Reverse ear squeeze

[1Cave Ghost]

I have a chronic issue with reverse right ear squeeze. (Note: I did injure the ear about 20 years ago, either a bruised or ruptured ear drum, can't remember. Water skiing, smashed ear on water when I fell.)
Seems to happen every dive or two. When I ascend although my sinuses feel clear., the R ear will not clear. I have to stop, try going deeper, banging on head, letting water in my hood.
I am a cave diver so this is a safety issue for me, it can take 10 minutes of playing around to clear. I started to think I was going to have to sacrifice my ear drum on my last dive, so I could surface before running out of gas.
I used to have a sinus problem, my sinuses would become congested on ascents only, I had to lift my mask and blow my nose during dives. My Dr. gave me, Ipratropium B nasal spray to use and it helps a lot.
What could be reasons for not being able to equalize my ear on ascents?

 

[Angelo Farina]

Only an ENT can answer to your question, after visit and exams.
But I agree that it can become a safety issue, so you either take the action for solving the problem (by a tube dilation procedure, for example, or learning BTV, or other advanced equalization techniques, after proper training) or you will need to stop diving.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

I have a chronic issue with reverse right ear squeeze. (Note: I did injure the ear about 20 years ago, either a bruised or ruptured ear drum, can't remember. Water skiing, smashed ear on water when I fell.)
Seems to happen every dive or two. When I ascend although my sinuses feel clear., the R ear will not clear. I have to stop, try going deeper, banging on head, letting water in my hood.
I am a cave diver so this is a safety issue for me, it can take 10 minutes of playing around to clear. I started to think I was going to have to sacrifice my ear drum on my last dive, so I could surface before running out of gas.
I used to have a sinus problem, my sinuses would become congested on ascents only, I had to lift my mask and blow my nose during dives. My Dr. gave me, Ipratropium B nasal spray to use and it helps a lot.
What could be reasons for not being able to equalize my ear on ascents?

Concur with @Angelo Farina in that you need to visit an ENT to get to the root of the problem. If you're in central Florida, you might consider contacting the Shands Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Clinic for a recommendation for an ENT who is familiar with diving. I do wonder though... you don't have problems descending, only on ascent, correct? How do you equalize your ears, and do you have difficulty clearing the right ear on descent?

Best regards,
DDM

 

[1Cave Ghost]

UPDATE: I visited an ENT in the Orlando, Fl. area who has experience treating divers. I have a issue with scar tissue from a previous injury. The Dr. can do a very minimal in office procedure to expend the eustacian tube which will improve clearing of the ear. It literally takes 2 minutes. They use a balloon to expand and reshape the cartilage in the tube. No diving for 6 weeks.
Apparently, this procedure will work for most people having difficulty clearing their ears.

 

[jesskluv]

Did you try a decongestant before you dive? I have found this to help me. I usually take Claritin-d with pseudoephedrine. Also when I start to feel it I go up a few feet and try to equalize. Slower descent. Hopefully it gets better!