Another ear pressure problem again

[chrismgtis 0]

Well, this is the second time I've had a problem with pressure on the descent. I was sick Wednesday and Thursday and the glands in my neck were swollen. I think they weren't completely healed Saturday so I am going to assume this had something to do with it, though I'm not sure why.

Right after the pull I feel the pressure on my ear drums and try to equalize the pressure. Doesn't work. I get to about 3000 and I'm starting to get pretty worried hoping my ear drums don't implode.

When I got on the ground I stood there for several minutes trying to equalize the pressure and I had a lot of pressure on my ears which was freaking me out. After a few minutes I finally got my right ear to pop and it made a really freaky noise when the air escaped and it hurt a bit.

The left ear equalized after a few minutes fine and the pain left the right ear, but I couldn't hear normally out of the right for hours and still felt sort of an air pocket in that ear. I tried for hours to valsalva and swallow, stretch my jaw, whatever I could think of. About 6 hours later it finally started to let off.

This was Saturday and today my ear feels fine, but I can tell it's still a little funky. I think there may be some fluid on my ear drum, but I can't really tell for sure.

This weekend I am going snowboarding so I will have two weeks to let my ears rest.

Moral of this... if your glands are even slightly swollen, it may not be a good idea to skydive?

Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

[stayhigh 2]

never had ear problem,, had one sinus problem tho,, my nose started bleeding after 8000ft, and stopped after 20 sec after bleeding out blood and some yellow goo,,,jumped anyways,,, ended up having biggest headache while freefall, and under canopy..

Bernie Sanders for President 2016

[azdav 0]

Had sinus problem once........Doin some rw and @ 6K the inside of my faceshield was covered with blood. Freaked me out and the the others too.

Made for an interesting track off though

Noooobody expects the Spanish Inquisition!!! M.P.F.C.

[Acoisa 0]

Put cotton in your ear when you're snowboarding; so the wind won't get in.

Or wear one of these

[LordRatner 0]

I have similar problems all the time. A guess about one in every five trips to the DZ, I'll have equalization problems.

I just got good at opening my face shield right after the canopy is deployed and valsalving. I have to do a pretty gnarly valsalva too, it feels like I'm pumping air into my head.

On the other hand, if I don't equalized within about 30 seconds, I get some vicious migraines.

[MTGirl 2]

This happened to me once as well when I was sick. My right ear didn't pop for 3 days. It finally cleared up after my nurse friend told me a 'wives-tale' about putting in a few drops of warm olive oil before bed and then sleeping on my opposite side so the oil wouldn't drip out. I thought she was full of it, but it actually helped, only my ear made this really creepy hissing noise and I had a lot of pain when it popped. Lesson learned.

[Beerlight 0]

lots of threads around on this very subject. Condensed version:

- don't jump with a cold
- sudafed
- loss of hearing can equal loss of hearing!
- that full feeling you think is fluid...is. usually blood in the inner ear from damage you caused
- performing a valsalva while you have a cold is the worst thing you can do

cheers.....

[karenmeal 0]

Also take some nasal spray like afrin (sp?) to help.

I don't believe that it is accurate to say that there is blood in the inner ear. That would have caused an awful lot of damage! A worst case scenario is that you could rupture your tympanic membrane. (Eardrum.) The full filling that you get is that the air filled space in your middle air is unable to equalize to the outside pressure due to clogging or obstruction of the eustachian tubes. Your ear feels full because of the stretching of the tympanic membrane. You get a resultant temporary hearing loss because the stretching of the TM prevents sounds from causing it to vibrate as easily.

I know that personally I cannot jump after having a cold that caused congestion or after a sinus infection. I need to be really careful with that, even if I fill 95% better I need to wait to 100%. Not only does it hurt my ears badly, but I can get incredible sinus pressure and nose bleeds in freefall as well. If I were you, in the future I would be very careful about returning to skydiving after a cold. Maybe try a hop and pop first to see how it feels and then go to full altitude if you're feeling comfortable. Also prepare by taking sudafed, Afrin a few hours before and then a half hour before you jump.

Well.. there you go. Some of audiology 101.

"Life is a temporary victory over the causes which induce death." - Sylvester Graham

[sunshine 2]

I have had ear problems for years. Mine was due to my jaw being misalinged and causing fluid build up in my right ear. I currently have braces to align my jaw properly. It sucks having braces, but i love not getting ear infections and ear aches anymore.

___________________________________________
meow

I get a Mike hug! I get a Mike hug!

[mnealtx 0]

Quote

This happened to me once as well when I was sick. My right ear didn't pop for 3 days. It finally cleared up after my nurse friend told me a 'wives-tale' about putting in a few drops of warm olive oil before bed and then sleeping on my opposite side so the oil wouldn't drip out. I thought she was full of it, but it actually helped, only my ear made this really creepy hissing noise and I had a lot of pain when it popped. Lesson learned.

I don't see how that would help...isn't the Eustachian tube BEHIND the eardrum?

Mike
I love you, Shannon and Jim.
POPS 9708 , SCR 14706

[Beerlight 0]

I should have said "middle ear"... good catch.

While just the other day while checking out a patients ears suffering from barotrauma, fluid...ie. plasma, blood....filled the middle ear.

[MTGirl 2]

Something about the warm oil creating a difference in air pressure from the temperature of it so it helps the fluid in the tube move out of the ear...but that's just what she said, I'm not ear/nose/thoat doc. She said warm water works too, but the oil has less of a tendency to drip out of the ear right away. All I know is it worked for me!

[aguila 0]

recipe

Boiled water: 100 cc
salt: 1/3 tea spoon
mix

4 drops into each nose the night before jumping, repeat before driving to the airport or drop zone
repeat before taking off
repeat at 5000 ft

While doing it, keep your head as you keep it while arching so the drops get well inside the nose

Hope it helps

sky/scubadiver physician

Gonzalo

It cannot be done really means I do not know how to do it ... yet

[chrismgtis 0]

Quote

recipe

Boiled water: 100 cc
salt: 1/3 tea spoon
mix

4 drops into each nose the night before jumping, repeat before driving to the airport or drop zone
repeat before taking off
repeat at 5000 ft

While doing it, keep your head as you keep it while arching so the drops get well inside the nose

Hope it helps

sky/scubadiver physician

What is that supposed to do?

Rodriguez Brother #1614, Muff Brother #4033
Jumped: Twin Otter, Cessna 182, CASA, Helicopter, Caravan

[aguila 0]

It makes easier that the inner medium ear air pressure equalizes the external air pressure through the eustachian tubes.

Gonzalo

It cannot be done really means I do not know how to do it ... yet

[scroadload 1]

I had hay fever for many years while jumping, my ears would be OK going up but upon opening I would have tremendous pressure and would have to clear by holding my nose (val salving) and holding great pressure for upwards of 30 seconds to clear one or "please" both ears. I would get that hissing noise and then the welcome pop. This would start in Aug and last till first frost 1 Oct. I averaged about 20 jumps a week and never had any problems other than the discomfort.

D-2626, SCR1999, SCS641, NSCR2350, GW6909

Blue Skies!!!!!!