funny equalising/ear problems out of water.

[farawayheart]

Hi, I hope this is the right place to post this :]

So, I went swimming on wednesday; 4 metres deep, jumping in from a 3 metre board. Sometimes when I do this, my equalising goes odd; I just can't get one ear to "pop", and then when I return to the surface it hurts even more, and fades after a minute - but if I go deep again, it hurts even more, and if I keep trying to equalising, it sometimes fixes itself.
However, on wed, I wasn't able to go down and fix it - the diving pool closed and the 1.5 metre pool wasn't deep enough.
On thursday (christmas...great) I awoke with an ear ache, a dull throbbing. After about 3 hours, it suddenly started to really hurt. It almost had me in tears out of fustration, and I took some iberfen, which really helped; it returned to the dull throb, and eventually disappeared.
I rang NHS since it was christmas and she suggested I had just got rid of a virus and because I swam so soon after a cold it resulted in an earache?? And to continue with iberfen because it's an anti-inflammatory.
So anyway, at night (after hours of having my ear facing the floor) I wake up, a tiny bit of water coming out of my ear. It dries crusty, but is utterly clear. And it is always only a tiny drop.
I can't get anymore water to come out...my ear occasionally pops, or makes clicky or squeaky noises, like I'm equalising. Sometimes it twinges with pain. Sometimes it feels normal or feels swollen/like there's water trapped in there.
I can't actually FEEL water sloshing about like I sometimes can after swimming (which trickles out if I turn my face to the side), just swollen like it is full.
At the moment I'm off the iberfen for the first time since Thurs morning.
Has anyone ever had this before? Or know what it is?

And does anone know how to prevent the "odd equalising" I described earlier that I sometimes get? I only get this from diving in, quickly descenting, and I rarely get it, but I can't stop doing this because I'm having diving lessons, and the job I'm persuing needs diving too. (working with marine mammals)
Sorry this was so long! Any help would be appreciated.
Oh yeah, and it's my right ear; my left is fine.

EDIT: All of a sudden, my ear has gotten SO ITCHY. It's driving me mad! I've been trying to sort of...curl my lobe over my earhole, and rubbing it to scratch it, or very gently putting a cotton wool bud in it. My ear inside is still sore. I know I shouldn't - it's irritating it, making it sorer - but I can't help myself! I never get itchy ears, so I can't see why it's starting know...it's driving me mad.

SHORT VERSION:
Went swimming Wed, ear ache on Thurs. Taking iburfen which stops the pain. Feels full, "swollen". Creaks, pops, squeals etc occasionally. And now it's suddenly gotten really itchy, which means it's sorer because I'm at it for being itchy...

 

[DeepThought]

Maybe you got some wax clogging the ear canals, trapping water inside causing an infection? You should get checked by an ENT, ear infections can cause permanent damage...

If that is not the problem then maybe it could be a result of a trauma from bad equalizing technique, in that case, your problem sounds difficult to diagnose via the internet...

I hope you will solve it soon. Let us know what it was if you find out...

 

[Adrian]

Hi,
I've moved this to the equalizing section. It would be very hard to equalize correctly when jumping from a high place into the water. The pressure change is too quick and drastic. Normally, one equalizes at the surface just before going down, and then at the first meter, next when you start to feel a little pressure, and so on as you go deeper. But you never wait until the pressure turns heavy or into pain as that will make you use a lot more force for equalizing. That's when you can damage your eardrum. Sometimes - actually many times one ear clears better than another, that's common. But the danger there is if you blow hard to equalize the stuck ear you may over do it on the good one.

From your symptoms you may have caused the eardrum to stretch too much and that's where the pain is coming from, itchyness from fluid build up in the ear canal. If the canal stays wet for too long a time (a couple of days) it flesh softens and is ripe for infection.
That might not be your case though. As Michael, (Deepthought) says though, go see a doctor inmediately. Do let us know what's up!

 

[farawayheart]

Okay, thanks guys :]

The doctor told me I perforated my eardrum, which led to infection. He gave me capsules with penicillin for monday-friday, but it's still infected, so I'm ringing for another appoitment tomorrow.
I'm going to get hold of some earplugs for swimming, but I'm a bit worried about diving - I read on google perforated drums can take 6-8 weeks to heal, and my diving lessons cost alot, (£77 for once a week for a few months) and it starts in less than two weeks!
Do you think it'll be okay with plugs? Obviously I'd have to stay on the small boards...it's killing me, I really miss swimming! But obviously if going too deep (the pool is 4m) or the plugs fall out from diving impact, or something...I don't want to make it worse, I've heard horrible stories. :/

 

[sankar]

hi this is a proplem if swimming ear plugs should work but to equalize u woulr need a special ear plug that keeps the ear way dry and would allow you to equalize with ease pro plugs saw it on the net from aida inter. and your ear is going to take awhile sorry.

 

[farawayheart]

Just to let you guys know I've been back in the water a couple of weeks now, and it's been great
I'm actually wondering if, growing back, it's become stronger, lol; it's not been needing half as much equalisation as before, it's great! It feels like it's "reinforced" itself, haha. Because obviously when you go under, if you haven't equalised, you get the sensation in your ear to know you have to or it'll hurt if you carry on, right? (i know you're meant to equalise before you feel the need) But now the sensation takes more depth to come on, and it's much weaker? Mind you, I only have access to a 4m pool so it's not proper depth anyway.
My left ear is the same as before, still; so now THAT'S the annoying one but phew, I'm just glad it's all fine now and it felt amazing to be back underwater after that cruel month off! XD

 

[sankar]

that's really good to hear i have the flu so i'm out off the water till monday had ear infet also but that's gone so keep swimming try and don't !@#$ the ear again this time it may not be able to get fix. and try and get the pro-pluges it's good for free-diving as well as swimming.