tinnitus and "water in ear feeling" after diving

[daveslow]

hey guys, second or third post and then unfortunately something serious... i was in my local pool yesterday for approx. 1.5h, after getting out of the water i noticed a swishing sound in my left ear and light vertigo. it also felt blocked, as if water was in it but i couldn't get it out... it has happened to me before, when i was diving in a lake (2 hours) but disappeared by the next morning so i wasn't to alarmed, just a bit annoyed.
but this time it hasn't... it's still there! the pool is only 5 meters max deep, so i don't think i wasn't equalizing properly... or is that a possibility!? the swishing sound (which is constant) swells from time to time to a loud ringing/beeping sound which is not only very annoying, but worrying!!! add to that not hearing properly and that weird feeling on the left side of my head/face...
please help...
thanks

 

[daveslow]

oh... just read several posts on the forum by people with similar problems...
possibly shouldn't have used nose spray before diving... i'll find out next time (just hope the noise stops and the ear unblocks!!!

 

[Simos]

Did you see/taste any blood? If it doesn't clear it might be worth getting it checked out. In the meantime, I'd keep the ears dry if I were you (also from the shower).

Did you feel any pain while diving or strain to equalise?

I am only guessing but I think you probably strained your ears as a result of not equalising properly and as a result you might have some inflammation and fluid produced. If you are feeling feverish or unwell there might be an ear infection - if that's the case you should def see the doc and get some medication...
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[Simos]

Also another question - I am assuming you are using valsava to equalise... (pinch and blow). Do you remember having to blow very forcefully to equalise?
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[daveslow]

yea, after reading about it for several hours i also think i didn't equalize properly! also doing silly things with my buddy like quickly diving down and making bubble rings... without the calm and routine i usually have when diving(don't know what got into us!?).
not quite sure if i experianced any pain... if i did it must of been short and not to bad as i otherwise would remember!
i didn't notice/taste any blood but now you mentioned it, i do feel quite ill!!! had a bad nights sleep and went back to bed at around 1200 and slept till 1600 because i felt ill! still feel pretty weak and slightly nauseous from time to time...

next time i'll try to dive slowly and eq before duckdive and then every two meters or so... and i read up on a "recipe" for diving ear drops, 50/50 vinegar and ethanol... hope those things will prevent it happening again!!!!!

thx for your help

 

[Simos]

Np, keep your ears dry and do see a doctor if you are unwell - they'll prescribe some proper medication for your ear...
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[Simos]

Also never forcefully blow to try and equalise - apart from damaging your ear drum, it can also cause the round window to rupture (technically I think the term is PLF). This actually is not painful but it can lead to tinnitus and hearing loss/dizziness as the fluid of the inner ear leaks out. I don't mean to worry you and I've never seen anyone suffer from this but it's worth being aware...
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[tcrusson]

Can be unrelated, but I had the same thing for years after going to the pool or in the ocean, so went to see a specialist. It turned out to be something fairly common: "Surfer's ear"

Irritation from cold wind and water exposure causes the bone surrounding the ear canal to develop lumps of new bony growth which constrict the ear canal (Surfer's ear - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia).

Basically because of these lumps the water does not drain properly from your outer ear and stays next to the eardrum. It irritates it, and creates the swishing sound you talk about, and a tinnitus (and occasionally pain as well).
Fixing this was fairly simple: ear drops (ask your pharmacist for swimmer's ears drops), or a home made 1/3 vinegar, 1/3 ethanol, 1/3 purified water.

 

[daveslow]

thx so much guys for your help!!!
got an appointment with a nose/throat/ear specialist doc tomorrow... i'll keep you posted on what he thinks and how my condition progresses. i have also bought 90vol% ethanol and mixed it 50/50 with spirit vinegar... hope the drops will help as well as they did for you, tcrusson!! oh, and i used a different recipe(found on this forum), gonna try this one and then afterwards dilute it to the 1/3rd mixture to be able to compare.

 

[Simos]

Being of Greek origin (well Cyprus to be precise) I tend to use olive oil to cure everything lol
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[Simos]

Hopefully you just strained your ears a bit due to not equalising properly and you have a bit of fluid that's causing the tinnitus... If that's the case you need to keep them dry for a bit, take something to prevent infection and probably some decongestants to help clear the fluid. All with the doctor's advice of course, you are doing the right thing going to a dr since you are clearly concerned..
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[daveslow]

just been to the ent specialist... he had a look at my ear and did a hearing test as well. nothing pathological to be seen and good to very good hearing!
he said i possibly have an inner/middle ear contusion, a light barotrauma by either blowing to hard when equalizing or not equalizing enough/to late. he told me to take a gingko otc product called kaveri (sold in german speaking countries). it has the "gingko special extract" LI 1370 as active ingredient... has anyone ever used gingko for tinnitus? would like to hear before buying an expensive product for an ailment which might alleviate itself without any outside help!!! then again, i'd do anything to make this stop (also coz i wanna go diving again^^)
cheers, dave

 

[daveslow]

hey guys, still got the same symptoms...
was wondering, do you think its ok to do some pool work!? just a few easy, relaxed dynamics and working on technique... i would obviously be equalizing super carefully!!!
thing is, water in my ear shouldn't be a prob as it definitely is a middle/inner ear trauma. can't take being dry for much longer!!! :waterwork

 

[markdana83]

Hi Daveslow, I can see this is years since you posted this. I came across this thread as i recently have started to experience the same symptoms as yours. I got tinnitus and middle ear infection after a dive.

Im seeing an ENT on tuesday, but am just very curious to see how it went with you..? Did your symptoms go away, and if so, after how long time? And if not, im sorry, then how are you coping?

Hope to hear from you, cause this T is bugging the hell out of me.

Best, Mark.

 

[mcassera]

I also found this thread years later as I experienced similar symptoms...
My ear was bothering my alittle from a flight to Indonesia so I decided not to dive but to snorkel around alittle.
I got alittle carried away and was freediving down around 10-15 feet just messing around - but not equalizing properly and probably coming to the surface too fast. Anyway I ended up with the same symptoms as the above user - tinnitus /swooshing sound in one ear and felt alittle uneasy. Came home and went to an ENT - hearing test revealed that I lost high frequency hearing in one ear and had pretty loud tinnitus. Got steroid shots directly into the middle ear through the ear drum (3 times) but noticed no change. I thought about hyperbaric but couldnt afford it and tried alternative medicine like accupuncture with no help. Fast forward 9 months .. my symptoms have not changed but I have learned to live with both the slight hearing loss and the tinnitus. I am scared to scuba dive or even go down more than 5 feet as I dont want to lose more hearing or increase the tinnitus. I usually have some problems equalizing when I go diving so I have to take it slow (dr also said I might have Eustachian tube dysfunction) - Any advice anyone could give to whether I can dive again would be reat.