How to Pop Your Ears After a Dive

There are varying pressure levels in your inner, outer and middle ear that can cause the tympanic membrane in your ear to stretch. This usually happens when you go diving underwater, resulting in nausea, pain, dizziness and occasionally bleeding. In order to prevent any serious injury to your ears, you must learn how to equalize the pressure in your ears before and after a dive. This can be done by popping your ear after diving underwater to prevent the feeling of the ears being clogged. You need to do this correctly and gently to ensure that you don't damage your eardrums.

Instructions

• 1

  Descend feet first in the water when you dive. You may need to exert double the force in popping your ears when you descend headfirst.

• 2

  Squeeze your nose between your thumb and forefinger. Exhale gently, blowing air through your nose to allow the air to move to your ear's dead spaces. This will equalize the pressure in your ears. Make sure that you do not blow too hard to prevent your ears from getting damaged.

• 3

  Stretch your neck and wiggle your jaw from side to side while still squeezing your nose. Swallow while you are doing this if your ears still refuse to pop.

• 4

  Move the bottom row of your teeth in front of the top row to resemble an underbite. Keep pinching your nose and gently blow air through your nostrils to pop your ears. Swallow when you start feeling pressure building in your ears.