Hi,
I have relatively tight openings to my Eustachian tubes, my right being worse than my left. I can only equalise my left ear using Valsalva - to give you an idea of my tube tightness (I never actually use it when diving). But I can equalise both using a combination of BTV and Valsalva. Using Frenzel, I never fail to equalise. I find that I can open my tubes on land using the BTV (always the left side and usually the right). This is usually how I equalise when scuba diving. The problem is that I've never been able to perform the BTV head down... Even on land, if I keep my Eustachain tubes open head-up, then bend down so my head is upside down, my tubes always close up (an effect of gravity on soft tissues around the openings maybe?).
My question is: has anyone out there been able to do the BTV head up only, but eventually learned to do it by training the muscles and practice??
I just want to know if there is any chance I'll ever be able to do it with practice, or whether I'm just flogging a dead horse (sorry, British expression) :head
alun
I have relatively tight openings to my Eustachian tubes, my right being worse than my left. I can only equalise my left ear using Valsalva - to give you an idea of my tube tightness (I never actually use it when diving). But I can equalise both using a combination of BTV and Valsalva. Using Frenzel, I never fail to equalise. I find that I can open my tubes on land using the BTV (always the left side and usually the right). This is usually how I equalise when scuba diving. The problem is that I've never been able to perform the BTV head down... Even on land, if I keep my Eustachain tubes open head-up, then bend down so my head is upside down, my tubes always close up (an effect of gravity on soft tissues around the openings maybe?).
My question is: has anyone out there been able to do the BTV head up only, but eventually learned to do it by training the muscles and practice??
I just want to know if there is any chance I'll ever be able to do it with practice, or whether I'm just flogging a dead horse (sorry, British expression) :head
alun