Ears!!!!

[Fondueset]

Gah! For the last few days I have horrible ringing in my ears. Also that sort of 'bubble head' feeling - like after a loud rock concert or a bad head cold. Seems like a loss of high frequencies and, sometimes, a metallic quality to sounds.

I don't generally dive much more than 30 feet and have allways had a very easy time equalizing. However I have been playing around with not equalizing my mask and, on several occasions have noticed that I've forgotten to equalize - not the whole dive, but parts of it. I have no pain, dizziness or any other symptoms and there have been no ear related 'events'.

I'm thinking this is a sort of repetitive stress thing - that I've stressed my inner ear by not equalizing enough over a period of time and now things are irritated in there. Plan not to dive for a bit.

Opinions, observations advice all welcomed - this is a little freaky.

 

[Veronika]

From your description this could be a Tinnitus. I don't know much about it, but if I were you, I would go see a doctor ASAP ! This is nothing to play around with, it can become permanent if not treated properly.
If you have oxygen at hand (and know how to handle it), you could give that a try in the meanwhile.

 

[DeepThought]

I support Veronika about the Dr thing, but what does oxygen has to do with it?

Fear of tinnitus is one of the reasons I equalize much more frequently than I need, hoping that less stress helps.

 

[Fondueset]

It's my understanding tinnitus is pretty much untreatable. I've had some for as long as I've been noticing.

This does seem to be clearing up a bit - My right ear is pretty close to normal (this has only been on for a couple of days) and my left still feels weird - but is hearing highs a little better. I test by holding my arm at arm's length and rubbing thumb and forefinger together lightly.

Also picked up some Ginko.

I will get this checked out however.

 

[portinfer]

I've had that once with a cold - do you have a cold ? For me it went quickly but is a little unnerving - thought I had gone permanently deaf. Just rested alot and got over the cold - how is your balance ? Take it easy dude...
Ed

 

[Veronika]

what does oxygen has to do with it?

Tinnitus is said to be very difficult to treat and almost impossible to cure, like mentioned above. One theory about what might help and common treatment to stop further aggrevation of the symptoms and restrict the damage is - although not all Docs are too well informed about that :rcard - hyperbaric inhalation of oxygen. Normobaric sure is better than nothing to bridge the time if you can't see a Doc immediately.

 

[tylerz]

For the same discussion a while back and much different info than has arrived here so far:

[ame="http://forums.deeperblue.net/showthread.php?p=520869#post520869"]Tinnitus, anyone?[/ame]

 

[DeepThought]

Any clue about the reason behind this treatment?

 

[Fondueset]

Portinfer - I'm starting to wonder - I have no excess mucous and no trouble clearing - but my son has had a bad cold (and is loath to use kleenex) and I have been a bit under - I wonder if it's maybe nested in my eustacian tubes or something.. Doc tomorrow - just to be safe.

 

[DeepThought]

There are some kinds of ear bugs that can nest in your inner ear and mess up the sense of ballance and/or hearing/cause dizziness. If not treated they can become chronic. If symptomes suggest that your inner ear might have got under some affect you should tell your doctor as sometimes they miss this kind of bug till the person is in deeper trouble.
Better being overcatious in this case I think.

 

[Fondueset]

And the Award for Best Online diagnosis goes to...

Deepthought and Portinfer! MILD middle ear infection with lots of fluid. WHEW! best case scenarion - Doc's instructions: Try to stay out of the water for a week and, of course, ingest evil.

 

[portinfer]

Yapari !

Good luck with the clear up... might be longer than a week... but what do i know

Ed

 

[DeepThought]

You couldn't stop diving and had to take some water home with you, 'ey? :naughty

 

[Fondueset]

I'm thinking I'd be well advised to start doing the yogic salt-water snortage again. Freshwater does not have the natural anti-biotic properties of salt and it seems masks tend to leak a bit when you spit out the snork - hence nasal invasion while inverted.

