How to Equalize While Diving

2024-06-14 14:59:15

It is very important for you to Equalize your ears,

How to Equalize While Diving

Every time you dive, it is very important for you to Equalize your ears, initially during the descent, and also every time you feel pressure in your ears, and during any other descent during the dive. You should Equalize as soon as you get in the water and start your descent. If you are going slow, equalize as you descend, once every three seconds. Once you start descending faster, you should be equalizing constantly.
Eustachian tubes are the tubes that connect your middle ear to the nasopharinx.

There are several methods to equalize, all they are is different methods to open your Eustachian tubes, so air can get inside.


1. The Valsalva Maneuver
It´s the first method we are going to teach you how to use. It´s the simplest one, and the most visible to your instructor. Pinch your nose, and blow through your nose. The pressure forces the air from your throat to your ears.
Be aware that this method doesn´t work when the Eustachian tubes in your ears are already locked because there´s a pressure difference. You can dive up until you feel the pressure release and start again. Be careful not to blow too hard, because you can hurt yourself, you should only feel a little pressure, but never blow through pain, and don´t mantain pressure for more than a couple of seconds.
2. Swallowing—and various methods of equalizing—are all ways of opening the normally closed Eustachian tubes, reducing the pressure differential between the outer ear and inner ear.
3. Passive Typically happens during the ascent, and your body does it by itself.
4. Voluntary Tubal Opening Tense Your Throat and Push Your Jaw Forward Tense the muscles of the soft palate and the throat while pushing the jaw forward and down as if starting to yawn. These muscles pull the Eustachian tubes open. This requires a lot of practice, but some divers can learn to control those muscles and hold their tubes open for continuous equalization.
5. Toynbee Maneuver Pinch Your Nose and Swallow. With your nostrils pinched or bloked, swallow. Swallowing pulls open your Eustachian tubes while the movement of your tongue, with your nose closed, compresses air against them.
6. Fenzel Maneuver Pinch Your Nose and Make the Sound of the Letter “K”Close your nostrils, and close the back of your throat as if straining to lift a weight. Then make the sound of the letter “K.” This forces the back of your tongue upward, compressing air against the openings of your Eustachian tubes.
7. Lowry Technique Pinch your nose, blow and swallow A combination of Valsalva and Toynbee while closing your nostrils, blow and swallow at the same time.
8. Edmonds Technique Pinch your nose, blow and push your jaw forward. While tensing the soft palate (the soft tissue at the back of the roof of your mouth) and throat muscles and pushing the jaw forward and down, do a Valsalva maneuver.
Tips on how to make
1. LISTEN FOR THE “POP”
Before you even board the boat, make sure
that when you swallow you hear a "pop"
or "click" in both ears. This tells you both
Eustachian tubes are open.
2
START EARLY
Several hours before your dive, begin gently
equalizing your ears every few minutes. "This
has great value and is said to help reduce the
chances of a block early on descent," says
Dr. Ernest S. Campbell, webmaster of "Diving
Medicine Online." "Chewing gum between
dives seems to help," adds Dr. Campbell.

GO SLOW DURING YOUR INITIAL DESCENT
If your ears are highly sensitive, it’s a good idea to make your initial descent into the water very slowly. This may not seem important, but it really is. Even just 1 foot below the surface of the water, your eardrums will experience pressure.
The good news as you go deeper, you’ll have to equalize less often. Be careful in the first part of your descent, and pay attention to any pressure you might feel. When you reach your maximum depth, equalize again. Though the negative pressure in your middle ear may be so small that you don’t feel it, if it’s maintained over several minutes it can gradually cause barotrauma. A diver needs to equalize approximately every two to three feet (1 m). Doing so is particularly important in the first 15 to 30 feet (5 to 10 m) of the dive.

