ear popping

my son is doing his basic at Raleigh and discovered he can't pop his ears. He is gutted having set his heart on being a submariner - he doesn't know what to do for the best now as he is unsure that he want to be in the branch he chose on the surface, any advice welcome.It seems he will be sent on the submariner training anyway and wont be re tested untill a few weeks into that - if he then fails the navy will allocate a different trade, would he be better trying to change now it doesn't seem clear whether thats an option or not.

 

Not becoming a submariner is not the end of the world. I'm sure that your son will enjoy his time in the RN in many branches. Tell him to keep trying for submarines but to be prepared for the eventuality of serving in another branch.

 

I am sorry to hear that your son may not reach for the trade he orignally aimed for. However, there are many other trades he could try, submariner is just one of many trades xx

 

Susan

How did he discover he cannot pop his ears. He will not realy know until he goes into a pressure chamber and get taken down to 100feet, very slowly in case he cannot clear his ears. I can not see how he can test this in his bedroom/messdeck

Wait until that has been done then worry

Nutty

 

I failed my ships diver medical because I could'nt pop my ears. For some reason my ears ache when I go through a tunnel on a train, so for some reason I,m sensetive to pressure changes. Thugh I've never pursued this option, would grommets in the ears not help this?

 

I "failed" my Sub medical with this.Funny thing was 10 mins after the medical i could clear them!Clanks you may have Eustatacian tube problems.Grommets may help but they are not permenant and may lead to an increased chance of an ear infection.

 

Obviously nothing wrong with his ears if he got into the Navy ok.
He may have a cold or a slight sinus problem.
As the advice given--wait till he's on the S/m course and really find put.


Could be he's trying too hard as well.

 

toook me 25times to do that blow thingy the cheif was fumin proper.... but he new i could do it so kept pushin me was knackered then realised i didnt wanna be a submariner.... becoause no one is gettin me in that tank, EVER.

 

The ear popping thingy is called a Valsalva Maneuvre. Your son can practice it anywhere; doesn't have to be under pressure. Basically forces a tad increase of pressure down the eustachian tube to behind the ear-drum [timpanic membrane]. The reflex improves with practice but some folk have real problems with it. Usual cause is a blockage in the tube like mucus. Salt-water irrigation can help but the easy way is to take some sinus clearing medicine like Sinex and do some duck dives in the swimming-pool. Raleigh has a good pool that will be ideal.

RM

 

Hi Folks
thanks very much for all your replies its really helpful for me and my son. (It was in the pressure chamber he found he couldn't do it).We are now awwash with info abouth how th practice and hopefully that will help. Everything else is going well for him though and he is much calmer about the whole thing - i suspect he will give it his all and if it doesn't work explore his options.

 

Susan, i think im in the same entry as your son! i also failed my ear popping test but we were told that if you do the excercises for your ear then you should be able to do it, i for one am no worried about failing!

 

Commonest cause in a young population is actually enlarged tonsils which block the exit of the eustacian tube into the throat.

Oh, and it's tympanic - not timpanic (a real pedant, me!)