Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!wuarchive!udel!haven.umd.edu!uvaarpa!murdoch!dalton.acc.Virginia.EDU!ds4a
From: ds4a@dalton.acc.Virginia.EDU (Dale Southard)
Newsgroups: rec.skydiving
Subject: Re: Eustachiun Tube problems
Keywords: tubes ears
Message-ID: <1991May8.165600.18536@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>
Date: 8 May 91 16:56:00 GMT
References: <1991May5.021036.11904@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> <4461@bnr-rsc.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU
Organization: University of Virginia
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Ireallyam: ds4a

In article <4461@bnr-rsc.UUCP> lenny@bnr.ca writes:
>I've never heard of the tube procedure you mentioned, but...
>
>
> 
>Also, my diving instructor warned me about taking any type of medication
>to clear the eustacean before a dive - the problem comes if the stuff
>wears off *during* a dive... you come back to the surface and your ears
>explode (ouch!).  Something you might keep in mind while sky diving.
>Note, however, there is one type of medicine (Actifed, or something
>like that) which _is_ safe to take because it naturally clears the
>tube(s) and hence does not wear off.  You might want to try it - 
>although I would strongly suggest you get in touch with an MD who 
>is familiar with one of these sports and can vouch for the medication's
>suitability (sorry I can't remember the exact name, but is is out
>there).  

Unfortunately, Actifed wouldn't be very safe because it causes drowsiness --
not exactly the side effect you want to experince durning skydiving (especially
if the drowsiness is helped along my hypoxia).

The best solution I have found is probably the same one that 1000 other people
have suggested by now.  If your ears hurt, preform valsalva maneuver and go
on with life (for those who didn't already know, a valsalva manuver is when
one holds his/her nose and blows.  It removes the inner ear dysbarism by
forcing the eustachion tubes open).  Ususally by the 2nd or 3rd jump of the day,
I no longer have a problem with inner ear dysbarisms.  But my problems were/are
not as acute as yours.  Preforming a few valsalva manuvers while on the ground
seems to help on those occasions when I do jump with a cold.  Good Luck.


-->  -->  Dale  UVa  (ds4a@virginia.edu)