Sore ears after multiple dives?

[johndiver999]

My ears can get sore, especially when I do more than 25-30 dives per day on multiple days. As others have said, it is helpful to over pressurize the ear drum before descent and then try to keep the pressure positive during the descent. Descending rapidly is normally not a problem for me, as long as I do this, but I do try to be gentle with my ears.

Also, if diving consecutive days, I will use the alcohol/vinegar mix BEFORE going in and after diving. Placing the vinegar in there and trying to keep the ear canal a little acidic during the day, seems to help reduce swimmers ear and the associated soreness that often precedes it.

 

[Ty Hamby]

I experience the same issue as the OP describes. I use a product called EarShield. It is a tea tree oil substance that helps lubricate the eardrum. 1-2ATA diving really puts your ear drum through a workout from the pressure changes. Combine that with multiple dives over multiple days and sore ears is the result. Here is what the manufacturer claims. "A unique blend of water repellent Olive, Mineral & Tea Tree Oil into the outer ear, finely coating the auditory canal, giving a conditioning water repellent and cleansing action."
Good luck, share with us any solution you come up with.

 

[wildernessdave]

I experience the same issue as the OP describes. I use a product called EarShield. It is a tea tree oil substance that helps lubricate the eardrum. 1-2ATA diving really puts your ear drum through a workout from the pressure changes. Combine that with multiple dives over multiple days and sore ears is the result. Here is what the manufacturer claims. "A unique blend of water repellent Olive, Mineral & Tea Tree Oil into the outer ear, finely coating the auditory canal, giving a conditioning water repellent and cleansing action."
Good luck, share with us any solution you come up with.

Thank you for sharing. Someone else mentioned something with tea tree oil in it that they use. I will give this a try to see if it helps.

 

[GreggS]

I had the same issues when using the Valsalva Maneuver. My ears would not just get sore but would just hurt. A few years ago, I finally figured out how to equalize by just thrusting my jaw forward. It took a while to get it down pat with the 2nd stage in my mouth but I finally got it. I can equalize at will and find myself dong it without thinking. I haven't had to squeeze and blow since and my ears are all the much better for it.

 

[wildernessdave]

I had the same issues when using the Valsalva Maneuver. My ears would not just get sore but would just hurt. A few years ago, I finally figured out how to equalize by just thrusting my jaw forward. It took a while to get it down pat with the 2nd stage in my mouth but I finally got it. I can equalize at will and find myself dong it without thinking. I haven't had to squeeze and blow since and my ears are all the much better for it.

I am going to try finding a new way to equalize. Thanks for the suggestion. I am glad you found a way to equalize that works better for you.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

I have noticed that after doing multiple dives a day for a week or more my ears get pretty sore. I don't know for sure, but my theory is that equalizing my ears throughout the dives and the small amount of pressure that builds up in between the equalizations is causing minor damage/swelling in my inner ears, which causes them to feel sore. After a day off from diving they feel a little better and after a week or two they feel totally back to normal. I am not feeling pain, hearing lose, or anything, just some soreness.

I do not have trouble equalizing and generally pinch my nose and blow gently to equalize. Any suggestions different equaliation techniques or other things I should try to help reduce soreness in my ears when I am doing multiple dives a day for many days in a row?

Is this something that you experience as well?

What part of your ears gets sore? Is it the external ear canal or does it feel like it's more in the middle ear? Any other symptoms besides this?

Best regards,
DDM

 

[dmaziuk]

Thank you for sharing. Someone else mentioned something with tea tree oil in it that they use. I will give this a try to see if it helps.

I should give that one a try too. We bring "swimmers ear" drops and ear syringe on our trips and typically use them a few days in. Treat it before your ears get "really sore" and you should be fine.

 

[wildernessdave]

What part of your ears gets sore? Is it the external ear canal or does it feel like it's more in the middle ear? Any other symptoms besides this?

Best regards,
DDM

It feels like it is in the middle ear. I think I have minor soreness in the outer ear, but I feel like the middle ear feels like is is full of fluid. It goes away completely after about 10 days or two weeks and starts feeling better after a day or two of no diving. I have not experenced any hearing loss, dizzyness or any other symptoms. I generally descend pretty quickly and clear my ears when I start feeling pressure. From the reading I have been doing and the feedback I have been getting it sounds like I need to slow down and clear more often, but I would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions you can share.

 

[kemal_e]

Even though I was told to equalize early and often, I struggled with this until I realized that I still wasn't equalizing often enough. Task loading would also make it worse, since I would forget until I felt the pain in my ears.

Learning how to use Frenzel equalization helped, because it is quicker and gentler. Now I do it unconsciously pretty much constantly throughout the dive.

 

[kemal_e]

As others have said, equalize early and often. The first 30' (≈ 1atm) is where the ears experience the greatest change in pressure.

This is absolutely a reason to equalize more often when descending near the surface. However, the flip side is that the relative pressure changes are smaller when you are deep. If you are already deep and you go a little deeper, you probably won't feel anything, even though your ears are experiencing slightly more pressure. I believe that the cumulative effect of that extra pressure may contribute to soreness, which is why I continue to equalize often throughout the dive.