Permanent deafness after dive

[brama2377]

Bad luck strikes

I am a new diver that recently went on a live aboard trip. on about dive 15, I noticed during the dive I became dizzy and nauseous. Obviously, I then ended the dive. When I surfaced, I had a headache, was quite nauseous, and nearly vomited. Over the next 2-3 hours, all symtpoms resolved except for a mild headache and a new hearing loss in the left ear along with a feeling of Fullness" or water in the left ear. I continued to dive cautiously over the next several days without any events but also without improvement with my hearing.
5 days after returning from the trip, I noticed my hearing and sense of ear fullness was actually getting worse. After a hearing test and appt with my Ear nose throat doctor, I was found have sensi-neural hearing loss in my left ear. This most likely occurred to to rupture of the round window on the cochlea due to failure to equalize during descent. However, I do not recall having trouble equalizing at any time.
Either way, the hearing loss and sense of fullness are most likely permanent, with the best outcome hoping for some return of hearing.
This was an unfortunate and unlikely event. the worst part... I really loved the diving and couldn't wait to go again...not to mention the $1000 I spent on equipment I can never use again.
anyoen have similar experiences??

 

[ScubaSam]

I'm so sorry about your hearing loss. I'm new to diving and have never had a similiar experience. You have a great attitude about it all so stay postive.

Thank you for sharing your story and keep us posted on your progress.

 

[DandyDon]

That sucks, huh. I noticed you posted this in two different forums. I think that's a no-no, the Mods may combine the thread, or maybe not.

Injuries happen, sorry you had one. I once stopped diving on a liveaboard after only a very few dives as I had a flu relapse, or so it seemed. That you kept diving at all may have aggravated your injury. Do hope you heal better than expected.

Which boat, where? What did the skipper say about your injury, or did you discuss it well with him/her? There are other possibilities for "...headache, was quite nauseous, and nearly vomited," but that was probly the cause and a good time to stop diving.

 

[LMD]

Sorry about your accident...

A friend of mine had a similar accident while snorkeling in 10 fts 3 years ago (oval window rupture). He kept snorkeling despite nausea and vertigo.
He now had 3 surgeries w/o any results, can't stand loud noises or plane trips (gives him vertigo), had to find a new job...
Not really a happy ending as you can see. I really hope you're going to get better results...

 

[inetmug]

Won't the ear drum break before the oval window?

 

[Pearldiver07]

No, two different things.

Often the round window ruptures from overly-aggresive attempts to clear.

The ear drum ruptures from the differential across when you can't clear.

 

[Papa_Bear]

Good luck and I would get a diving docs second opinion there has been so many new techniques to correct ear problems. You might get in on a study!

...

I blistered my eardrum years ago and it took 6 weeks to heal, but I went back to it! Never give up!

 

[goldenbear01]

if the hearing loss and damage are permanent, will further diving make things worse? if further dives won't cause anymore damange, maybe you could still continue to dive, right?

 

[OceanObsessed]

I'm very sorry to hear about your experience.

You are not alone. The same thing happened to a good friend of mine (about 25 years ago) freediving in about 20 feet. He ended up losing his hearing in his ear. My friend chose to give up diving/freediving. His thoughts were that he can't afford for it to happen again to his good ear.

 

[Lopaka]

The most frustrating thing with inner ear problems is everything is hidden: no resolution to what happened and why. That is where I am, still mostly deaf in my right ear, with odd little noises periodically inside, and no opinions on what happened.

Actually, one of the best thoughts came from a SB member in a PM: that the fact that my ear thing happened twice in the same ear suggests an anatomical flaw that predisposes it to pressure injury.

My ENT said (when cornered) that if I can equalize, he saw no reason not to dive. Said in his years as a Navy doctor he treated quite a few hearing loss after diving cases, and many continued to dive afterwards.

Endangering the one ear still good? Maybe, but I think (in my case) the damage has been done to the ear that was vulnerable already.