Ear problems

[treeguy]

I was just diving at Wazee last week.  Did 5 dives with the deepest being 60 feet.  No out of control ascents or anything out of the ordinary at all.  Anyway, on the way home Sunday night my right ear started getting sore.  By the next day both ears were hurting and the pain was radiating down my jaws.  By the next day I could hardly stand the pain.  Went to the Dr. and he said I had a double middle ear infection.  I'm 34 and haven;t had an ear infection since I was 6.  Anybody ever hear of getting an ear infection from diving in Lakes or other areas.  If so, is there anything you can do to prevent it?  Thanks for any input anyone may have

[LKunze]

Absolutely.  I got two really bad ear infections that both required going to the doctor.  After that I learned my lesson.  The water in the summer time has lots of nasty stuff in it that can cause ear infections.  It can easily be prevented though by using ear drops after diving.  I do this religiously after every dive and have never had another ear infection since.  You can buy ear drops at any pharmacy or Target etc. like AuroDry which works well but it's over priced.  What I do now is mix up my own brew or "ear beer"  into an empty AuroDry bottle.  I mix up 50% rubbing alcohol and 50% vinegar.

[Inspirationdiver]

If it was a middle ear infection then drying the ear canal won't help any.  The infection is not on the outside where water would have been present.  You probably had a block of your eustachian tubes that prevented fluid from draining out.  Many people don't equalize often enough while diving, this can aggravate the soft tissue lining the eustachian tubes and cause swelling.  This makes clearing even more difficult and causes more damage, creating a snowball effect in no time. 

[treeguy]

Thanks a lot for the replies.  I had considered getting ear drops because I usually have some ear problems after diving.  Usually it just feels like I can't hear all that well for a few days to a week.  Never the pain that I had this last time though.  Unfortunately I listened to someone before who told me ear drops were a gimmick and wouldn't do me any good.  As far as being in the middle ear I'm not so sure that is what it was.  The pain was mostly around the outer area on the inside or my ear.  I don't know if the Dr. could have made that exact of a diagnosos in the 90 seconds he saw me.  I will be sure to try and equalize more often, although I really have never had any problems with that, and will definitely get the drops.  Thanks again for the advice.

[ranger979]

It's not a gimmick.  I also have often have the problem of not hearing well for a few days to a week after diving.  I've have yet to have the problem when using drops after the dives.  If I forget or wait too long then I'm likely to have the problem.

[PeteMayer]

So if a person does not normally have problems with ear infections..... if you do happen to get one, do they tend to be reoccurring? 

Pete Mayer

[tpscuba]

this time of year with dog days and all I have gotten an ear infection. I use ear drops right away after diving and I let it sit for a good minute or so before I switch to the othe ear and I haven't had the problem since
Works for me

[flyboy65]

I posted last year of ear problems, also. 

I haven't had any problems since, and I don't do anything special any longer either.  One thing I had problems with was getting my ears to clear going down.  I clear early, and every seven to ten feet or so, before I start feeling the pressure.  I was taking sudafed about an hour or so before my dives, and that seemed to help, but haven't really needed it much longer.  Seems that over time my eustation tubes have, perhaps, become a bit more "pliable".  Don't know how else to explain that one...

Just make sure you clear before you even dip your head under the surface, and keep doing it.  It helps if I lean my head back a bit as I do it, and twist my neck one way or the other.

Happy diving!

Bill

[Shooter]

I also exp. similiar problems. If you research DAN you will find that it is not from the water but from the natural bacteria we already have in our ears. It is subject to a more damp than usual enviroment when diving and causes it to grow. They rec. some very expensive antibiotic prescriton eardrops. My problems have been solved with a 50/50 solution of alcohol & vinegar. About $3 for a lifetime supply of drops. I put them in after diving and sometimes before if I have a little congestian or a full feeling.
This was shown to me by my instructor Tim O'leary and I have not had any more trouble for about the last 50 dives regardless of depth, clarity, salt, fresh, or temp.

[doxiepb]

You could always try what I use.  I used to get ear infections, have trouble hearing after diving etc, then I bought a $9 pair of Doc's ProPlugs made specifically for divers and haven't had a problem since.  You get maybe a small drop of water in your ear during the whole dive and they cause no hassels with ear clearing.  I don't even have problems when I run classes in a public pool anymore.  They were a life saver for me and quite a few of my students also.  They are a regular part of my scuba gear now!