Problems with middle ear/sinus

[laidbackdood]

Hi........i have just joined this forum and look forward to reading a lot of info !
I have dived on and off for twenty years but i seem to get a reoccurring problem with my ears.........I have a fair idea of what is going on ....from some of the resources i have read but here is my history......
I first dived in Loch Lomond scotland........on coming up from my third dive i had a small amount of blood coming from my nose.......so i stopped diving for the day .....
I dived at the great barrier reef and had the same sort of thing....i wondered why i kept seeing barracuda !
I dived in Fiji and modified my ear clearing a bit by going down te anchor line........I have just dived the great Barrier reef and had the same thing going on.....
Basically the first dive went quite well........I took my time going down and it wasnt deep ...only 12 metres but i know the first 10 metres are the worst........when i come back up i get squelching in my ears like a soggy gumboot...........but i didnt have any pain and that was fine...............On my second dive.....I had water coming in the mask and cleared it often.......I found it harder to get my ears to pop....especialliy the left one......
This one had given me trouble on the plane 2 days before........I think i got frustrated and tried to blow too hard and also i think i was blowing sea water up my nose....which might have aggravated it further.......when i surfaced and removed my mask my nose was full of snot and there was a small amount of blood...............I believe from my sinus................I stopped diving........My mrs piss me off because all she does is swallow!
I felt partially deaf in my left ear.......my right ear is fine........................I flew home 3 days later...used ear planes and put my headphones on them(very good for any plane pressure sufferers out there).......and i didnt have pain on the way down but over the past week....my left ear has felt blocked and a bit uncomfortable.....................A few years ago i had this problem in Fiji and then i had an evil sinus infection as a result....man it was gross= BROWN.................................so i wonder ...am i stuffed for diving....should i go and see an ent specialist.........I know i did a few things wrong
1.Blow too Hard at times and for too long.
2.could have tried swallowing as well.
3....should have started clearing my ears before i dived.
Dont know what i can do about all that snot up from nose....from the water coming in.it was the same mask i used on the first dive too............................any suggestions please?

 

[CuzzA]

I'm not a doctor, but I think you answered your own questions. 1-3 may have prevented this and it would probably be wise to see a specialist. You may have an infection and need antibiotics.

I have created a habit of when I grab my inflator hose with my left hand to descend I also grab my nose with my right to equalize at the same time. I view the two tasks as being part of the whole process of descending, must be done simultaneously and one can't be done without the other. As you know the first 15-20 feet is the crucial time to equalize and it needs to be done "before" you feel it. Also, before every dive I'll give my ears a little gentle puff to stretch them out.

I suspect you know this and just got complacent.

 

[Pedro Burrito]

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[KathyV]

My husband and I both have suffered with chronic inner/middle ear problems while diving, including some that have had significant ramifications and even ruined diving trips. Once he was unable to clear a reverse block on Bonaire and he ruptured an ear drum. And I am prone to allergies and sinus congestion and that can put an end to diving too.

Over the years we have come up with some solutions that have worked for us, see below. This may sound like a lot of effort but we work hard for our vacations and spend a lot of money and we want to enjoy them - and we love diving together - so it is worth it to us!

- We have consulted with a good ear, nose, and throat doctor to evaluate and treat potential ear conditions. I found out that I suffered from chronic sinus infections. I eventually had surgery and it helped a lot. I am not saying that you will need surgery but it is wise to seek an informed medical opinion.

- We try to get to the vacation spot a few days early and just relax and enjoy before we start diving. It seems that the stress, and sleep deprivation of rushing to get away from work and traveling takes a toll on our health. We arrive tired and may develop head colds and congestion. Breathing the recycled airplane air and living in air-conditioning can add to the problem, too. But taking a little time to relax after we get to the island/location, instead of diving immediately, helps us to get healthy, and rested, and eager to start diving. It's fun too!

- We have mutually agreed that if one of us is having a hard time clearing our ears then it's no big deal - the other will wait patiently on the bottom until the afflicted diver is okay and comfortable. Sometimes if we are trying to follow the DM, the diver with the ear problems stays shallower as we move along the reef, eventually working his/her way down and the other diver comes up a bit to stay closer to his/her buddy.

- We avoid swim-throughs with significant depth changes and dives in strong current when the DM tells you to "get down fast!" We swim over the swim throughs and sit out a dive that requires getting to depth fast.

- We put the ear infection prevention drops in our ears after every dive, but that only helps prevent outer ear infections and that is not usually our problem.

- We take 12 hour Allegra-D (you can get it from the pharmacist without a prescription) in the morning each dive day and may take a second one at night if congested. Find out how you react to an anti-histamine and decongestant before you take them pre-diving; I have no problem with them but some people get sleepy or wired. I have read elsewhere on scubaboard that taking an anti-histamine decongestant may increase your risk of oxygen toxicity, especially when diving nitrox. We have never had any problems taking Allegra-D but I wanted to mention that there may be a risk.

- Finally, we use neti-pot rinses to cleanse our sinuses every night during dive vacations. My ENT doctor kept telling me to do this but I was a slow adapter (and my husband was even less willing!) but after he saw me take a couple of neti-pot trips with no congestion or ear problems; he became a believer and now has his own personal neti-pot and it has been working for him too! It's cheap, easy, non-drug, and doesn't hurt and it really does help IMO; see the link below for more information.

NeilMed NasaFlo Neti Pot Sinus Relief with Premi... : Target