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Scuba Diving And Middle Ear Squeeze (According To A Scuba Instructor)

So you’re on your dive, starting to descend and bang! one or both of your ears start to hurt. Well my friend, you are experiencing one of the most common issues us divers face, middle ear squeeze. Read on for what causes this condition and how to combat it.

Middle ear squeeze is a common issue among scuba divers.

Cause

Squeezes that us divers experience are the effects of pressure on our bodies. This occurs when we are subjected to the added weight of being under water, which is 800 times more dense than air. While at ground level, we are always subjected to 1 atmosphere of pressure, though we don’t feel it. Because of the weight of water, it only takes descending 34ft in fresh water and 33ft in salt water (because of the added weight of the salt) to reach another atmosphere.

In salt water every 33ft down equals another atmosphere of pressure.

As we learned in physics class, according to Boyle’s Law, when you increase the pressure on a gas, it’s volume will decrease. So with our ears, the added weight of the water puts pressure on our eardrum, reducing the space in our middle ear, which causes discomfort.

Added pressure on the ear drum reduces the space in the tympanic cavity or the middle ear.

Actions For Relief

For relief of this squeeze, you need to equalize, early and often, by forcing air up into the Eustachian tube to push the ear drum back into a position of neutrality. We can do this one of two ways, the Valsalva maneuver or Frenzel method.

Valsalva maneuver

The most common equalization method is the Valsalva maneuver. This is where you pinch your nose with your index finger and thumb and gently blow air out of your nose. This will force air up into the Eustachian tube to equalize that pesky ear drum.

For the Valsalva maneuver, gently blow air out of your nose while you pinch it with your index finger and thumb. Photo courtesy of Dresseldivers.com)

Frenzel Method

If you’ve ever flown, you may already be familiar with the Frenzel method of equalization. This is where you yawn, swallow and tilt your head form side to side to force air up into the Eustachian tube.

The Frenzel method you use while flying, can also help equalize scuba diving. (Photo courtesy of sinussnoringent.com)

Injuries

If a squeeze goes unchecked, it can lead to a pressure related injuries or barotrauma. When dealing with the middle ear that can mean eardrum irritation, or worse, a ruptured ear drum that could lead to hearing loss and vertigo.

An unchecked middle ear squeeze can cause some permanent damage. (Photo courtesy of alertdiver.eu)

Prevention

Colds/allergies

Now let’s be clear, if you scuba dive you are going to feel middle ear squeeze with depth. There is no avoiding it. With that said, a good way to help lessen the squeeze, and possibly trauma, is to not dive when congested or too soon after an allergy attack or cold.

To help avoid severe middle ear squeeze and potential injury, do not dive with or soon after a cold or allergy attack.

Medications

Some divers, including yours truly on occasion, have found the use of anti-inflammatory, anti-allergy and decongestant medications, such as pseudoephedrine, helpful in equalization. Before using such medication, make sure to consult with your Dr. to make sure it is right for you and is not contradictory to any other medicine you may be taking. I would also recommend trying any new medicine a couple of days prior to diving to see if you experience any side effects, prior to them occurring while you are under the water.

Make sure to consult with your Dr. before using any medication, like Sudfed, while diving.

Wrapping Things Up

So there you have it. Middle ear squeeze is a common occurrence that all of us divers face, but it does not, and should not, lead to an injury. Remember to equalize early and often to stay ahead of the squeeze. take it slow descending and if you can’t equalize, STOP. Ascend a few feet. Then start to descend again while equalizing. If the ear(s) still won’t clear, STOP AND ABORT THE DIVE. It’s always better to play it safe and come back another day, if you can’t equalize.

If You’re Looking For other Scuba Diving Tips, Check Out The Below.

“How boring would the world be if everywhere and everyone were the same. Safe travels and good adventures.” Scuba Jay

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