Perforated ear and sore chest

[Anikam11]

Hi all,
So little history first - I have had grommets, I am a really fit person and I have had trouble equalizing in the past but not like what I experienced last week.

So last week I did my 8th and 9th dive and went to 17.6m, which is the deepest I have gone. I had recently recovered from some sinus issues and before I dived I made sure I could equalize at the surface and had no facial pain etc. I struggled to equalize my left ear and when it finally did it was like a big pop and some water got in and got instant vertigo at 5m. I went up because I panicked but it passed really quick. I went down no problems after that but just breathing a bit strained because it stressed me out and my ear was a little sore the rest of the dive but nothing major. During my second dive I got down absolutely fine no issues. And then went up from 15m ish to an 8m air pocket in a cave. Then after I was like yup that's cool, I went back down to 15m then my right ear started to hurt. Not too badly though. Anyways after that dive I felt a bit yuck and later that night was incredibly dizzy and nauseous and just not well. Went to the hospital and found I had perforated my right ear slightly, but not my left which actually gave me more grief. And both sides of my chest just below my collar bone have been on and off achy. I am a powerlifter so not sure if it is muscular but that week after diving I felt my athletic capacity took a dive and I just feel a lot weaker. Like I was 10 seconds slower most of the week when I did my 500m row.

Has anyone had symptoms like this before.

 

[drrich2]

Hi. I had to do a 'Look Up' on grommets; I take it that means you've had tubes in your ear drums in the past. Is that old history, and they are long gone and the ear drums healed over from where they were? Normally I'd assume that, since I've not heard of people diving with such tubes in place, but you said:

I struggled to equalize my left ear and when it finally did it was like a big pop and some water got in and got instant vertigo at 5m.

I was going to ask if you meant to type 'air' instead of 'water,' but you said instant vertigo, which I've read is a symptom of water intrusion into the middle ear with a tympanic membrane (i.e.: eardrum) perforation underwater.

Hope you make a full recovery.

 

[Steelyeyes]

Hi. I had to do a 'Look Up' on grommets; I take it that means you've had tubes in your ear drums in the past. Is that old history, and they are long gone and the ear drums healed over from where they were? Normally I'd assume that, since I've not heard of people diving with such tubes in place, but you said:


I was going to ask if you meant to type 'air' instead of 'water,' but you said instant vertigo, which I've read is a symptom of water intrusion into the middle ear with a tympanic membrane (i.e.: eardrum) perforation underwater.

Hope you make a full recovery.

The time I had a perforated ear drum with cold water intrusion I did indeed have some pretty severe, thankfully short lived, vertigo.

 

[Searcaigh]

During my second dive I got down absolutely fine no issues

You did a second dive

Stay out of the water and seek further advice from an ENT who is familiar with diving medicine.

 

[Anikam11]

You did a second dive

Stay out of the water and seek further advice from an ENT who is familiar with diving medicine.

Hey yes I perforated it on the second dive. It is healed now (saw an ENT) but won't be doing deep dives for awhile.

 

[Anikam11]

Hi all,
So little history first - I have had grommets, I am a really fit person and I have had trouble equalizing in the past but not like what I experienced last week.

So last week I did my 8th and 9th dive and went to 17.6m, which is the deepest I have gone. I had recently recovered from some sinus issues and before I dived I made sure I could equalize at the surface and had no facial pain etc. I struggled to equalize my left ear and when it finally did it was like a big pop and some water got in and got instant vertigo at 5m. I went up because I panicked but it passed really quick. I went down no problems after that but just breathing a bit strained because it stressed me out and my ear was a little sore the rest of the dive but nothing major. During my second dive I got down absolutely fine no issues. And then went up from 15m ish to an 8m air pocket in a cave. Then after I was like yup that's cool, I went back down to 15m then my right ear started to hurt. Not too badly though. Anyways after that dive I felt a bit yuck and later that night was incredibly dizzy and nauseous and just not well. Went to the hospital and found I had perforated my right ear slightly, but not my left which actually gave me more grief. And both sides of my chest just below my collar bone have been on and off achy. I am a powerlifter so not sure if it is muscular but that week after diving I felt my athletic capacity took a dive and I just feel a lot weaker. Like I was 10 seconds slower most of the week when I did my 500m row.

Has anyone had symptoms like this before.

Hi all,

So I saw an ENT and have rested up and I am fine now. I don't have the hole anymore it has healed up. I am on holiday now and wanted to do a shallow dive of 7m which went fine. I am now using the IST pro scubamask that also has ear covers and work so well for equalizing. Thanks all for your replies. And yes I won't be going below 10m while on holiday then no more diving for a few months.

 

[gert7to3]

I have used the Pro Ear Mask for most of my diving. In fact, I inadvertently left my over the ear hearing aid on during a dive last week in Socorro. The hearing aid survived, but was damaged when it fell into water in the bottom of the panga.

Try looking up equalization techniques here on ScubBoard. There is a lot of information which could help you.

 

[mcohen1021]

Has anyone done a deep dive after a perforated ear drum has healed?

 

[mike41799]

Mine are perforated, I can’t go underwater at all. I have to use this mask and it works.

 

[Boarderguy]

Has anyone done a deep dive after a perforated ear drum has healed?

My wife perforated her drum on the first five after being certified the first week of May. She was "healed" and the hole was closed 3 weeks later by the time we went to Hawaii but she couldn't break the surface beyond 3 ft without pain. Last weekend we did a check dive in a lake nearby and she was able to equalize with multiple ascents and descents to 15 ft and no pain. This weekend we'll be hitting a planned depth of 50 - 55 ft and will be going nice and slow. I'll post here again to give a follow up. Depth shouldn't have any additional affect beyond staying equalized.