THE EARS & DIVING

Fast Facts about Equalisation

ANATOMY OF AN EAR

The ear is the organ of hearing and balance. Understanding its anatomy can help better illustrate why it’s essential to equalise. The ear consists of three distinct spaces filled with either air or liquid: the external, middle and inner ear. As divers descend in the column of water, environmental pressure on the body increases in a linear fashion across the body. To prevent pressure-related injuries such as bleeding, 0edema (swelling) of soft tissues, leakage of fluid into the air space and membrane rupture, divers must actively enable air from the throat to enter through the eustachian tubes into the middle ear by using equalisation techniques.