2. EQUALIZE EARLY & OFTEN
Experienced scuba divers equalize continuously as they descend, and even when they’re just swimming at a normal depth in the water. You should make it a habit to equalize early and often when descending, and continue doing so until it’s nearly second-nature.
It may be that your ears are not extremely sensitive, but you are just forgetting to equalize regularly. Even descending 4-6 feet without equalizing can cause serious pressure and discomfort to build within your ears.
3. START EQUALIZING BEFORE YOUR DIVE
It can be helpful to get into the habit of equalizing your ears before you even start scuba diving. This can help reduce the chances of a block early on in your descent and helps you become more familiar with the process of equalization.
For a similar effect, you can also chew gum between dives. Chewing gum forces you to swallow regularly, which helps equalize pressure in your ears, and prevents further blockages between dives.
4. DESCEND FEET-FIRST
Air rises in your Eustachian tubes, while mucus is more fluid-like and tends to drain downward. This means that utilizing an equalization method like the Valsalva maneuver is easier if you’re in a “head-up” position rather than a “head-down” position. Consider making your descent feet-first to assist with clearing your ears.
5. LOOK UP WHEN EQUALIZING
For most people, extending the neck will help open up the Eustachian tubes, which makes it easier to equalize the pressure in your middle ear.
You may also find that tensing your throat and pushing your jaw forward and down will also help open up the Eustachian tubes, as these muscles help pull them open and enhance the efficiency of your Valsalva maneuver.
6. STOP IF IT HURTS
If you try to equalize your ears and you feel pain, you should stop right away. If you are too deep, your Eustachian tubes will be “locked” by the high-pressure differential, making proper equalization impossible.
If your ears hurt while you try to equalize them, you should ascend a few feet and try equalizing again. Continue ascending and attempting to equalize your ears until you are successful – and then begin descending again, and ensure that you equalize every 1-2 feet.
8. UNDERSTAND OTHER FACTORS THAT CAN CONTRIBUTE TO EQUALIZATION ISSUES
There are some other problems that can contribute to difficulty equalizing your ears. Depending on your situation, some of these may apply to you.
• Having a cold or upper respiratory infection can cause the buildup of excessive congestion, making it extremely difficult to clear your ears. We recommend skipping your dive if you’re sick.
• Smoking cigarettes and using certain types of drugs can make it harder to equalize your ears.
• Dehydration causes your Eustachian tubes to be more “sticky” and prone to locking up, which can make it hard to clear your ears. Make sure you’re properly hydrated before your dive.
• Dairy consumption can increase mucus production, so some divers skip dairy a few days before a dive to help make it easier to equalize the ears.
USE THESE TIPS TO HELP WITH PROPER EQUALIZATION
Whether you’re taking a beginner course or you’re an experienced scuba diver, these tips are sure to help you equalize your ears properly – and stay comfortable while you dive. For more tips and information about proper equalization, we recommend speaking with your scuba diving instructor.

LISTEN FOR THE “POP”
Before you even board the boat, make sure
that when you swallow you hear a "pop"
or "click" in both ears. This tells you both
Eustachian tubes are open.
2
START EARLY
Several hours before your dive, begin gently
equalizing your ears every few minutes. "This
has great value and is said to help reduce the
chances of a block early on descent," says
Dr. Ernest S. Campbell, webmaster of "Diving
Medicine Online." "Chewing gum between
dives seems to help," adds Dr. Campbell.
3
EQUALIZE AT THE SURFACE
"Pre-pressurizing" at the surface helps get you
past the critical first few feet of descent, where
you're often busy with dumping your BCD and
clearing your mask. It may also inflate your
Eustachian tubes so they are slightly bigger.
The guide here is to pre-pressurize only if it
seems to help you and to pressurize gently.
4
DESCEND FEET FIRST
Air tends to rise up your Eustachian tubes,
and fluid-like mucus tends to drain downward.
Studies have shown a Valsalva maneuver
requires 50% more force when you're in a
head-down position than head-up.
5
LOOK UP
Extending your neck tends to open your
Eustachian tubes.
6
USE A DESCENT LINE
Pulling yourself down an anchor or mooring line
helps control your descent rate more accurately.
Without a line, your descent rate will probably
accelerate much more than you realize. A line
also helps you stop your descent quickly if you
feel pressure, before barotrauma has a chance
to occur.
7
STAY AHEAD
Equalize often, trying to maintain a slight positive
pressure in your middle ears.
8
STOP IF IT HURTS
Don't try to push through pain. Your Eustachian
tubes are probably locked shut by pressure
differential, and the only result will be barotrauma.
If your ears begin to hurt, ascend a few feet and
try equalizing again.
9
AVOID TOBACCO AND ALCOHOL
Both tobacco smoke and alcohol irritate your
mucus membranes, promoting more mucus that
can block your Eustachian tubes.
10
KEEP YOUR MASK CLEAR
Water up your nose can irritate your mucus
membranes, which then produce more of the
stuff that clogs

What to do when out of the water?
Divers who experience difficulty equalizing may find it helpful to master several techniques. Many are difficult until practiced repeatedly, but this is one scuba skill you can practice anywhere. Try practicing in front of a mirror so you can watch your throat muscles.