Water clogged ears several days after diving?

[m3830431]

?

 

[m3830431]

Last and only time my ears actually cogged with water was in the shower with my head turned perpendicular to the head. Nothing work but a good ear cleaning at the doctor.

They pumped warm baby stool softner to dissolve the wax, which is there to protect you ear from water.

Some people have larger wax buildup that could be a problem.

 

[shaggie]

I've had problems with one ear constantly feeling itchy and wet internaly for quite along time now. Three ear infections and several trips to the doctor, who said (aside from the infections) there's nothing wrong, I tried the vinegar and alchohol yesterday. So far so good! That drive you insane, itchy sensation is all but gone.

thanx

 

[ranger979]

I have the same problem with my ears feeling clogged for several days. I have found that the swimmer's ear product or the solutions previously mentioned prevent the problem. However, the key is to put it in right after I have finished diving. If I forget and put it in a 1/2 hour or hour later it normally doesn't do any good.

 

[oceancrest67]

This topic has been covered many times before. I have been diving for 11 years and I learned my lesson in the first few months of diving...in and out of pools and quarries...good recipe for a bad ear infection. Since then, I have relied on an ear solution...Star Otic or Swimmers Ear...both help in drying out the excess water after diving etc. A bad ear infection can lay plans and vacations to waste...so be wary and stay vigilant.

Just my 02.

 

[TCDiver1]

My BF and I got our OW cert. dives in this weekend and now he says he feels like his ears are still clogged. He's tried equalizing and put some of those "swimmer's ear" drops in his ears but nothing has helped. Is this common and is there anything he can do about them?

Can he still equalize (pop) the ear in question?

If he can, it might mean he has a bacterial thing growin on in the outer ear. Thats the idea behind vinegar, boric acid, etc in swimmers ear mixes & homebrews. As Larry said, they take the outer ear more acidic. Bacteria has a harder time growing in an acidic vs base environment. The straight alcohol mixes only aid in drying the ear canal up, they do little if anything to fight bacterial growth.

Also if you think it might be an infection, have a Doctor check him out, and ask for some samples of "Ciprodex" drops. It works great for clearing up infections in the outer ear. I just went through a bad ear infection last month that my homebrew mix would not clear up like it usually does. Couple days on Ciprodex cleared it right up.

Ciprodex is prescription only though so make sure you get your Docs okay before you use any. And its expensive, like 7ish dollars a ml, so samples will make your pocketbook much happier.

If he can't equalize the ear and the clogged thing persists, he should absolutely get a Doc to check it out. Better safe than sorry.

 

[Santa]

Just a note on ear candeling (ear conning). Take a wax cone place it in ear light on fire creating vaccuum that supposed to suck up stuff out of the ear.

QUOTE]

It just sounds really exotic to me ;0) I'm sure it'll make an evening more interesting but is this like a medically approved thing to do?

Maybe I don't get it. How does the vacuum occur, again?

 

[Eris Lucan7*]

,No wax come in the ream off my ears wail i dive better a layofcapuls,well there is there are the story from those that used Atelarie Earprortecionstiks of our WEU standart by diving they all had gone ti die out there ,not my matter ,gues what it is by your self so,its normal ....7*

 

[discrepancy]

Stand on one leg and vigorously shake the other. It helps to hold on to something.

Ahh..the old swimmer's ear problem...

Depending on the shape and size of your ears, this can be a nagging problem for those of us who choose to spend lots of time in the water.

Two solutions:

1. Kinetic. In line with the quote above, grab a solid item of furniture to balance yourself. Tilt the affected ear towards terra firma, keep it like that and hop repeatedly on the leg on the same side as the problem ear. You will look like a complete dork, but usually two or three jumps and the trapped water will come gushing out all in one hit.

2. Chemical. Use the vinegar and alcohol fix mentioned previously. My suspicion is that this concoction works by reducing the surface tension of the water trapped in the aural passages, thus allowing it to flow out more easily. Drop the vinegar/alcohol into the ear, tip your head up to let the solution penetrate for a few minutes, then do the hopping dance with your clogged ear pointed down.

If neither approach works, best to see your doctor because the trapped water can lead to infection. With the delicate parts involved, you don't want this to go on too long.

For myself, I find the hopping on one leg works 99%, especially if you catch it early. If that doesn't do the trick and the water stays trapped for more than a day, I give it the vinegar and alcohol squirt, followed by more dorky dancing. The combination has always worked for me, but I have known people who needed a medical consultation to clear infections. Best not to let it get to that point.

 

[wgasa]

Acetasol [spelling ?]has been used by the military for 20 years.It is a mixture of mineral oil & acetic acid.The oil forces water away from eardrum and the acid puts the ear back to normal ph.Peroxide is a alternative it will remove water but will not correct ph.