Reverse Valsalva

[bradymsu]

Does anyone know how to do a reverse equalization, kind of a reverse valsalva technique? I have absolutely no problems equalizing on descent, in fact I'm one of the rare folks who ears tend to do it naturally without much assitance. But when I am ascending it takes a while for my ears to adjust and often one does it before the other resulting in vertigo. Any suggestions?

 

[Warhammer]

My wife also has more trouble coming up than she does going down. She says it feels like she has to equalize as she ascends. We've always heard that you don't equalize on the way up, if you do you risk injuring your ears. Anything to that? She always just remains at depth and allows it to work itself out.

 

[Captinkid]

i found that i can do a reverse valsalva but it only works in the right ear for me, which is kind of funny having one ear having too much pressure and the other having too little.

if you hold your nose and try to breath in thru it, thats how it works for me

i have the same problem i go down fine but i have trouble clearing on the way up and have to wait a few minutes at a time to let it clear.


i hope my rambling helps

 

[TexasMike]

What about lowering/extending your jaw (to stretch the tubes) and then exhaling through your nose? I just tried it here at my desk and I felt a slight sensation at my ear drums.

 

[Dawn]

I had an awful experience coming up on my second dive. Thought I was going to pass out. One ear gave me problems clearing so I came up. (I was treating an ear infection at the time and thought it was Okay.) On the way up both ears were popping away until I hit 12 feet. The vertigo got so bad, and the nausea. I was sick for days. A month later I bought the proear 2000 mask. I tried it out this weekend and what a relief on my ears. I also drank ginger tea instead of coffee and that is supposed to settle the stomach and help with nausea. I didn't have any problems! Give it a try, it was worth it to me to have a comfortable dive.
Happy diving,
Dawn

 

[bradymsu]

Dawn,

Thanks for the suggestion. Do you know who makes the mask and wh3re I can find more information about it?

 

[Corsair]

I haven't tried it myself, though I've wondered about the contraption. Looks like a couple of straws are coming from the face to the covers over the ears. The website is http://www.proear2000.com It is by Save Dive ltd.

 

[Rick Murchison]

For twenty-five years of diving I used the maxim "If you can clear 'em going down, they *will* clear coming up." I was wrong. Five years ago, diving in Cozumel, I'd been having a hell of a time with ear conjestion and clearing, but was managing to get the job done with a combination of valsalva, swallowing, jaw thrusts, head tilts... all the tricks. Ascents were tougher on the ears than normal, but clearing - until the third dive on the fourth day, when the left ear absolutely would *not* clear. I went back down, came back up, went down, up, down, up *very* slowly... eventually had to surface because of depleted air supply, rupturing the left ear drum. Kept me out of the water for six weeks and left me with a permanent hearing deficit and tinnitus in the left ear.
Bottom line - if you're having a hard time clearing, save it for another day.
Rick

 

[large_diver]

tip posted today on scubadiving.com

http://www.scubadiving.com/feature/tipoday/

 

[Dawn]

Thanks for the tip of the day. This is a great article. I've been searching for so much "ear" information. I might just send this article to my doctor.
Dawn