Practicing Clearing Your Ears

[Mike126]

It's the beginning of my dive season and I usually have problems clearing my ears. It usually means I have to take VERY slow descents and clear before I hit the water. I also use a spray decongestant before the dive per Dr's orders. I was wondering if people have found it helpful to practice clearing your ears while not diving to get your eustacean tubes better prepared so that they will clear more efficiently.

Thanks, Mike

 

[matnik]

Yes, have problem clearing one ear, day prior to diving practice equalizing regularly, seems to help.

 

[texdiveguy]

YES...practice each day the week prior to your dive,,,it will help!

 

[Web Monkey]

It's the beginning of my dive season and I usually have problems clearing my ears. It usually means I have to take VERY slow descents and clear before I hit the water. I also use a spray decongestant before the dive per Dr's orders. I was wondering if people have found it helpful to practice clearing your ears while not diving to get your eustacean tubes better prepared so that they will clear more efficiently.

Thanks, Mike

I wish I'd saved the link, but at one point I found a reference on the net somewhere that actually showed the tubes and the tiny muscles that pull it open and closed.

Practice does help.

Terry

 

[Mike126]

Terry - I think I have that link somewhere as well. It shows the various ways to celar your ears and is hosted by an ENT.

I just wanted to see if people do practice and if they find it helpful.

Thanks, for your response.

 

[Zippsy]

for many years I just put up with filling my inner ears and eustachian tubes with mucous & blood on every dive trip. It made it easier to descend after the first dive (no air in there to equalize) but if I didn't dry them out before they got infected, I just suffered for a month, lost some hearing and increased the ringing sound. I used nasal spray before every dive too. Of course that was screwing up my nose too.

Then I figured out the secret. I practiced all the time for a few months during the off-season. y the next season, I was doing it unconsciously a few times a day. Now I can open my tubes continuously and equalize even while sinking like a rock on more than 90% of my dives. That allowed me to go from 15 dives a year to 150.

Practice works just like in anything else IMHO.

 

[C Chris]

Here is an excellent article on clearing techniques - it may be the one Mike126 was referring to.

http://faculty.washington.edu/ekay/MEbaro.html - Good Luck, Chris

 

[tedj01]

Clearing my ears daily, at least 4 - 5 times, regardless of whether I am diving or planning on diving seems to help me.

 

[spectrum]

I was wondering if people have found it helpful to practice clearing your ears while not diving to get your eustacean tubes better prepared so that they will clear more efficiently.
Thanks, Mike

Try to clear at least daily when not diving. I think it does 2 things. Your tubes become conditioned to respond and the pinch and blow becomes better coordinated. That means less excess pressure and less risk.

On the way to the dive site clear, when you get there clear, while you gear up clear, right before you go under clear again. On the way down do so on every breath if it's a direct drop.

It really does get easier and easier with lots of diving. My ears were a little fussy for the frst 40 dives or so. Since then they respond on demand.

Pete

 

[Zippsy]

I practiced all the time for a few months during the off-season.

I forgot to say that I don't use the "pinch and blow" method and look like a wally on the subway. I just lower the back of my jaw and stretch the muscles to open the tube. It's much, much easier for me.