squealing ear?

[jon m]

hey all-
when i clear my ears, about 75% of the time there is a squealing sound. it is short, and there is no pain, although last time i dove, i got a serious ear infection afterward. does anyone else experience this on a regular basis? or is it just me? is it normal?
also, after diving i often have a sense of plugged ears/"blurry" sound , is this just water in the ear? it usually goes away within 20-30min. i'm going to start using alcohol in ears after dives, recommended by several divers and doctors, does anyone else do this?
thanks!
-me

 

[alcina]

I don't use anything after a dive, but I often get a squealing or hissing noise in one or both ears. It's normal enough for me personally that I don't give it much thought.

Sometimes I also have that "blurry" sound after a dive, but again, it just goes away and I don't give it much thought.

Not sure this helps, but you aren't alone

 

[ED928]

I Experience The Squealing Sound On Most Of My Dives As Well. I Do Get Ear Infections After Most Of My Dives My Doctor Recommends A Solution Of 50% Isypropl Alcohol And 50 % White Vinigar In Each Ear After Diving
. It Works For Me About 25% Of The Time

 

[fisherdvm]

Squealing implies turbulelence and likely a narrowed eustachian tube. A small channel that leads from your middle ear to your "mouth".

If it occurs frequently, it implies an increased risk to ear squeeze and ear injury with diving.

Using drops to your external ear canal would cause little if any changes to the eustachian tube. But such medicines like decongestants, antihistamine, and decongestant nasal spray can help.

There is risk with the use of any of these meds, as you can read in the discussion in the other threads.

 

[CorallineDream]

It happens to me too. I am a new diver so I'm still working on proper equalizing techniques. For me it seems to occur more often during the initial descent through the first 30-35 feet or when I wait a little too long to equalize, which I try to avoid.
Once at depth, I usually doesn't happen.

I believe what is happening is the tiny hole that the air moves through is being compressed closed, so the sound is much like when you are letting air out of a balloon...

I find that if I add a little air to my ears at the surface before I even start to descend, it is much easier.

 

[TSandM]

A squealing or squeaking noise implies air moving through a narrow channel, just as fisherdvm said. It could be that you have a small Eustachian tube, or that, as CorallineDream says, you have waited a bit long to equalize. Waiting a bit long could also go along with a "blurred" feeling after the dive, if you're getting a bit of middle ear edema or fluid as a result of allowing too much negative pressure to build up there before equalizing, although generally that won't clear up in a half hour.

It's also possible to have water in the external ear canal give you that "blurred" sensation, and that WILL generally clear quickly. Water persisting in the external canal would be associated with a higher risk of an external ear infection (swimmer's ear, or otitis externa) and can be treated with drying agents like alcohol drops post-dive.

 

[RICHinNC]

Yep squeals here too....and once equalized....the sound is much clearer and louder. And, upon surfacing...I get all kinds of squeeks and gurgles. I can use my ears to tell if I am going up or down with no problems.

 

[fisherdvm]

The risk of diving with squeaks and squeals is if you can equalize on the way down, you might not be able to do so on the way up... And you get a reverse squeeze.

I really wonder if the reverse squeeze is more dangerous to the oval window and the ear drum than the squeeze on the way down.

I have that squishy sounds too, after I am congested, or have a cold. It is almost always on my left ear. It is also the ear I get pain in some of my dives.

At least, in myself, it is a warning sign not to go diving.

 

[adza]

Jon,

Same here - about 70% of the time, I get a squeel. Never had problems with a reverse squeeze. Never had an ear infection either.

As for the alcohol treatment, I don't know about the ear, but I know a few people that would recommend oral treatment.

 

[sardiver]

A squealing or squeaking noise implies air moving through a narrow channel, just as fisherdvm said. It could be that you have a small Eustachian tube, or that, as CorallineDream says, you have waited a bit long to equalize. Waiting a bit long could also go along with a "blurred" feeling after the dive, if you're getting a bit of middle ear edema or fluid as a result of allowing too much negative pressure to build up there before equalizing, although generally that won't clear up in a half hour.

It's also possible to have water in the external ear canal give you that "blurred" sensation, and that WILL generally clear quickly. Water persisting in the external canal would be associated with a higher risk of an external ear infection (swimmer's ear, or otitis externa) and can be treated with drying agents like alcohol drops post-dive.

This is my guess as well... Equalise early and often (every breath) till at depth.

As for the alcohol/acetic acid drops?
I just read somewhere that you want to lie on your side and place the drops in the ear canal until it is full and hold it for 5 minutes. Repeat for the other side.
I guess the acetic acid needs time to change the PH of the epidermis and thusly greatly reduces or stops ear infections from water in the outer ear.