Reverse ear block and problems clearing

[Kidder]

I like many have cronic sinus problems. I always fear a faliure to clear condition at depth. I often take a decongestant before diving if I have a hint of congestion. I've heard that my open water instructor damaged his ear drums because he was try to hard to clear at depth. What I fear the most about clearing though is not trouble on the way down, but trouble on the way up. I was wondering if there was anyone here that has experienced this condition and if so what they did to fix the situation.

[dludwig]

I usually have trouble clearing my left ear. If I can't equalize before the thermalcline, I won't get it cleared. I first noticed the problem in April, diving at Bull Shoals. I tried to hard to "get down" & may have done some damage...but of course I still haven't went to the Dr.

[somewhereinla]

http://www.uwtv.org/programs/displayevent.aspx?rID=2272

[fire diver]

My dive buddy gets reverse blocks sometimes. He has cronic ear problems and has been told that he shouldn't dive becuase of it. But he doesn't care, he's half deaf anyway. In Grand Cayman our last dive was supposed to last 40 minutes. It wound up being 53, becuase we were just hanging on the line at 10 feet waiting for his ear to clear. MAking a chewing motion with the jaw can help sometimes.

Anyway, the only thing you can do is plan your dive to have are and time left over at the end. If you have a problem coming up, just take it REAL slow. Try spending the last half of your dive in the upper 20 -10 feet.

FD

[cummings66]

I have had a reverse block one time. I was coming up and felt the pressure build and couldn't fix it, dropped down a bit to 10 feet and hung out waiting. It took probably 10 minutes or so but it cleared and I come up.

No pain, no damage because I recognized the issue and took action to prevent it. That's one good reason to have a reserve of air for your buddy as well as yourself, ie rock bottom. It gives you extra gas in case of trouble like that.

[USF_Diver]

Never had a reverse block, sounds like it really sucks.

I have noticed on the first dive I am ok but if I come up to the surface and try to go down shortly after I have problems clearing my ears.

[fisheater]

I had one, once.

It was on a deep UW Nav dive for a specialty course and I'm embarrassed that I didn't recognize it for what it was at first. I guess that I was more task overloaded than I thought.

[cummings66]

It's like anything else, if you feel pain stop what you're doing and reverse directions. You don't need to know if it's a reverse block or just normal equalizing problems. If you're going down and it hurts reverse and go up a bit. If you're coming up and you feel that pressure reverse and go down a bit. Just pay attention to the pressure and reverse whatever you were doing and you should be ok. Wait a bit, don't try to force the equalization, let it come naturally. PS, dropping down the problem is too little air pressure and introducing it helps, coming up the problem is too much air pressure and removing it helps. Of course, most of the time you're not going to do much in that regards but you can usually hang and it will come slowly. The Valsalva helps going down, reverse that and suck in can help coming up.

[USF_Diver]

Thanks for the info cummings66.

Sounds like they happen more to people with ear problerms, but can strike at any time.

[cummings66]

I don't have ear problems, but I do have allergies and if I dive the second dive before about an hour of SI I can often get issues equalizing. Never had but one reverse block though and it didn't scare me because I knew what it was and I knew I had enough air to hang there for hours if needed.