Massive head ake and ear presuure, help please!

[bennypr2002 0]

Hello All,
Yesterday I went on my first jump. Of course tandum. It was great experience except for a few things. First of all, after the jump my ear/head felt much pressure. This caused a bad head ake, and nausea for a good hour, hour and 1/2. I really want to go again, but i want to get through the experience feeling good when i hit the ground. I do not want fell like im goin to throw up and need to take many asprins. ANy advice for my next jump will be greatly appreaited. I couldnt really appreaticate this experince to the fuullest because i felt like Sh** after the jump. Please respoond with some tips to avoid this massive presure in my head and ears. Thanks

[Genn 0]

I had pressure in my head after my first jump too. I just held my nose and gently cleared my ears.

No need to worry though...it goes away and wont happen too much longer.

As far as feeling sick...I didn't..but I think it's from the adrenaline...which you will also get used to.

Good luck! I hope the same works for you!

[SLOfreefall 0]

I had some similar effects on my first few jumps. I now try and clear my head but popping my ears on the way to altitude, and when I land. That seems to do the trick because I haven't felt that discomfort in some time.

[bennypr2002 0]

when you say clearing pressure by closing nose and blowing, is that when going up in the plane, or when you are falling down to the earth? Also can you clear pressure by just swallowing hard? Thanks for the help after i clear this little matter up i think my second jump will be much more enjoyable than my first.

[Genn 0]

I've done it under canopy and after I landed.

Hope that helps!

[CrazyIvan 0]

What I always do after deploying and checking my canopy, slider, etc is pop my ears, I've noticed that if I do it up high, I have no problems on the ground, maybe just a minor 'cosmetic' pop and that's it.

__________________________________________
Blue Skies and May the Force be with you.

[jerry81 10]

I'm not sure if it's entirely correct, but based on my snorkeling and skydiving experiences, I'd say it goes like this;

When you're going up, the pressure gets lower and your eardrums start expanding outward. When you swallow hard, you lower the pressure inside your head, thus equalizing it with the outside. Do this whenever your head/ears start feeling like an overblown balloon.

As soon as the canopy opens, close your nose and blow gently till your ears pop. The outside pressure is now higher than it was a minute ago and it's pushing your eardrums in. By blowing you raise the pressure in your head and it once again equalizes with the outside pressure. You could wait 'till you land to do this, but it hurts a bit more then.

I think your body adjusts to these changes over time, but they're not that big to begin with. (You'll experience greater pressure changes diving 30' under water than jumping from 12000'.)
Anyway, I hope you enjoy your next ride!

---

[rigging65 0]

Don't jump with any sort of a head cold...sinus pressure can build up. Hurts like crazy.

Sometimes a mild sinus cold or allergy issue can cause the same things to happen.

"...and once you had tasted flight, you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward.
For there you have been, and there you long to return..."

[MrHixxx 0]

One word for ya: Sudafed. If you have even mild sinus trouble, it can lead to painful pressure. I have a lot of sinus trouble and Sudafed works everytime for me, no drowsiness - just pressure relief.

-Hixxx

death,as men call him, ends what they call men
-but beauty is more now than dying’s when

[phoenixlpr 0]

Try a chewing gum! It use to help pressurizing.

Safe landings

[nathaniel 0]

or a mint...just remember it should be gone one way or another before you jump out... think about it if you open your mouth in freefall it isn't going to fall down...

"the jumper's parachute opened safely by 5000ft but the jumper choked on his gum and was unconscious by the time he landed."

I don't want to read that any time soon in the incidents forum...

nathaniel

My advice is to do what your parents did; get a job, sir. The bums will always lose. Do you hear me, Lebowski?

[drenaline 0]

Hey Jerry, what you said is correct, the pressure builds in the ear and thats what you clear when you send air from the inside to push the outside (yeah I know, this is the lazy way to explain )

To be a lil more specific: when you go up the pressure will lower, making the air expand and since you have air in the inner ear it will try to push the eardrums to the outside so you gotta counter that pressure and to do that what you can do are several things, one of them is swallow hard, yawn or close your nose and INHALE (its called inverse Valsalva or inverse Frentzen, can't remember sorry).

Now what happens when you start falling from the beautiful blue skies is that the midle ear had equalize to the low pressure outside but now the pressure will start pushing it to the inside and here is when its dangerous because you can rupture the eardrum so you gotta act fast to equalize and to do so, what you can do is swallow, move your jawbone (to let air inside the midle ear and that way it will equilize), close your nose and swallow, or close your nose and blow.

A great advice I can give to anybody is that you SHOULDN'T go skydiving if you have a cold, flu, and specially if you have sinus, you might hurt yourself very bad.

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I think your body adjusts to these changes over time

Correct, in time the body will learn how to adjust to the pressure almost automatic with only a lil input like swallowing to help it work faster and sometimes we learn how to move the muscles that are in the ear and equalize a lot faster and easier.

drenaline - PADI Dive Master

[FallinWoman 1]

Great advice already posted...I have a couple of things to add.

Do not jump with a major sinus infection or blockage.

If you are going to jump and your nose is not perfectly clear, try a decongestant nose spray 30 minutes before you jump. I had to do this for about a year after I blew out both eardrums and injured my inner ear (jumping with a cold.)

Always best to wait for perfect health...you will enjoy the whole experience that much more!

~Anne

I'm a Doll!!!!

