My tubes open anytime I close my glottis and think real hard. Without my glottis closed I can not open them at all.
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I have just burst my ear drum. I was diving a few hours ago in shallow water. I also felt no pressure or pain before it went. Just a pop and the feeling of my head filling up with water. I am absolutley gutted! I haven't seen the doc yet but I know it going to mean two months off diving. Thats my summer spearfishing denied! -And i bought a boat this week! GUTTED!!Tympano Terror! I like it..
just a few reassuring words from someone who has been there...
In 2002 and 2003, I perforated and ruptured both ear drums, on scuba and freediving several times. Depending on the severity this involved six weeks out of the water for a big rupture (or in the pool with ear plugs) down to just one week for the tiny holes... I saw several docs and a couple of specialists. Every time, they popped before they hurt.
One theory is that this happened because I had grommets in my ears as a kid and the scars were still there so pressure wasn't spreading evenly across the drum.
Anyhow... I have now adapted my equalisation technique to equalise earlier and more often, dive a bit slower on the first part of the descent and.. touch wood.. I haven't had a problem for about a year...
so it doesn't mean you have to give up, just play carefully for a while! and while they are fixing.. keep em dry.. even in the bath or shower. Get some swimmers ear plugs and use them when you go near any kind of water... that way they heal a lot quicker.
Sam
It is therefore important to let water into the hood, doing small holes with a hot nail near the ears, or keeping a straw or some tie under the hood, so that full pressure can enter easily.
Yes, it mostly works. Mostly. Until it then does not work and you burst your eardrum, because there remained a bubble, or got there from other parts of your suite (it can be even an accidental fart that lands in your hood ), or air gets inside when you are on the surface again. You either need to open the hood regularly at each dive, or use the holes or straw, otherwise you risk an accident anyway.Trux: shortly after entering the ocean I put my fingers into my hood close to the ears and let them flood with water. I only do this once and it seems to work fine. Any reason that holes or straws would be better?? Thanks
Hi Tylerz! A few years ago you posted that you were writing a document on "circular equalising". Did you manage to do the document please because I have soooo much trouble with tiny eustacian tubes that just don't want to be helpful!! I am an open water scuba and have been using Valsava (10 mins to 10m hmmm not ideal!!). I've now done a freediving course and learned frenzel but am still having problems. My best attempt was 7.5m in 45secs...a huge improvement but still not good since after that I could only get to 5m before ears hurt. Can you please help??!! I really want to scuba with my husband and do a little freediving but am stuck.A couple points:
#1. We have had a fellow, here on Vancouver Island, who has just had the same thing happen to him. He has had difficulty with his ears all his life, bursting them a couple times. He has just got into diving over the last while and diving relatively shallow and under normal circumstances, his eardrum burst. He didn't even feel it building up or bursting. Just knew by the sound and sensations afterwards. Continued his dive and was not amused to say the least later.
#2. As I recommended for him, I would also recommend for anybody with sensitive ears, difficult ears, history of rupture, etc., that you attempt to learn what I call "Circular Equalizing". I am in the process of writing a detailed explanation of it, but essentially you need to learn how to the single mouthfill equalizing technique, as explained in Eric Fattah's detailed document. Then modify this slightly so that you do not do individual equalizations, but instead maintain tongue compression to leave the eustacian tubes open throughout the descent. As you are about to run out of air, you open your throat whilst squeezing air up from your lungs in a valsalva maneuver, to IMMEDIATELY maintain pressure on the eustacian tubes as you fill your mouth once again. This is essentially two things at once. A valsalva maintenance equalization and a mouthfill. The thing to keep in mind is that you don't let your eustacian tubes close, so it is not technically an individual valsalva equalization. Close off the throat when the mouthfill is complete and IMMEDIATELY switch to tongue compression. Cycle this until your depth, or until you can no longer do the mouthfill.
The benefits I see of this technique, is that you are not allowing the eustacian tubes to close, therefore you can maintain a constant pressure on the ear drums. This stops the scenario where you have sudden opening of the eustacian tubes followed by sudden pressure on the eardrum. As well this assist for people who can perform an equalization but often their tubes get "sticky" or tired as they continue to equalize. The continual open and closing of the tubes can create an environment that is more suceptible to sealing shut, due to fatigue, swelling, and suction created in the closing. Or that at least is the theory I have so far.
So, overall I see this as a much safer means of equalizing for all, and much more pleasurable as you are diving, except that it would not be viable to do handsfree, unless you tightened your mask considerably. The pleasure coming from the fact that you are never equalizing or feeling a change in pressure in your ears. It is silent and smooth.
Cheers,
Tyler
Hi Tylerz! A few years ago you posted that you were writing a document on "circular equalising". Did you manage to do the document please because I have soooo much trouble with tiny eustacian tubes that just don't want to be helpful!! I am an open water scuba and have been using Valsava (10 mins to 10m hmmm not ideal!!). I've now done a freediving course and learned frenzel but am still having problems. My best attempt was 7.5m in 45secs...a huge improvement but still not good since after that I could only get to 5m before ears hurt. Can you please help??!! I really want to scuba with my husband and do a little freediving but am stuck.