![]() ![]() The structures in the ear that handle balance are in the inner ear. The disorientation and dizziness Zack felt at depth was the cooler seawater entering his middle ear. It took eight weeks for him to be able to return to diving. Zack was placed on antibiotics and told to keep his ears dry. When he finally consulted a doctor, he was diagnosed with middle-ear barotrauma and a bacterial infection from seawater in his ear. Not understanding what had happened to him, Zack continued diving the rest of the week. Luckily, many eardrum perforations will heal on their own or with a little help from a doctor once the infection is healed. Anyone with a suspected eardrum rupture should see a doctor immediately to address possible infection. That’s what happened to Zack when he felt that explosion. The body compensates for that by adding fluid to the middle ear space or, if the pressure outside builds up too quickly, the eardrum will rupture, and seawater enters the middle ear. If the eustachian tube is blocked for any reason, the water pressure forces the eardrum inward. When you equalize, you are adding air, which is at ambient pressure because of your regulator, to that air space. ![]() It is connected to the throat through the eustachian tubes. In short, the middle ear is an air space behind the eardrum that allows your ear to adjust to the pressure of the water. Ears should be equalized early and often-before the presence of pain. Good ear health is paramount for divers, but we often take our healthy ears for granted. AnalysisĮar problems are one of the most common dive injuries. He also found that he could not hear clearly. He did notice his ear felt “full,” and he experienced mild pain the rest of the week. Zack finished the dive and completed the rest of the planned dives over the next three days without incident. Just as quickly as it started, the pain went away. His ear throbbed, and for about a minute he was disoriented and dizzy. Before he could ascend again to relieve the pressure, he felt a pop in his ear. He was just following along with the other divers in the group and matching their descent rate.Īt around 50 feet of seawater, he felt the pain returning in his left ear. Zack wasn’t making a particularly rapid descent. Once the pressure eased, he continued the dive. He signaled to the divemaster that he was having trouble before ascending a few feet to relieve the pressure and attempt to equalize again. Zack noticed he was a little congested, but he assumed it was just due to the air conditioning in his hotel and was certain things would clear up once he was out in the sun and fresh air.ĭuring his descent, Zack noticed some pressure in his left ear at about 20 feet of seawater. There were good diving conditions and clear skies. At the time of the dive he had no known health conditions. He was in his mid-30s and in good health. He hadn't been diving regularly and was just getting back into it. Zack was a relatively new diver with fewer than 20 dives under his belt. Everything was fine during the dive until he felt what he described as an “explosion” in that same ear. Zack felt some pain in his left ear but was able to work through it and continue the dive. Once all of the divers had geared up, Zack entered the water with the group and started his descent. ![]() He planned to make seven dives over the course of his vacation, and although it had been a long time since he had been underwater, he was excited to be back. Zack was getting geared up for the first dive of his trip. ![]()
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