Valsalva questions

[Guest bear]

Flight Doc: When I went through the physical at MEPS prior to enlisting the doc had us all do the valsalva (sp?) while he look in our ears. I was'nt able to do it in one of my ears and he said that it was okay as long as I wasn't going to have a flying position. Now that I'm aiming to get a pilot slot I'm thinking I need to be able to do this. I've heard that it can be mastered with practice but I haven't been too successful. Any help is appreciated.

[Guest KC10guy]

I'm not a doc, but try this...maybe the doc agrees: pinch your nose and just apply pressure with your breath, don't try to really blow. also try tilting your head so that you stretch out your your eustachian tube. For example if your left eardrum won't equalize, tilt your head to the right so that it stretches out your left tube. Just relax and apply constant but slightly firm pressure. You should get it with practice. It's not as easy as it seems sometimes, but VERY important. Hope this helps, good luck!

[Guest Flight Doc]

It's ok to only clear one ear at a time. We can only watch one at a time. Slow steady pressure seems to work for most people. Moving your jaw around sometimes helps. If you still can't make it work, try getting evaluated by an ENT doc.

[Guest soccer]

Hi I was wondering if anyone can help me out with this. I have always wanted to fly and serve my country. I passed the afoqt and was selected to do a flight physical for a guard unit. In the flight physical the surgeon said he could not see any movement when i did a valsalva. I could feel the pressure release when i did the valsalva. He said to go to an ent doctor and get my ear canal checked. I went to a ent and he said I was fine. I brought the paperwork to the surgeon and he said that wasn't good enough. Then he said he would work on a waiver and get it through but he never did! To make a long story short I never went any further with that guard unit, it was like they didn't care. My question is should i get surgery so I can valsalva easy or are there any other flightcrew jobs that i could get into? My main goal is to be a pilot, but i also would like to be on a flightcrew. Any info would be appreciated. Thanks

[Guest F16PilotMD]

That's BS. Your flight doc was a fool. If you have an ENT eval saying you can valsalva without difficulty, that's good enough. You're fine.

[Guest Tokyo]

Hey man, I just got back from Brooks and had the same problem you did. Because my ears were chock full of snot due to my nasty cold, they sent me to Wilford Hall at Lackland to see the ENT doc. After some rather nasty tests of the ear, the doc said I was fine. He sent me back to Brooks with print outs and other stuff saying that my ears did work ok. As far as I know this cleared up my valsalva problem. Hopefully, you can put this info to good use. Good Luck.

[Guest AirGuardian]

Definitely first go with whatever F16PilotMD is tell'n you!!!

This could be a very DANGEROUS endeavor so check with your personal Doc first...

I'm not telling you to do this, just something I've picked up over the years. If you really want to make your ears elastic(inner ear of course) start either deep snorkling (10-15ft) and practice in a pool or take up Scuba Diving(30-100ft easy). Once again I'm not advocating this, I just noticed that I once had a very hard time proving movement in the beginning many years ago, but after scuba diving a few times the movements became obviously apparent. Substantially more pressure at minor sea depths than altitude flying obviously... Just a note! My questionable technique, NOT procedure...

[ 02. January 2005, 02:49: Message edited by: AirGuardian ]

[Guest Ryan22]

Today I was at MEPS and was unable to valsalva. I have been a pilot for 5 years or so and really have never been able to do it. I have always found others ways of getting my ears to pop, such as moving my jaw around. I now have a pilot slot with a guard unit and was wondering if the doc has any idea's for me. First, are there anyother ways I could try to get the valsalva to work. And two, If I cant get the valsalva but can keep my ear's cleaned out if there is anyway to get a waiver?

[Guest F16PilotMD]

Never heard of a valsalva waiver. You will likely need an otolaryngology (ENT) evaluation. I think someone put a similar problem on this board just recently. Search for it.

[Guest Apollo]

Try steadily increasing the pressure. Also, try wiggling your ears like I said before.

[Guest doctidy]

While I've never heard of a waiver...I've never seen someone disqualified because they can't valsalva. Everyone can valsalva.

[Guest Tokyo]

Ryan 22,

I was at Brooks and couldn't valsalva due to a severe cold I had at the time. They sent me to Wilford hall and I had an ENT eval which constisted of a pressurized room and a device being plugged into my head to insert pressure. I passed, so it might help you if you can do it yourself.

