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mirage

Ears Ringing/pressure

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Just curious if anyone else has had problems with ringing ears/pressure after jumping. Often I've ended the jump day with slight ringing and hearing loss, but would be back to normal the next day. About two months ago I had a slamming hard opening, on top of a extremely sore body my right ear has been ringing ever since. Doctors prognosis is allergy congestion combined with pressure from freefall causes the ringing. He gave me some decongestants which haven't helped at all. If anyone has had similar problem I'd be interested to hear........Chris

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CAn't offer any help on the ringing ears, since mine ring nearly all the time anyway (tinnitus-) But- Do you do the valsalva thing to clear your ears under canopy and when you land? (hold your nose and blow-) I usually do it right after opening and after landing- Plus a little sudafed or somethiing non-drowsy -- But definitely consult the doctor!

Easy Does It

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You might want to think about contacting an Aviation Medical Examiner. Talk to one of the pilots or a tandem instructor at your dropzone about where to find one in your area.

Most family practice doctors know little, if anything, about medications for flight applications.

You should be aware that some over-the-counter medications that people might recommend at normal altitudes can have some pretty nasty effects at jumprun altitudes. Even something as seemingly harmless as normal aspirin should be taken with caution.

For some examples of what drugs may or may not be allowed for pilots (and just a good idea for skydivers), take a look at THIS.
quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

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Thanks all for the feedback. I did a few jumps this weekend with no ill-effects. I took some Clariton(non-drowsy,doctor prescribed) and depressurized(hold nose and blow) right after I was safely under canopy. My ear is still ringing day in/day out, but didn't seem affected by jumping again.
Link on post above had some great info. including another skydiver with similar problem. Also researched tinituss a little bit, and one of the causes can be neck/head injury. Maybe that slamming hard opening that has given me some back problems also plays a part in the ear ringing...........Chris

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Quote

Maybe that slamming hard opening that has given me some back problems



See a doctor! the column is something you have to take care like if it was more than your life.

About the ears thing, am glad the pills worked but you gotta find another way to do it, the pills work at first but after a while (if you jump a lot of days a week) they loose the effect, you get inmune or maybe addict.

HISPA 21
www.panamafreefall.com

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I'll be interested to see if you get it diagnosed. I have had a problem with my right ear getting a fluid buildup after every jump since jump # 1. The docs told me that if I jumped with the fluid in there, I'd really do some serious damage, so have to wait 7 - 10 days between jumps ... :(. I tried all the otc stuff, and a couple of prescription things, let them do a ct scan of my sinuses ... even stuck little tiny video cams up my nose ... can't figure out what's causing it. When I have the $$$ saved up, gonna just get one of those tubes put in my eardrum instead of spending more trying to get the problem pinpointed.
As long as you are happy with yourself ... who cares what the rest of the world thinks?

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>Just curious if anyone else has had problems with ringing
>ears/pressure after jumping.

Ringing ears - yes, it was a problem until I started using earplugs. Exposure to sound levels on a typical super otter can cause short term tinnitus and long term hearing loss. (worse on a Skyvan, of course, and I'd be amazed if you could jump a C123 without earplugs and not damage your ears.)

Pressure - there's a muscle near my jaw that I can use to open my eustachian tubes. I discovered it while SCUBA diving years ago, and pressure hasn't bothered me since. Before that I used swallowing, coughing and valsalva to relieve pressure problems in my ear. (Note that valsalva only works while descending, not climbing.)

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>How to you do it??? Instructions, please. :-)

I have no idea. For all I know it's an involuntary muscle in most people. When I tense it up my ears make a hollow ringing noise and my eustachian tubes open. It seems to be between my ear and the top of my mandible.

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That method is called the Frenzel maneuver its like doing the valsalva but instead of exhale air while clogging the nose what you do is use the throat muscles to compress the air against the squeezed nose, in time you get to learn how to use the throat/jaw muscles in a unconcious way, happens to all the scuba divers.

Hope it helps. If I find an easier way to explain it I will do it.:)

HISPA 21
www.panamafreefall.com

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