Water Gush Sensation in Ear

[wmiller]

Hi,
Just wondering if it is normal to feel the sensation of water gushing into an ear? I have never felt it before until this past summer (I've heard others complain about it). I can clear my ears but the last dive of my trip on a shallow dive all of a sudden I felt this rush of water in my left ear and it was very annoying. It took awhile for it to clear out after the dive too. I have dove a few times since and it does reoccur. Yesterday while swimming it happened again. Today it feels like an ear ache.
On dive vacations I do notice my ears are more sensitive to clear and they seem to rebel after so many dives. I am not a "deep" diver. I like to take pictures so any where from 15-65 feet is my favorite range.

Any thoughts? No I have not been to a Doctor, basically I forgot all about it until yesterday.

Thanks,
Wendy

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

Hi Wendy,

I've seen your question for several days now. I'm not sure I truly understand "water gushing into your ear" but I'll give it a try.

Most times while diving, there is a small air bubble within the external ear canals. As such, water does not actually make contact with the ear drum.

Sometimes, if you move your head so the ear is able to vent this last little bit of air, water will suddenly rush in and make contact with the drum. This may create a rushing sound.

When you get out of the water, you may then have a "bubble" of WATER within the ear canal. This gives you a feeling of a blocked ear. Sound is muffled and diminished. If only one ear is blocked, the sensation is even more strange because you are processing input from a blocked ear and an unblocked ear.

Getting the water out is sometimes difficult. If you have ear wax build up within the canal, the water is partially trapped behind it. Shaking your head vigorously may help as can jumping up and landing stiff legged. This supplies enough shock to break the surface tension of the water and allowes it to drain. Alcohol rinses will decrease surface tension as well and may allow a water stuffed ear to drain.

Occasionally, you will have layers of skin from the ear canal built up like onion skin. When this gets wet, it will expand and not allow the water to drain. This may be why your ears may be prone to a problem as you continue diving and why it is harder to clear as you perform more dives.

Again alcohol rinses may help as well. Water will dissolve into alcohol and repeated rinses will slowly remove the excess water.

If your remain stuffed, you should see an ENT.

Again, I'm not sure that this is what is causing your problem but hopefully this helps.

Laurence Stein, DDS