[Guest Herk06]

I know this topic has been mentioned before and I searched the results but didn't quite get the answer I was looking for. A friend of mine just had a routine physical at drill (he has a pilot slot but hasn't had his medical for that yet) and the doc mentioned there was a lot of scarring in his ears. My friend asked if this was a problem and the doc had him valsalva and he said he could only see it in one ear.

On reading the other posts about this topic I saw an ENT doctor was mentioned - sorry for being naive but what is an ENT doc and how do you go about getting this situation worked out? I know he would like to get this taken care of before he has to go for his offical flight physical to avoid any setbacks it might cause. Does anyone have any suggestions on what he can do? I apologize for the long post . . .thanks!

[ 13. June 2005, 14:02: Message edited by: Herk06 ]

[Guest F16PilotMD]

ENT = Ear, NOSE, and Throat.

What he can do depends on what is wrong. I would have him check with the flight docs again next drill and see if this persists. Temporarily not being able to VS is common. Colds, allergies, etc can be the cause. If he truely cannont VS that may be a problem depending on why. That's probably where I would have him checked out by an ENT.

[Guest Thriller]

F16PilotMD,

During the flight physical, is there more than one way you can valsalva. Usually I can clear my ears just by pinching my nose and swallowing.

Is this an acceptable way to VS during the physical? It’s to my understanding that as long as they can see the eardrum move, your good.?.

[Guest F16PilotMD]

I usually have people use the "hold their nose and blow" technique. That allows me to see the eardrum move. The other techniques don't make the eardrum move, they just 'stretch' the eustacian tubes.

[Guest F16PilotMD]

I don't think I would go with the ENT eval until you know for sure you have a problem. I would let them check you again at the base and go from there. The ENT will cost you a few $$$ and might be unnecessary.

If they can't see your eardrum move when you VS, I would want an ENT to tell me that you can in fact valsalva, your eardrum just doesn't move because of the scarring. I can't find anything DQ about the scarring itself provided you can pass the hearing examination.

[ 12. June 2005, 20:27: Message edited by: F16PilotMD ]

[Guest doctidy]

Get a tympanogram...available in almost every office. If the tympanogram is normal your eustacian tube function is normal. I have had folks do a pre/post tympanogram...but you have to do the pre on both sides before you do a post. When you valsalva, you usually "pop" both ears (which is probably why they couldn't see the other side move).

[Guest Dirt Beater]

Did the chamber the other day with the CE mask and on descent, I couldn't get my fingers far enough under the friggin center nose piece to squeeze my nose to get a good valsavla and I tried coughing against the pressure, but that didn't really work, so it was a pretty unpleasant descent to say the least. Rocking and moving my jaw, swallowing, etc didn't work either! How in the crud do you guys valsalva with that mask?

[Guest KoolKat]

"I couldn't get my fingers far enough under the friggin center nose piece to squeeze my nose to get a good valsavla..."

Huh? All you should have to do it "pulg" up your nose. Should be able to so that over the mask.

Like I said though, all you should have to do is plug up the nose (i.e. close it off) but after doing that, your still on your own to equalize the pressure.

Maybe you didn't have time to accomplish the task, or you were just physiologically off that day.

Shouldn't be an issue with the mask if you've done it without.

Good luck, hopefully someone else will have more for you.

[Guest Dirt Beater]

Nah, I had plenty of time to do it, I could only barely squeeze the tip of my nose because the hard plastic frame/shell was in the way.

[ 01. September 2005, 17:20: Message edited by: NSFW ]

[Guest pcampbell]

Push on the valve. You don't have to pinch your nose. Just shutoff the 'exhaust' valve by pressing your palm against it. Then exhale just like normal.

[Guest youngz]

if it's a brand new mask it'll be stiff. you've just got to break in that area. when i went through tweets mine was the same way, just gotta keep working with it. there were very few times in the plane that i acctually had to do it though, so no worries there if you can't get it.

[Vetter]

Can't you just bring your mask down and pinch your nose off?

[Guest CBStud]

There is a grey piece that most life support units remove unless the pilot requests it. It is a piece that closes the exhale valve. You probably have a black cover next to the hose. Get that piece put on there, it'll really help. Tell life support you'd prefer it on there and if they give you crap about it being FOD tell them to tac it down. That's the only way I Valsalva with the mask up. You can always drop the mask.