Diving Ear Pain

Symptoms of diving ear pain (also known as barotrauma) include:

• Ear pressure
• Mild to severe ear pain
• Nausea
• Reduced hearing
• Ringing ear
• Vertigo
• Vomiting

1. Stop the Descent

• Help the person ascend until symptoms disappear. Do not go up faster than is safe.
• If ear still hurts as the person goes up or if there are other symptoms, end the dive.

2. Treat Symptoms

• For pain, give ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). Avoid ibuprofen and other NSAIDs if the person has heart failure or kidney failure.

3. When to See a Health Care Provider
Seek immediate medical care if:

• Pain, a feeling like there is water in the ears, or muffled hearing continues after the dive is over
• There are symptoms of inner ear damage, such as deafness, ear ringing, or vertigo
• The person has experienced ear pain when diving before
• If possible, see an ear, nose, and throat specialist with experience in treating diving-related ear problems.

4. Follow Up

• To avoid serious hearing loss or other problems, the person should not go on another dive until the pain goes away or the person sees a doctor.

SOURCES:
Divers Alert Network: "Diving Medicine Alert: Guide to Avoiding Ear and Sinus Injuries in Scuba Diving" and "Divers Guide to Ears."
FamilyDoctor.org: "Scuba Diving Safety."
U.S. Navy Diving Manual, Brookside Associates, 2006.
Diving Ear Pain Information from eMedicineHealth.