Problems Equalizing

[spencepb]

I'm just starting to freedive/ spearfish and I went out for the first time in the salt for some shallow water (10 to 15ft) dives. When I tried to equalize by pinching my nose and blowing I get a bubbling feeling in my right ear and nothing happens with my left ear. I can hear out of both ears but the hearing in my right ear is muffled. I don't have any sort of cold and I felt fine. I don't know if it is just poor technique or what but I have never been able to equalize correctly. I even tried plugging my right ear with my finger and I still just can't get my left ear to pop. I have experienced a couple of ear infections years ago and had problems equalizing on a plane last year so I don't know if that has caused any sort of trauma to my ears or what. If anyone could offer any sort of input I would really appreciate it.

I just read somewhere to pinch nose and suck in to get rid of the fluid. I did that and it worked great. But now I can't get either ear to clear.

 

[trux]

I'd strongly advise against plugging your ear with a finger, or sucking the air while you are in troubles of equalizing - in this way you create pressure gradient in exactly the opposite way than you need, and can rupture the eardrum, or damage the inner ear. If you hear any strange noise when trying to equalize, then there may be already some damage on the eardrum. I think a visit to your ORL, as soon as possible, is the best thing you can do.

 

[spencepb]

I'd strongly advise against plugging your ear with a finger, or sucking the air while you are in troubles of equalizing - in this way you create pressure gradient in exactly the opposite way than you need, and can rupture the eardrum, or damage the inner ear. If you hear any strange noise when trying to equalize, then there may be already some damage on the eardrum. I think a visit to your ORL, as soon as possible, is the best thing you can do.

I thank you so much for the reply and I will see a doctor soon, if that is what an ORL is? I was really hoping that it was just congestion or sinuses or something that could be fixed with an over the counter remedy. I guess I'm just in denial because it would kill me to not be able to spear fish.

 

[trux]

Quite likely it is nothing too serious, but you better get a proper check by your doc. It is not something you can mess with alone, and it is definitely better staying out of the water for a few weeks to cure the ears (if there is anything wrong with them), than ruining the ears, and not to be able to dive at all.

 

[spencepb]

Quite likely it is nothing too serious, but you better get a proper check by your doc. It is not something you can mess with alone, and it is definitely better staying out of the water for a few weeks to cure the ears (if there is anything wrong with them), than ruining the ears, and not to be able to dive at all.

Thanks for the advice, I am going to see the doctor this week and hopefully be back diving soon. I did some reading on the subject and found out that I was doing myself harm by "cleaning" my ears with a q-tip. Hopefully the problem is just a build up of ear wax and not a damaged ear drum.

 

[honu714]

Try the Frenzel Method. I've been freediving/spearfishing for about 10 years using valsalva and equalizing problems always limited me to 20-30ft. Just learned this method this past weekend and equalizing is now a breeze.

 

[spencepb]

Try the Frenzel Method. I've been freediving/spearfishing for about 10 years using valsalva and equalizing problems always limited me to 20-30ft. Just learned this method this past weekend and equalizing is now a breeze.

Hopefully once I figure it out it will work for me. I am going through the Eric Fattah guide and just can't do the last step where you have to control the epiglottis and the soft palette independently. I'll keep working on it and let you guys know if it works out.

Edit:
I worked on the last step for a couple of hours and will still continue to practice until I figure it out. However I did read another article that suggested to make a "guh" sound and when I do that, air comes out of my nose. I am not using my stomach like I would with valsalva, am I doing it? I feel the pressure in my ears but nothing really happens. There is no "click."