When to See An ENT Doc

[matt151617]

When should I throw in the towel and see a doctor? Last class, we were sitting on the bottom of a 7ft pool. I tried every method of equalizing before class, did it on the surface of the water, and did going underwater. Still had slight pain at 7ft, and couldn't get rid of it.

Next day after class, I was getting bad ear pains with tiny altitute changes while driving. One ear felt a little better after a couple hours, and a little water came out.

Should I go see an ENT doctor, or chalk it up to inexperience with equalizing properly? I always have problems with my ears on airplanes too.

[reactive]

I would go see the ENT.

[ratown]

I would see a doctor. That is weird to get all messed up at 7'. I have posted this before, but a friend of mine had a lot of problems equalizing and the day after certification she went to the doctor and found out she had two ear infections. I wouldn't mess with that stuff. Go see a doctor.

What methods are you using to equalize?

[Charles R]

Don't mess with it see the ENT and also don't try to equalize to hard as that can cause severe damage as well.

[reactive]

check this video out too:
Doc's Diving Medicine Home Page

[spatman]

your ears are not something you want to mess with. if you're having problems at 7' in a pool it will be a lot worse in deeper water.

go see a doctor.

[matt151617]

I watched that video, and I've read up, and tried all the equalization techniques (there's like 10 or so of them). My checkout dive is scheduled for May 31st, but I think I'll have to tell my instructor I'm having ear problems and may not be able to do it then.

[Penguino]

Yeah, another vote here for the doctor. You don't want to permanently damage your ears which is quite possible if you are having problems at such shallow depths. Its just not worth it.

[cummings66]

I've experienced problems as shallow as 5 feet, it really doesn't take much to start telling you things are not right. By 10 feet you know it's wrong and it starts physically hurting if you try to go much deeper.

If you're starting early on the surface and have problems then yes I do believe an ENT is the way to go because there may be a cure. The only real thing I could tell you is quite often in a new diver it's a matter of technique, and nobody outside of you can actually feel if you're doing it right or not. The video link posted showed him watching a diver and telling the diver they're not doing it hard enough, he watched the nose to see how the fleshy part expanded and based his conclusion on that.

[caroln]

I would go see the ENT immediately, but I would ask DAN for a recommendation for an ENT in your area and go to him rather than just any random doc.