Water in Ear

[bractune]

Every time I dive, I tend to get water in my ear.
I always go down at a very slow pace and clear every 1-2 feet. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening? Any help would be much appreciated.

Jason

 

[Papa_Bear]

Your ear has a hole in it and water will always get in! If you didn't have the hole you couldn't hear! So it will always get in, the key is a hood or Monks cap to keep it in during the dive and keep Bubbles out! After the dive tilt your head and or shake a little! If that doesn't work try some ear bear to help dry your ears after or between dives! Keep everything else out of your ear! Never put anything sharper than your elbow in your ear!

 

[jhayes75]

A 50/50 mix of white vinegar and 90% grade isopropyl alcohol works great. The vinegar kills the infection and the alcohol dries it out.

 

[John C. Ratliff]

Okay, I'll take a shot at this one since Dr. Decompression has yet to respond. First, everyone gets water in their ears. It's a part of diving. The problem is when the water stays in the ear, and can result in an outer ear infection. If you have a buildup of ear wax, that can cause the water to stay in your ear. Talk to you doctor and see whether there is a lot of ear wax in there, keeping the water in your ear.

There is one other possibility, and that is that you have a hole in your ear drum (perferated tympanic membrane, which is not normal--people don't normally have a hole in their ear drum). If you do, you should only dive with a very specialized piece of diving equipment that will keep your ear dry. It's called the Scuba Queen, although I saw an ad on it today, I don't remember the manufacturer. But the idea is that the Scuba Queen is a special hood with attached ear pockets which seal around the ear. There are tubes from the ear pockets which tie together, then should be attached either to your mask or your regulator second stage. The idea is to drill a hole into either the mask or the regulator second stage, and attach a fitting which allows the tubing to equalize the ear pockets from the mask or second stage. This is ambient air (at the pressure of the surrounding water), so there will be no potential for an external ear squeeze.

I saw these in the 1970s, and thought that the Scuba Queen was no longer available. But I was at my LDS today, and a lady there was bringing her equipment in to sell. Her husband could no longer dive, she had two young ones to handle, and she had a history of middle ear infections. She could not figure out why, so she went to her physician and he look. She had a hole in her ear drum, which brought me to thinking about the Scuba Queen. I mentioned them to her, and the LDS attendant told me that they were still available.

Anyway, this is a rather long answer to what seems like a simple question, but which is not.

SeaRat

 

[DandyDon]

A 50/50 mix of white vinegar and 90% grade rubbing alcohol works great. The vinegar kills the infection and the alcohol dries it out.

90%? I think DocV suggests 33-33-33 of 70% alcohol, 4% acidity vinegar, and water as higher alcohol rates can irritate - and it has mine when I mixed 50-50. Sometimes I find 50% alcohol at the Dollar Store and mix that 50-50 with the vinegar - close enough. Some let it soak for 5 minutes on one side then the other; I just rinse each after each dive or each shower of a dive trip.

 

[jhayes75]

90%? I think DocV suggests 33-33-33 of 70% alcohol, 4% acidity vinegar, and water as higher alcohol rates can irritate - and it has mine when I mixed 50-50. Sometimes I find 50% alcohol at the Dollar Store and mix that 50-50 with the vinegar - close enough. Some let it soak for 5 minutes on one side then the other; I just rinse each after each dive or each shower of a dive trip.

I used to use the 70% until I read a few post here from different threads stating that you should use the 90% Isopropyl alcohol . Do not use Rubbing Alchohol.



Originally Posted by spectrum
My physician advised 1/2 white vinegar and 1/2 rubbing alchohol. Lay on your side put a few drops into an ear canal until it's muffled and let it stand for a full 5 minutes, no cheating. Roll over and do the other ear.

Some navy studies revealed the 5 minute need.

Throwing in a drop or 2 and walking away isn't doing much more than cleaning the hair in your ears.

The treatment will prevent swimers ear and will also help dry out residual water since alchohol will combine with water to carry it out. Much like drygas for you northerners.

As explained by my physician the alchohol will serve to kill off nasty organisims and also provides a drying function.

The vinegar also makes life miserable for critters in there and helps restore the natural acidic condition in the ear.

Swimmers ear is usually not a product of the swimming water. It comes from normally occuring organisims in the ear that multiply out of contol in a wet no acid post dive ear.

The above treatment should be done at the end of every dive (skin, scuba, swim, whatever) day. It can be quite relaxing if done spooning with your S.O.

Pete

Most drug stores carry two isopropyl alcohol strengths. Use the 91% and not the 70 % in most 'rubbing alcohol'.

 

[DevonDiver]

Another take on this.........

Is it actually water in the ear or the sensation of water in the ear?

Many new divers complain of the sensation of having water in the ear after diving...along with some muffling of hearing. Normally, a few hours after the dive, this disappears...sometimes with a 'pop'.

In these cases, the cause can sometimes be fluid in the middle ear (which is why it doesn't seem to dry or run away after the dive). The fluid is pushed into the ear by over-forceful equalization technique. The way to solve this is to practice your valsava (nose blowing) technique... do it gently!

 

[DandyDon]

I used to use the 70% until I read a few post here from different threads stating that you should use the 90% Isopropyl alcohol . Do not use Rubbing Alchohol.

I suppose opinions vary. Any amount of alcohol is going to help dry the ear to prevent bacteria bloom as well as disinfect, and vinegar alone has also very beneficial in some articles - probly true.

I know about the Navy studies - 5 minutes each side - and I'm sure that's best. Fortunately, the quick rinse each side works for me, as ear infections can be acute at times. My last one kept me in bed for two days, afraid to go the head without my steroid drops for pain. We're all different so results will vary.

Another take on this.........

Is it actually water in the ear or the sensation of water in the ear?

Many new divers complain of the sensation of having water in the ear after diving...along with some muffling of hearing. Normally, a few hours after the dive, this disappears...sometimes with a 'pop'.

In these cases, the cause can sometimes be fluid in the middle ear (which is why it doesn't seem to dry or run away after the dive). The fluid is pushed into the ear by over-forceful equalization technique. The way to solve this is to practice your valsava (nose blowing) technique... do it gently!

Yeah, the alcohol and/or vinegar treatment is really a prophylactic measure, maybe worth a try along with antihistimines, decongestants, and analgesic - all of which I use every day diving anyway. Still bad in the morning? Find a doctor who can see you today before it get's worse, altho an ENT is always preferable, and call DAN while waiting. If barotrauma, DAN dive insurance should pay the medical bill if they diver/student was covered for the dives. Instructors can provide free DAN coverage to OW students, but only some do.

 

[Web Monkey]

Every time I dive, I tend to get water in my ear.
I always go down at a very slow pace and clear every 1-2 feet. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening? Any help would be much appreciated.
Jason

First we'll do the easy one.

Everybody gets water in their ears. It shouldn't be causing problems and will drain out when you get to the surface, just like after you take a shower. If you have problems with your ears staying damp inside, there are a number of home-brew and commercial remedies.

The real issue is this:

Every time I dive, I tend to get water in my ear.
I always go down at a very slow pace and clear every 1-2 feet. Is there anything I can do to prevent this from happening?

As you descend, you'll need to keep clearing (equalizing your ears), There's no way around this, since the water pressure on the outside needs to be balanced by air pressure on the inside (which you supply when equalizing). This isn't a "problem" it's simply a fact of life when diving. It will become easier as you get more practice.


Terry

 

[Dr Deco]

Hi bractune;

I do not have an answer other than what responders have already posted. My specialty is causes of decompression sickness. I have no tips about ears.