Whether Freediving or Scuba Diving, we push the limits to exist in an environment that we are not biologically adapted to. One of the most important of these things is the need for ear equalization.
When we jumped into the water as children, there was a feeling of fullness in our ears that we couldn’t understand at that age. And when we learned that there was a very simple solution to this, we were happy when we tried to dive again and again and each ear equalized. At least I was. Now that we are a little older, I think it is time to look at this issue in more detail. I will briefly talk about how to balance our ears in a way that everyone can easily understand, whether you are a diver or not, why we sometimes fail and how we can overcome it.
As the depth increases, the pressure on us increases. And this increased pressure affects the air spaces in our body, especially the middle ear. Middle Ear; It is like an empty chamber ventilated by the Eustachian tube. The Eustachian tube is like a pipeline between the middle ear cavity and the nasal cavity (back of the nose). In other words, while one end opens to the middle ear, the other end opens to the back of the nose. The key to ear equalization lies in the Eustachian tube.
When you start diving, with increasing depth, the water pressure will push your eardrum inwards. The reason why the water pressure can push your eardrum inward is that the air in the middle ear is compressed with the pressure. What we need to do here is to replace the compressed air in the middle ear and restore the balance.
It’s like sending reinforcements from the inside to the door to prevent the enemy forces from breaking the door in medieval war movies 🙂
Well, if the Eustachian is a pipeline that is open at both ends, will the ear equalize on its own?
The Eustachian tube is closed with valves called the Eustachian Cushion, which can be opened one way. The reason for this is to prevent the entry of pollutants from our nose into the middle ear. For this reason, in order to equalize the ear, we need to apply some techniques to consciously open these valves and supplement the middle ear with air.
The Valsalva Maneuver is the most commonly used technique for people who are new to diving.
Pinch your nose with your fingers and blow air through your nose. (Do not try it now) Since our nose is closed, the air that cannot come out of our nose will cause a pressure increase in our throat and force the Eustachian tubes to open. The important thing here is to make sure that your nose is tightly closed, not the nose pocket of your mask. Especially in dives with gloves, we cannot feel this exactly and we can make mistakes.
A second technique is the Frenzel Maneuver, which we often equalize without even realizing it. This maneuver is more like swallowing and yawning to activate the muscles around the Eustachian and open the Eustachian tubes. After a certain amount of experience, you will be able to equalize your ears very naturally by swallowing.
What if we can’t equalize our ears?
Sometimes our Eustachian canals may be blocked due to flu, allergies or sinus infections. Or we may have descended quickly and uncontrollably, especially at the beginning of the dive, and not given our body the time it needs to equalize. Sometimes the technique we use may be incorrect.
In this case, the important thing is to keep calm and inform your dive leader that there is a problem in your ear and slowly ascend a few meters. Listen to your body, give it some time and try to equalize again.
If it didn’t happen at this time, you can change the technique you are using.
Your divemaster will already come to you and give you the necessary guidance, but remember that if you are in mid-water and in a flowing environment, you need to make a quick decision to continue or end the dive. This is necessary not only for your safety but also for the safety of your diving buddies.
It can happen to all of us, if our ear does not equalize, our dive is over. Forcing it more than necessary can cause long-term damage to the ear.
If you experience this problem frequently, it is worth seeing a doctor. Some people are born with narrower Eustachian tubes, which can cause problems with ear equalization.
I hope this article has helped you understand the mechanics of ear equalization and remember that nothing is more important than your health.
Have a safe dive
