Water in the ears?

[Hetland]

The advice for preventing external ear infections is excellent.

However, I'm pretty convinced that the vast majority of people who think they have water in their ears are actually perceiving the fluid that's accumulate in their middle ear as a result of barotrauma. When you descend and the pressure in the fluid part of your body goes up, and you don't equalize quickly enough, that pressure pushes fluid out of the blood vessels and into the air space in the middle ear. This gives you a sensation of fullness, and sometimes crackling or bubbling sounds can be heard.

Many divers don't equalize enough -- They wait until they feel discomfort in the ears before they do it. That may be long enough to cause a little damage, and as the days goes on and this accumulates, they become more and more symptomatic.

Try equalizing earlier and more often, and see if that makes a difference in your experience.

I think this just happened to me. No ringing, buzzing, dizziness or hearing loss, just "full" feeling ears, and some popping when I blow my nose. I know it's not water, it's something else, and I believe you called it right.

Other than prevention, what can be done about this? Is there any treatment once this does happen?

-h

 

[RonFrank]

TSandM beet me to it! I think you are suffering from some middle ear damage.

I had this happen to me in Coz, and it's not good. I was chasing around a free swimming EEL, and a Grouper in tow on a hunt (very cool) but I was not paying enough attention to my ears!

For me it resulted in reverse block, but I was able to deal with it by just doing very slow ascents. Fortunately it will heal given some time, but if you constantly have this issue, than it can result in more permanent damage.

Clear early, and often. Now when I dive, I clear maybe every five feet when descending. I no longer wait until I feel the need to clear, I just do it a lot. This has prevented me from repeating my middle ear issue.

Take care of your ears, and see an EMT if needed. If you screw them up, they will screw with your diving.

 

[DandyDon]

I think this just happened to me. No ringing, buzzing, dizziness or hearing loss, just "full" feeling ears, and some popping when I blow my nose. I know it's not water, it's something else, and I believe you called it right.

Other than prevention, what can be done about this? Is there any treatment once this does happen?

-h

Sometimes your ears heal on their own; sometimes you end up in a docs office on the verge of tears from the pain of the infection. Most wait until it hurts too much to ignore, but you might phone your physician's office and see what his/her assistant thinks.

I've had some really bad ear aches and I really thot they came from not using alcohol and vinegar on dive days? Since I got better about that, no problems, but I may have gotten better about equalizing at the same time?

 

[DPP Santa Cruz]

Hi everyone;

I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you some files that we just received from our distributor in Italy. The footage was taken underwater in the island of Sassari, Italy by medical staff from one of the local hospitals. It is a short film, and I am just sure you will enjoy it. If you have any questions, feel free to call us at the office or via scubaboard. Thanks!

Video: www.proplugs.com/media/plugsinaction.mpg

Document: www.proplugs.com/media/SIMSICongress2006.doc

 

[zaboAA]

Are you a Proplug rep? I love your product (see earlier post). First time I've done an extended dive trip without any ear problem's. Simple, east to use, and work. Can't ask for much more.
i think I got you a few more customers on the Aggressor, people had a lot of ?'s about them. Very nice...

 

[gert7to3]

DPP (Doc's Pro Plugs) is the manufacturer.

DocVikingo and TSM will be swooping down upon that post any minute now.

The .mpg is a very clear demonstration of how a vented Pro Plug can be used/abused by someone to continue diving with a perforated eardrum. In no way shape or form should this be viewed as good medical practice. That said, adults, may be willing to take some chances, but may also have to suffer some consequences. This fellow with the bubbly ear clearly has an intact eustachian tube with a pinhole leak in his eardrum. He is able to maintain a dry ear, completely out to the ear plug, even at depth, because he can replenish the air from inside his body. Of course if he suffered barotrauma from a blocked eustachian tube, he wouldn't be able to do this. His eardrum won't heal either, until he can give it a rest.

I had a similar problem once from a reverse squeeze in cold water. I felt pressure upon ascent from my first dive. On my second dive, I developed a small leak at depth. This was not a massive rupture, just an "Oh oh, I'm getting air through there...". Since I had a hood on, I kept my leaking ear pointed down to maintain a bubble in my outer ear canal, finished my dive and did a controlled ascent. Spontaneous healing occurred within a week.

I used Pro Plugs there after, until I found the Pro Ear mask. The Pro Plugs are cheaper and do work.

 

[DandyDon]

DPP (Doc's Pro Plugs) is the manufacturer.

DocVikingo and TSM will be swooping down upon that post any minute now.

The .mpg is a very clear demonstration of how a vented Pro Plug can be used/abused by someone to continue diving with a perforated eardrum. In no way shape or form should this be viewed as good medical practice. That said, adults, may be willing to take some chances, but may also have to suffer some consequences. This fellow with the bubbly ear clearly has an intact eustachian tube with a pinhole leak in his eardrum. He is able to maintain a dry ear, completely out to the ear plug, even at depth, because he can replenish the air from inside his body. Of course if he suffered barotrauma from a blocked eustachian tube, he wouldn't be able to do this. His eardrum won't heal either, until he can give it a rest.

I had a similar problem once from a reverse squeeze in cold water. I felt pressure upon ascent from my first dive. On my second dive, I developed a small leak at depth. This was not a massive rupture, just an "Oh oh, I'm getting air through there...". Since I had a hood on, I kept my leaking ear pointed down to maintain a bubble in my outer ear canal, finished my dive and did a controlled ascent. Spontaneous healing occurred within a week.

I used Pro Plugs there after, until I found the Pro Ear mask. The Pro Plugs are cheaper and do work.

Wow, does look like it...?

 

[gert7to3]

Yes, it does look like that. My pinhole also made a slight tweeting sound and it gave me a headache.

Of course I have a Sherwood reg, so my first stage always looks like it has a pin hole leak too.

I had scarlet fever when I was six. It impacted my right ear to the extent that my eardrum was nearly gone. I had two tympanoplasties (reconstruction of the eardrum) at 14 and 41. The second one took and I can dive, though I didn't start until I was 51. I am one of the few people around here who has experience with being able to push air out an ear, on purpose.

I have found nasal irrigation (saline sinus moisturizer) to be very helpful maintaining my sinus cavities and eustashian tubes on dive trips. There are some new nasal irrigators available now too. It's safer than loading up on meds which could produce other consequences whilst diving. I first saw this when my DM at Cozumel would snort a handful of sea water.

And DandyDon, thanks for the DAN number suggestion. It's on my cell phone and written large on my backplate.

 

[DandyDon]

And DandyDon, thanks for the DAN number suggestion. It's on my cell phone and written large on my backplate.

YVW - maybe my best idea on SB ever. Seemed obvious to me when I started Scuba, but I was in the cell phone business at the time - thot of those things. Anyway, I hear this at least once a week, glad to hear the suggestion is helping.

Now, get a DAN tag for your backplate. DAN Divers Alert Network : Product Catalog : DAN Tag

 

[gorcio]

Hmmm, let me say that :
1. I am not in favour of having anything up my ears ... may work fine under normal circumstances, but may have a pretty bad effect in emergency.
2. actually, had gone through "full ears" story myself, when was not able to shake water out, and even after a night my hearing was still impaired (however better than after the dive). Visited ORL ... there was a tiny object inside my channel, blocking water in it, and also preventing quick evaporation. Object removed ... no more problems ....