able to dive again?

I know that to answer these questions I have to see a doctor, which I will be doing at the end of this week. Do any of you diving physicians on the board have any ideas as to what might be wrong that I should mention to the doctor when I see him? Any particular things they should check or consider that might have been missed so far?

Thanks for reading through this very long post. Any info about this that you could share would be very much appreciated.

Thank you!
otter-cat

 

[SeaGypsy]

Is the doctor you are seeing an ENT? Perhaps she can call DAN for their input. You could ask your doctor about a course of a steroid, like prednisone. This worked for me when I had a problem with my ear (of course I don’t know if you have the same kind of problem.)

 

[finstotheleft]

Are you giving the anti-biotics time to work and clear the infection before you get back in the water? Also, consider that they may be mis-diagnosing the problem. Your sinuses could be all clogged, and causing your eustacian tubes to close up...which could cause that "stuffy" feeling and maybe some pain, if they're closed up so tight that you just can't equalize.

There are lots of good stuff on the web (Rodale's has some good info.) on diving medicine. Print it out and take it with you to the doctor, to give them an idea of what could be going on. I'm having problems with sinuses (pain when I descend in sinus cavities, and trouble equalizing one ear), and my doctor gave me Allegra and Nasonex. I'm giving it time to work and will try to dive probably this weekend and see how it goes. If that doesn't work, I'm going to an ENT.

I make sure when I go that I repeat several times "I am a diver, I need medicine that I can dive with that is non-drowsy" and I commence to give them MY diagnosis and what I THINK could be wrong and how it relates to diving. Make sure that they understand the whole picture!

 

[MNScuba]

I had a similar problem and started using Swimmers Ear drops after every dive, no problems since. I think it's mostly rubbing alcohol to dry out any excess water, but it's cheap and works for me.

NOTE:
This is my unprofessional opinion only based on my personal experience...

 

[BillP]

Howdy otter-cat:

If a diver has seen a nurse practitioner and two doctors, taken three courses of medicine, and isn't better yet, I'd say that SeaGypsy's advice to see an ENT and call DAN is quite sound. I might not even wait to finish the third course of medicine and see the second doctor before calling an ENT for an appointment.

HTH,

Bill

 

[SM Diver]

When I did my check out dives, I had a middle ear infection that was about the most painful thing I have ever experienced. It pretty much made the entire left side of my face/jaw hurt. I couldn't eat or sleep very well, without doubling up on hydrocodone. I posted on this board and someone recommended a concoction of 50% white vinegar, and 50% rubbing alcohol. I have religiously used that, and had no problems since.

 

[BillP]

Howdy tampascott:

When I dive, I always put on my left fin first, and in 15+ years of diving I have never had a middle ear infection.

Sorry to kid around, but I'm afraid that your ear drops have nothing to do with middle ear infections. They only help prevent otitis externa- an infection of the outer ear canal. Middle ear infections are on the other side of the eardrum from your drops- a place that the drops can't (and shouldn't ever) reach.

HTH,

Bill

 

[DocVikingo]

SeaGypsy & BillP. It's time for expert intervention.

I would mention in passing that I recently encountered a case of middle ear infection that responded very similarly to yours to both amoxicillin & then two courses of Augmentin. These drugs beat it down, but didn't resolve it. A course of Biaxin finally did the job.

Best of luck.

DocVikingo

 

[SM Diver]

BillP: Ignorance is bliss. You couldn't just let me go on thinking that I was immune with my 50/50 mix! Damn, now I am going to worry about it.

 

[otter-cat]

Thanks to all who took the time to reply! I will make an appointment to see an ENT, although I still have to see the general practitioner that I'm scheduled to see this Friday, in order to get a referral. Otherwise my insurance might not cover it.

I will mention the Biaxin to the doctor. Are there any other things I should ask her/him to look at that relates to my diving?

Thanks again!
otter-cat