Best Ear and Hearing Protection for Sky Diver

Middle Ear Barotrauma

This is by far the most frequently reported injury among divers. People with barotitis media generally develop symptoms immediately following the dive, but delays of up to one day or longer have been reported. When the diver descends, the pressure can cause injury to the middle ear. This overpressure of the middle ear can cause serious fluid and blood to leak into the middle ear, partially or completely filling it.

Ear drum Rupture

Barotraumatic injuries to the ear may result in perforation or rupture of the tympanic membrane.

Noise Induced Hearing Loss

 

Exposure to the the plane and wind noise can cause damage to the inner ear hair cells especially those responsible for high frequency hearing. Noise induced hearing loss is permanent and measures should be made to reduce the occurance of it. 

Healthy Ears and Hearing While Skydiving

  • With the pressure changes involved knowing how to equalise correclty is key, see pdf below 
  • Look at getting a helmet that reduces ideally the most wind noise as possible
  • Do not jump with a cold or with an allergy tat has flarred up
  • Its not just all about the actual skydive, the aeroplane itself has noise levels too and wearing ear protection before jumping will reduce the risk of noise induced hearing loss. 

Quick Tips

On average it takes ten years for people to address their hearing loss