help with reverse block

[chewyjr15]

this morning me and my classmates did our first open water dives the frist dive felt well no porblems equalizing great we had fun. The secound dive i delt ok until i hit about 45 feet and i couldnt equalize finally i did and all was well until i hit the surface i made a slow ascent at about 20 feet per minuite. Now i have a horrible reverse block and i just can't get the pressure behinf my right ear to relieve. I called dan adn they said sudafed adn hot conpress iv been takling sudafed and im going to do a hot compress but is there another way to get this to pass?

[Flatliner]

A bit of advice I got from DAN to relieve my ear issues once was to hold my head back and give a couple of squirts of the pediatric nose spray. Seemed to help clear it up BUT if you are already on the Sudafed I am not sure if it would be a good idea.

[Puffer Fish]

Originally Posted by Flatliner

A bit of advice I got from DAN to relieve my ear issues once was to hold my head back and give a couple of squirts of the pediatric nose spray. Seemed to help clear it up BUT if you are already on the Sudafed I am not sure if it would be a good idea.

I would try one of the long lasting nasal sprays - one of the non-drip types.

Sudafed is not that strong, and does not work with everyone.

I would suggest that he may have done some damage, and that the pain is not from a reverse block, but from the damage done during the reverse block.. may be time to see a doctor.

[chewyjr15]

I have some dives tommorow that I may call any other suggestions please its really uncomfortable

[gibson1525]

i understand how uncomfortable they are, i used to get them also. they only thing i found that worked was to take an oral decongestant, some nasal spray and an anti-inflammatory pain killer and try and sleep it off.

i know it doesn't help now, but to prevent them i start taking an oral decongestant at least a week before i'm going to be diving plus a nasal spray each morning i'm diving. hope it clears up, let us know if anything worked for you.

[chewyjr15]

if its not clear tommorow should I call my dives?

[chace_nicole]

I would, you wouldn't want to risk doing any damage or making things worse.

[chewyjr15]

If its not cleared by the morning should I seek medical care?

[gibson1525]

definitely call the dives if it hasn't cleared up and it might be worth a trip to the doc. if nothing else he can give you a stronger decongestant than the over the counter stuff.

[wgt]

If the ear is still affected, as you report, definitely call the dive. In addition to the good advice offered by the helpful masses, you may also find that the consumption of heated beverages (e.g., herbal tea, lemonade, etc.) may soothe and facilitate clearing.

In the careful diver, squeezes can indeed be a nuisance. Reverse squeezes, on the other hand, can be quite dangerous beyond the control of even the wisest of divers. A slow ascent may have provided you with sufficient protection against injury, although you are perhaps still dealing with lingering dysfunction of equalization mechanisms. On the other hand, it is also possible that you actually provoked an injury.

As you may have little experience with the sensations that you are sadly enduring, a trip to your doctor may at least allow you to rule out a frank injury (as perhaps evidenced by blood behind the tympanic membrane [eardrum]). If such an injury has occurred, there is still not likely much to do other than to wait. Nevertheless, it is better to know what you're dealing with and to find ways to avoid the problem in the future.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery and a return to the water.