Ear Problems?

Does anyone suffer from sinus or any ear problems and how do you prevent it from interfering with your diving?

Ive been sitting in the hospital for 2 days now with a ear infection I got after a 4h dive at Rooi Els. Not something i want to repeat

Hi Spearkat ,

I have ongoing problems with my left ear ,

It gets so bad that i need to make appointments to see an ENT Specialist.

The problem i have , is that my ear canal is very small and if water should enter my middle ear section , it is unable to exit and it therefore stays in the middle ear and an infection arises.

They have even put grommets in my ears to try and get the fluid to exit on its own.

Once i hve been to the ENT and he cleans it out and gives me drips to stop the infection , i am alright again for 3-4 months and then the problem arises again.

I have tried everything , the funniest thing is that i am unable to put my ears in water unless i have a neoprene hood on or at least my wetsuit jacket , if i dont have a form of cover the water , just rushes into my ear.

This has had a significant role in the depth i am able to dive nowdays , i cannot dive to the depths that i used to as the pressure build up is so intense that even when i equalize it does not help.

Good luck

Spearkat

Buy yourself some Swimmer Ear from the pharm. Its basically a alcohol solution. After a dive a few drops in each ear will flush out the water and the alcohol evaporates. I know some of the old navy divers used Methyolite, problem is they dont make it anymore and it makes your ears red!!!

Im quite religious about it as I had absesses in my ears from diving. Emergency room at 2h in the morning from the pain is not fun.

Hope it helps.

Thx Vaatjie

Think I will give that Swimmer Ear a try.

I have been in a couple painfull situations like broken noses, cracked spine but i can promise you that a absesses in the ear is the worst pain I have ever had!


Cant wait to go dive again

Spearkat

They say a drop or 2 of normal surgical alcohol works well also.

Cool

Dr Broodryk at Blouberg netcare, best ENT around when it comes to surfers ear, he operated on both my ears, good t0 hear again
Doc ear plugs also work great, at most surf shops.
Hope this helps.

Fnd some info on the Doc's Proplugs.

http://www.proplugs.com/scubadiving.shtml

The vented earplug seems like a very good option

Guys just be carefull about earplugs...remember we operate under pressure.

Vaatjie wrote:Guys just be carefull about earplugs...remember we operate under pressure.

The vented earplugs allows the diver to equalize without any water entering you ear.

"Equalization with Doc’s Proplugs: Doc’s Proplugs have also been used by divers who have trouble equalizing. Unlike other earplugs which are solid and would not be recommended for diving, Proplugs are vented to allow equalization. While the small vent allows equalization to occur it does not allow debris to enter and it prevents earwax from washing out which exposes delicate ear tissue. The Proplugs keep ears warm by storing the head’s conductive heat; the warmth provided by the plugs drastically reduces the risk of thermal shock. Due to surface tension the vented plug also reduces abrupt pressure changes from reaching the sensitive eardrum which contributes to easier equalization. Clear ears often to allow air to escape through the Proplugs vent and allow for better equalization. Proplug wearers who have trouble clearing their ears should check to make sure a lump of ear wax is not blocking the canal or butting up against the vent. If the vent is fouled by debris while descending it is best to remove the Proplug. If fouled while ascending, there is no problem because the air and water under pressure can escape around the Proplug.Hundreds of thousands of divers have attested to the benefits of Proplugs for relieving pressure in their ear during descent. "

my brother and i both use these plugs and no problem, they really work well

Where did you buy yours and how much?

Atlantic surf shop in blouberg +- R150, come in 4 or 5 diffrent sizes

thx. will go have a look over the weekend