[corso 0]

I have bad sinuses but found that once i did a few jumps i did not notice the pressure that much. The bad headache and nausia sounds like it could be down to a the Eustachian tube which can become sticky and prevent equalisation of the pressure. It is worth going to see your GP but there is often little that can be done for sinus problems. Otrivine is a good decongestiant but it is not good to use those steroid based sprays too much instead smelling olbas oil is a less effectiv ebut more natural remedy. In short if you are concerned see your doctor because you do not want to damge your ear it can effect your balance as well as your hearing which will effect your ability to do all the things you take for granted.

Blue skies

[bch7773 0]

not trying to hijack here, but has anybody ever jumped, and then later noticed that their ears made crackling noises for a few days afterwords?

I had this happen after my first jump from 14k, and one of my ears made crackling or popping noises for a couple of days. Is this normal for jumps from 14k, or did i pop an eardrum or something?

people who have broken their eardrums, how did you know that you broke yours?

MB 3528, RB 1182

[WayneRATS 0]

sounds like the pressure got too much and theres something gone a miss.. make sure you equalize....

------------------------
Can You Ere Me Now?

[drenaline 0]

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has anybody ever jumped, and then later noticed that their ears made crackling noises for a few days afterwords?

The ear had some trouble equalizing and it was a lil hurt but so small that you didn't felt the pain just the cloged ear with the crackling noise. Did you had a flu before or did after that happened? its usually that.

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people who have broken their eardrums, how did you know that you broke yours?

I haven't broken my eardrums but I have hurted my eardrums very bad and it HURTS! you have no idea the pain, I also was kinda deaf for about a week or more and dizzy.

From the med books when you break a eardrum you will bleed, have intensive pain, deaf in that ear and dizziness, I think thats all of the symptoms.

HISPA 21
www.panamafreefall.com

[vt1977 0]

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I haven't broken my eardrums but I have hurted my eardrums very bad and it HURTS! you have no idea the pain, I also was kinda deaf for about a week or more and dizzy.

I'll second that! I haven't actually burst my ear drums either, but when you over do it and hurt them the pain is absolutely unbelievable - it is so intense it is almost enough to make you want to be sick.

My general rule is that if I can clear my ears on the ground, then I am ok to jump. If I can't, then I stay on the ground - simple. The pain is just not worth it for one jump!

Vicki

[geon 0]

I am also someone who has a lot of trouble with ear preasure. On my first jump my left eardrum tore on the way down and bled all the way home and it took 10 days for my right ear to start working again. I did sudafed and nose spray for my second tandem jump and at 10,000 feet the pain was so bad I didn't know my own name and could not deploy. I was unable to stand when I reached the DZ. I will be trying ear plugs as soon as I can jump again. PS. it took about a day for my ears to work properly again after the second jump.

[Beerlight 0]

Quote

I am also someone who has a lot of trouble with ear preasure. On my first jump my left eardrum tore on the way down and bled all the way home and it took 10 days for my right ear to start working again. I did sudafed and nose spray for my second tandem jump and at 10,000 feet the pain was so bad I didn't know my own name and could not deploy. I was unable to stand when I reached the DZ. I will be trying ear plugs as soon as I can jump again. PS. it took about a day for my ears to work properly again after the second jump.

A. Ear plugs have ZERO to do with equalizing the air pressure in your middle ear.

B. Do not jump with any ear or sinus congestion. The normal "sniffly" type congestion is ok, but cold type congestion is a big no no........

Additionally, your ears will automatically clear themselves on the ride to altitude. Sometimes rocking your jaw will aid the escape of air from your middle ear via the eustachian tube. But NEVER ever Valsalva (ie. close nose and blow) on ascent. That is ONLY for descent. Someone said that you should swallow on the ride to altitude, that is wrong also.


Buck

[Evelyn 0]

Quote

One word for ya: Sudafed. If you have even mild sinus trouble, it can lead to painful pressure. I have a lot of sinus trouble and Sudafed works everytime for me, no drowsiness - just pressure relief.

-Hixxx

I swear by Sudafed. On the days I jump I start taking Sudafed as soon as I get up and take it every 4 hours throughout the day. I do this every time I jump and I never have a problem. Before another skydiver told me about Sudafed my ears would be totally plugged by the end of the day and I'd end up with sinus infections. I jump every weekend and no problems as long as I take the Sudafed.

Life is either a daring adventure or nothing ~ Helen Keller

[vt1977 0]

After far too long suffering with slightly dodgy ears keeping me grounded on and off, I finally went to see my doctor about the problem. He was extremely helpful and recommended that I use Beconase nasal spray. I have been using it since and (knock on wood!) my ears and general congestion issues have been significantly better.
Vicki

[geon 0]

I have no problem on assent only decent. My ears equalise fine when we go up it is just the decent and I have no sinus problems. The big deal is my ear drums which get pushed in on decent. I will be trying earplugs which are made for just this problem.
One brand is called earplanes. I am constantly told that there are some people who just cannot jump because of this problem, I am not ready to accept that.

[Beerlight 0]

Learn the proper way to perform a "Valsalva".

Basically, pinch nose, close mouth and blow like your blowing your nose. Do not puff out your cheeks. Keeping your teeth clinched together aids in the performance of the manuever.

I still unable, I would see an ENT specialist.

Good luck...

Buck

[geon 0]

I got you, but my ears blind me before I deploy and they do not equalise. I have seen an EMT twice and now it is a chalenge to see how I can fix this.