[turtle]

I've had similiar recurrent problems with my ears. I now have a routine which seems to work and prevents any problems. I use vented Doc's proplugs (you have to fit them for an exact size though otherwise they're useless) and before placing them in the ears, I fill each ear with mineral water. After the dives I carefully dry each ear out with the edge of a towel, and if there is any irritation I use a product called Otosporin, which I'm told is also suitable for occasional use such as postdiving. Be careful of what ear drops you use though because in case of a perforation, getting the wrong stuff in your inner ear can lead to permanent deafness! Also visit a specialist doctor who can test your eardrums to see if they're consistently weakened, and can (probably necessary) remove any debris from the ear canal and scrape away infected or dead tissue. It costs a lot, but is worth it. I've also been recommended to limit using olive oil to once a week.

Also worth looking at are the 'eustachian gymnastics' suggested by Pellizzari and the Nice divers.

Besides that, just take good care of your ears, by which I mean wearing a beanie or something if it's windy after diving, if you have a 'sticky' ear, don't dive through it, don't sleep that side down at night, if you have stuffy sinuses don't try to dive through it, don't blow your nose like crazy if you have a cold, that sort of thing - common sense!

Anyway, I hope this helps a little, I know how much trouble ears can cause!

best,

fred