What do damaged ears feel like?

[Clammy]

Hi, I went on a dive on sunday that is a steep decline from 20ft all the way down to 140+ feet. We followed the decline to about 70ft (so it wasn't a quick drop to 70) which probably took 5-10 minutes. During the decline, I had some equalization issues, I turned around, equalized, and then started descending again. On my way back up, I had reverse equalization issues, cleared the minor problem and ascended fine.

However, since then, my ears constantly pop (specifically my left one), and if I try to blow my nose, air comes out of my left ear as if it was equalizing, popping. It doesn't hurt or anything unless I blow really hard, but I was wondering if this is a sign of serious damage or just a minor thing.

I am planning to a night dive on wed, and wanted to know if I was safe.

Any suggestions/opinions?

 

[Clammy]

moving my post up!

 

[TSandM]

It's unclear from your post -- Are you saying that when you blow your nose, air comes out of your ear? If so, you have a perforated eardrum and should definitely be evaluated by a physician and stay out of the water. If you're saying that your ear feels blocked and when you blow, air goes into your ear as though you were equalizing, then you probably have a mild case of barotrauma from inadequate equalization. Even in that case, I'd recommend not diving on Wednesday, and probably holding off for a few days until the symptoms resolve. You can help that with some decongestants (eg. Afrin nasal spray) and ibuprofen, assuming you don't have any contraindication to taking it.

 

[Clammy]

It's unclear from your post -- Are you saying that when you blow your nose, air comes out of your ear? If so, you have a perforated eardrum and should definitely be evaluated by a physician and stay out of the water. If you're saying that your ear feels blocked and when you blow, air goes into your ear as though you were equalizing, then you probably have a mild case of barotrauma from inadequate equalization. Even in that case, I'd recommend not diving on Wednesday, and probably holding off for a few days until the symptoms resolve. You can help that with some decongestants (eg. Afrin nasal spray) and ibuprofen, assuming you don't have any contraindication to taking it.

Well, air WAS coming out of my ear, or at least that's what it felt/sounded like, if I blew really hard but not so anymore. Now, I can easily feel my left year pump out or in depending on whether I'm trying to blow out or suck air into my ear (also very hard) but I don't actually feel as if air is properly moving through my ear.

 

[scubadiver888]

Well, air WAS coming out of my ear, or at least that's what it felt/sounded like, if I blew really hard but not so anymore. Now, I can easily feel my left year pump out or in depending on whether I'm trying to blow out or suck air into my ear (also very hard) but I don't actually feel as if air is properly moving through my ear.

Have a doctor look at it. Even just a quick peek in the ear canal might be able to tell you if there is eardrum damage. It doesn't have to be a doctor that knows dive medicine. Any ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) doctor should be able to check you out.

Remember, 1) the advice you get here is free and you get what you pay for. 2) without actually seeing your ear it would be impossible for even a doctor to give adequate advice.

 

[limeyx]

Have a doctor look at it. Even just a quick peek in the ear canal might be able to tell you if there is eardrum damage. It doesn't have to be a doctor that knows dive medicine. Any ENT (Ear, Nose, Throat) doctor should be able to check you out.

Remember, 1) the advice you get here is free and you get what you pay for. 2) without actually seeing your ear it would be impossible for even a doctor to give adequate advice.

Good luck with the Dr business. In my experience ear doctors are a waste of space right now, as they looked at my ears which now have a constant ringing, and get the "blocked up" feeling after pretty much any dive and said "Oh well, everything looks fine, your hearing is perfect and never mind the weird noise that will probably never go away. Maybe you should stop diving and get out of my office" (basically)

 

[DeNomad]

If air is coming out you have a perforated ear drum. If there is air coming out of your ear DO NOT BLOW YOUR NOSE. Also try not to cough/hiccup or do anything to cause more air to come out. This will only impede the healing process. Any doctor with at a walk in clinic should be able to stick his do-hickey (forgive my lack of technical terms) in your ear and tell you if there is a hole. minor ones are pretty easy to spot.

I had a very minor perforated ear drum from karate and would reccomend staying away from diving until you are sure it is fully healed.

 

[Clammy]

If air is coming out you have a perforated ear drum. If there is air coming out of your ear DO NOT BLOW YOUR NOSE. Also try not to cough/hiccup or do anything to cause more air to come out. This will only impede the healing process. Any doctor with at a walk in clinic should be able to stick his do-hickey (forgive my lack of technical terms) in your ear and tell you if there is a hole. minor ones are pretty easy to spot.

I had a very minor perforated ear drum from karate and would reccomend staying away from diving until you are sure it is fully healed.

Hmm.. no more air comes out of my ears... It was either very minor, not what I thought it was, or I heal very very fast! I guess we'll see how I feel in another day x_X

 

[TSandM]

Limeyx, tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is a difficult problem for which there are very few good solutions. It is occasionally due to medications, so if someone is taking a lot of aspirin or NSAIDs, you can tell them to try weaning off those meds and seeing if the problem resolves or improves. But a large percentage of tinnitus is due to sensorineural hearing loss (which as divers, we're at risk for if we equalize poorly) and that's not treatable. And BTW, that hearing loss is frequency-dependent, so a simple hearing test won't detect it.

 

[limeyx]

Limeyx, tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is a difficult problem for which there are very few good solutions. It is occasionally due to medications, so if someone is taking a lot of aspirin or NSAIDs, you can tell them to try weaning off those meds and seeing if the problem resolves or improves. But a large percentage of tinnitus is due to sensorineural hearing loss (which as divers, we're at risk for if we equalize poorly) and that's not treatable. And BTW, that hearing loss is frequency-dependent, so a simple hearing test won't detect it.

Yah, I figure I am just hosed. A dive buddy here has an ENT that is supposed to actually know something about diving, but from what I have read about tinnitus in general I am kind of in a no-fix situation.

No aspirins here.