Hi everyone, new guy here looking for some guidance. I'm finally at a point in my life where I have the time and money to delve into some passions I have been putting off. One of those is scuba diving. But before I can commit to scuba diving, I seem to have a potential ear issue. I recall as a child having episodes of vertigo oftentimes when I got sick. Thankfully the vertigo episodes happened less and less the older I got and were not an issue during my teenage and now adult years, however every several years they do come up. They usually occur suddenly, last up to a few minutes, and then they subside. Laying down and closing my eyes helps, and by the next day I'm fully functioning. It's usually just vertigo without nausea, vomiting, and no ear issues. However, something very odd happened about four years ago and this is what has me concerned. I was at work and around noon I experienced an episode of vertigo. I had no place to lay down so I remained calm, closed my eyes, and it passed in a few minutes. Several hours later I heard a very sharp sound in my right ear, was hit with another episode of vertigo, and it felt like someone has clubbed me across the head. I was out in public and had no choice but to lay down on the ground as it was very disorienting. The sharp sound in my ear went away within a minute and the vertigo passed after a few minutes. This was about four years ago and was my last experience with vertigo. I've never had any ear issues, nor do I have any ringing in my ears, no problems with pressure, or any hearing loss. I distinctly remember that experience because it was so bizarre. Reflecting on all of this my first thought is Meniere's disease. I've also looked into BPPV and I suppose it could also be Labyrinthitis. Meniere's is a dead no when it comes to scuba diving as an attack can leave you disoriented and panicked which can cause drowning. I don't yet know if I have Meniere's, the next step is setting up an appointment with an ENT/otologist and have them put me through tests to see what's going on in my ear. I'm expecting the worst to be honest, which makes me very sad to have to give up something I've been wanting to do for many years. Any advice would be appreciated and I thank you all for your time.
Hi Samson, Sorry that you’ve been struggling. Those vertigo attacks sound brutal! I too used to be a passionate scuba diver, years ago, long before my Menieres dx. Traveled the world scuba diving with my hubby (Currently I’m a 43 year old woman, mom of 2 young kids, in otherwise great health). I’ve struggled with debilitating vertigo episodes like the ones you described at least 4-6 times a month, sometimes daily, for the past year. I have no medical evidence to corroborate this, and I am certainly not a doctor, but I am 100 percent convinced that my current Menieres in my right ear is directly related to my history of scuba diving. Back when I dove, 20 years ago, I occasionally had some difficulty equalizing on my right side, and sometimes had sharp pains in my right ear. After dives, even if I had no difficulty equalizing, I always had a ringing and “full” feeling in my right ear. I remember many times jumping up and down trying to get out what felt like water clogging my right ear for many days after a dive. Fast forward 20 years and now I’m in Menieres hell. Constant roaring tinnitus, significant hearing loss, and vestibular deficit (All on my right side) but the worst is the rotational vertigo that can come on out of nowhere and leave me puking for hours and on the bathroom floor curled in a ball in my “safe” position. I’d be very interested in learning more about scuba and the long term effects on the middle and inner ear. I often have wondered if other divers have experienced vertigo and/ or hearing loss later in life. Very curious about this and hoping other divers can chime in. Or perhaps it’s just ANY type of injury or insult to the delicate structures and membranes of the ear. Dana White (the UFC guy) says that his Menieres is the aftermath of damage sustained after being jumped and punched in the head and ear as a young man. Meanwhile, wanted to ask you... do you have hearing loss? Are you taking any medications for the vertigo/ nausea? What you described almost sounded like Migraine Associated Vertigo or Vestibular Migraine to me. Maybe look into that if you don’t have the fullness and hearing loss part of the puzzle? But truthfully, even on my best day you couldn’t pay me a million dollars to get on a rocking dive boat and submerge my bad ear under water. Diving will remain a distant memory from a lifetime ago. I’d love to hear your thoughts and I’d be happy to let you know what I’m doing now to attempt to control the vertigo if you’re interested. I don’t want to hijack your post but I do want to let you know that I am thinking of you and would be happy to help any way I can. This board has been an incredible resource for me. I’m sure you will find tons of info on here!! best wishes, Mary
@MaryR Thank you for chiming in and it's great to be speaking with someone who has diving experience!! You're more than welcome to hijack my post To answer your questions, I have no hearing loss or fullness. No episode of vertigo ever involved my ears in terms of sound, except for the episode I had four years ago, which is probably why I still remember that so well, it was just so weird. Thankfully though my hearing is intact. I don't take any medications, and in the past when I did get a vertigo attack, I usually just ride it out and then take it easy for the rest of the day. Nausea was never really an issue either, provided I closed my eyes and laid down. It's interesting that you think your Meniere's could have been exacerbated or even caused by diving, I never thought about that! I'm very active on ScubaBoard.com which is an incredible diving forum and from my research on that site, MANY individuals have ear issues when it comes to diving which include tinnitus, vertigo, hearing loss, a feeling of fluid in the ear, etc. But I do know individuals who have been diving for decades and have no issues. The consensus is that ear issues whilst diving is because most don't equalize often or know how to do that properly. But you mentioned you were equalizing and still had issues. It does seem that many of these instances involve barotrauma to the inner ear but if equalization isn't an issue, what is? I'll look into the migraines you mentioned. Did you recently get a diagnosis of Meniere's? Was it never an issue when you were diving or even before diving?
When I was dx'd I was told in no uncertain terms that scuba diving or going underwater at all was something I absolutely shouldn't do, that the water pressure could cause more problems with the ear. Not a problem for me because that's something I have never done and would never do given that I can't swim and am afraid of water. That was many years ago so I don't know if the thinking about that has changed.
Hmm, I'm an avid swimmer and have been for many years and have never had issues but I can understand how diving can be problematic. Meniere's is a definite no in terms of scuba diving but I don't even know if I have Meniere's yet, awaiting my appointment with my ENT.
That makes sense as when you swim you're not exactly underwater per se and even if you are, at most it's a few inches.