Ear bleed - plan to dive in 2 weeks time

[eleri3]

Hi!

I recently completed my padi OW out in Mexico as part of a school group. We dived twice a day for 5 days straight and I have fallen in love with diving. On the last day (27th of July) I had some real troubles with equalizing and I found myself often rushing to descend as my peers could do it much faster than I could. I know that that's not the way to do it and in future I will take my time and equalize before I feel the squeeze.

I visited my GP a couple of days after I got back because I felt like my ears were blocked and I couldn't hear much. They were continuing to pop and I also had some sharp pain on the plane. He gave me antibiotics for an ear infection but also mentioned that I had a small bleed on my ear drum. Straight away it occurred to me that I have possibly damaged my ear drum from trying to equalize too hard.

My hearing has improved and they are no longer cracking. However I am going back to mexico on the 16th of August and hope to complete some more dives. I am going to visit my GP before then to get his opinion as to whether I should be diving. However I am worried that he is just going to tell me not to dive just to be safe and I don't feel he is properly aware of diving related issues.

If the doctor says the bleed has gone would it be okay for me to go on a dive in maybe the second week of my trip? Or am I just being stupid and I should avoid diving at all costs. That would be such a shame but I need to put my health first and I know I could only make it worse.

Thanks, Eleri

[smileydiver]

Best to go and see a dive doctor and get them to check it out properly and if all OK they can sign a 'fit to dive' certificate for you to take on holiday. Good luck!

[eleri3]

Best to go and see a dive doctor and get them to check it out properly and if all OK they can sign a 'fit to dive' certificate for you to take on holiday. Good luck!

Hi, how do I go about seeing a dive doctor in the UK? Will I be able to see them in time as I leave on Friday?

[smileydiver]

Hi, how do I go about seeing a dive doctor in the UK? Will I be able to see them in time as I leave on Friday?

Hopefully. Whereabouts are you based? There are a few dotted around, for example:

https://www.hyperdive.co.uk

http://www.scuba4fun.org.uk

[techdiver]

You could try DDRC,ask there advice.

[Tel]

Even if you forget the diving you will still need to see a GP anyway and get a fit to fly ticket.

When you flew back from your school trip, you had no knowledge of any ear issues.
Having gone to the Doc on your return and been diagnosed, you now have officially been recorded as having an
existing medical condition and if anything happens on the way out you are uninsured.

My advice is to contact a diving medical referee right now via email and if no reply today phone them tomorrow
mid-morning. A GP should be able to solve the flying issue, a medical referee may sort the diving one as well ,
so go for the latter.

http://www.ukdmc.org/medical-referees/

Personally given your circumstances and the very short 3 week gap it will be since the trauma, i'd pack a snorkel
and stay on the surface. In the meantime think your priority should be getting a fit to fly cert.

[eleri3]

Thankyou for your reply and advice. I will head to my GP tomorrow I don’t think I will be able to get to a dive medic before Friday but I will see what my GP says tomorrow and if it is still bleeding I will cancel out any hopes of diving.

[F.P.]

You have the link to the UKDMC doc's - find the close ones to you and go direct. It may sound silly but going to your doc again is only putting delay in your way.
Alternatives are North Sea Medical Centres in Aberdeen or Lowestoft, DDRC in Plymouth, the Chamber people at Rugby hospital or possibly Whips Cross hospital in London.

[eleri3]

I have contacted my local dive medic and hope to go and see them at some point this week. Thanks again

[Tim Digger]

It is not still bleeding! Your GP describes a classic barotrauma, antibiotics were totally unnecessary unless there was a perforation of the ear drum, but often prescribed by those unfamiliar with middle ear barotrauma. The appearance of barotrauma and infection are very similar. If you are able to equalise as before your current/past problem then there are no issues. Your insurance (unless to do with BSAC) is totally valid as this was not a previous illness, unless you are taking out new insurance for this next trip in which case it should be declared.
You need to be a lot more careful on descent and equalise more often, and be sure you have equalised before further descent.
By all means get an opinion from some one currently qualified and familiar with dive medicine.

[Divemouse]

Pretty sure the North Sea medical centre at Gorleston doesn't exist any more, though the hyperbaric chamber is still at James Pagett. https://www.lhmhealthcare.com/about-...outh-facility/

[eleri3]

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[eleri3]

Thankyou for the reply. I contacted a dive medic via email and she told me as long as I can equalise fine and I can hear, that there are no issues. I still plan to be very cautious and do not plan to dive until the second week, and I will descend much slower, equalising more often. I knew I did not have an ear infection as I have many before and know what they feel like - this was different. Thanks for confirming my thoughts.

[Tel]

Thankyou for the reply. I contacted a dive medic via email and she told me as long as I can equalise fine and I can hear, that there are no issues. I still plan to be very cautious and do not plan to dive until the second week, and I will descend much slower, equalising more often. I knew I did not have an ear infection as I have many before and know what they feel like - this was different. Thanks for confirming my thoughts.

Take a copy of the email with you.
Chances are you will need to sign a self-cert medical declaration and one of the questions you'll need to
answer yes to will mean having to see a local doc. Show them the email and all will be good

[eleri3]

Thanks, I didn’t think of showing them the email but that’s a good idea. I will take it with me later