The Doc was more worried about equalizing/congestion than the infection getting worse. Obviously not an alarmist

This is the longest I've been out of the water in quite awhile - four days!

 

[Aquagenic]

This is the longest I've been out of the water in quite awhile - four days!

That's sick, just sick. Words cannot express how insanely jealous I am of you right now.

Just kidding, glad to hear things are not as chronic as we thought. Happy diving...

~James

P.S. "glad to hear..." get it?!? Ok, yeah I know, sorry. I'll shut up now.

 

[naiad]

I'm thinking I'd be well advised to start doing the yogic salt-water snortage again.

I've tried it and it does help with congestion.

If I have a middle ear infection (which I fortunately haven't had for a long time), I try to lie on my side with the affected side uppermost at night. If both sides are affected, then I lie on one side for a while and then the other. This allows any fluid to drain from the Eustachian tubes. It also helps with blocked sinuses.

Lucia

 

[Fondueset]

Thanks - pretty much cleared the pressure now. I expect to submerge again this weekend

 

[Fondueset]

Re: Ears!!!! WHAH!! BACK IN DA WAWA!!

Leapin Things! It's been a week - I was nearly insane.

Beautiful day today - mid-70s - southwest winds blowing out all the surface water. From the surface I could see a large school of medium size salmon. I began to experience increased situational awareness as I donned my gear. This is the phenomena that caused me to mistake a burned log on the lake michigan shore for one of my cats - must not attack bystanders..

In and the water is 15F or so colder than it was a week ago - I can immediately feel the creep through my 3 mil suit. Quick pause to tuck my gloves in brings back full feeling to my hands but my camera lense takes a full 25 minutes to defog.

But let me tell you about the visibility. Would you believe 75feet!!! maybe more. My float line is 24 and measuring from it I could see at least 3 or four times that distance. Lots of suspended particles - and an icy clear thermalcline on the bottom.

Salmon came by immediately - they were less wary when I was on the surface. One had a lamprey as long as the fish on it's side - would've liked to get some pics but the lense was still foggy. Ended up getting only a couple - though I did manage some fairly close encounters with a few of the apex lads. Major stealth needed there - aspetto in the rocks.

Zero ear issues and my head was quite warm despite only 3 mil.

 

[m2b]

Re: Ears!!!! WHAH!! BACK IN DA WAWA!!

In and the water is 20F or so colder than it was a week ago - I can immediately feel the creep through my 3 mil suit. Quick pause to tuck my gloves in brings back full feeling to my hands but my camera lense takes a full 25 minutes to defog.

Now hold on here, you and I live pretty much live at the same latitude, between 44 & 45 degrees. Our waters pretty much warm up and cool down the same. The water around here has only lost 5 degrees over the past week. Now down around 62. Hopefully, with the forecast through Wednesday for highs in the low to mid 70's and overnight low in the mid 50s, the water actually warm up a degree or two, not likely.

Yeah, I know the feeling, going without the water for a four or five days just makes you feel like your out of shape, LOL. Granted, prior to today the last time I had been in the water was back on Wednesday.

Aquagenic,

Remember one thing, you can come up here and dive all you want, but you better be ready for some 'warm' water diving.

Ryan

 

[Fondueset]

My bad - Surface temps are right around fifty today !!! (where I was diving) - air temps here have been low 40s at night a few times - but the main factor here is the south wind at the south end of west grand-traverse bay. It's a deep bay and the south wind blows all the surface water out - we can get very cold temps any time during the summer when there is a persistant south wind. Huge business in artificial limbs here from the tourists unwittingly walking into the bay when there is a south wind and having their limbs freeze solid and break off.

To be more accurate the temp change is 10-15f at the surface (I just checked - a bit more about 15 feet down. Last week a hood and gloves were optional - it was upper sixties - seventy with a north wind kicking up some nice waves. Really amazing difference - esp the visibility!

If the wind changes it could be back in the 60s tomorrow Not that I mind.

More northern areas of the bay are about 62 right now.