Long Term Perforated Eardrum...Any hopes to dive one day?

[Rod']

Hello SB!

After a traumatic accident when I was kid (got punched while underwater and almost blacked out, swallowed lots of water), I finally decided to fight my fears and try a small dive in pool to see if I could reconnect with my passion of swimming underwater, as the call for diving, meditation and exploration has been stronger and stronger these last years.

I finally tried to do a quick dive at 4m and...ooof...the accomplishment of overcoming trauma and re-discovering such a wonderful sensation left me in tears...Resting at the bottom even for a couple of minutes...I LOVE IT SO MUCH. Like...life-changing level of love. It was like going home.

Well...plot twist of course: I noticed bubbles coming out of my right ear as I equalized...and the left was hard to equalize as well and required lots of neck stretching. I thought at first that the hard one was damaged...but after some research realized that the "easy" one was the major problem.

I went to the clinic and they removed a lot of bloody wax from this ear. Also noticed that I hear air flow noise when I do a dry equalization instead of a "pop", and don't feel a lot of bass in the music in this ear (-15% audition too). The medic didn't say what was wrong with the ear, just that it was "abnormal"...But I guess perforated eardrum based on the symptoms.

I had some intense pain late April during a show, when they decided to suddenly raise the volume for the main artist...and had a bit of tinnitus since then, so I believe I could have had my eardrum damaged 3 months ago? A part of me hopes that the wax was preventing the healing and that now it will get better...But I also remember experiencing crazy pain in the same ear two years ago while immersing my head under water and epsom salts in a float tank...so the rupture could also be quite old...maybe even much, much older: this ear often gave me pain when exposed to cold air flow...could also have been a symptom.

I do not have any pain and never experienced vertigo though.

I am waiting to get the reference for an ENT, ideally one that knows a bit about diving. But I am trying to prepare myself to grieve (or not) my newly discovered passion. It is quite stressful. So in the process I was curious if some people here had similar experience, fixed it and how, and was able to dive after that and if so, what to expect in terms of depth/limitations. And if they could not dive again, how they coped with it and if there are other sports/activities that could be as rewarding and peaceful.

Thank you

 

[rsingler]

Yes, you can get a chronic perforation "repaired" with a paper patch that theoretically allows your eardrum to seal up, using the patch as a lattice-work to heal. Hard to estimate how long that would take to heal, or how sturdy it would be. But we do it with some frequency for persistent perfs (I'm not an ENT).
But sounds like you have other competing traumas, e.g., "during a show", so you may have some life choices to make re: your hearing.
Best of luck with your ENT consult! A solution is not out of the question...

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Hi @Rod' ,

It sounds like you have a twofold problem: a chronic TM perforation in one ear and difficulty equalizing in the other. The solutions will also be different. Ditto @rsingler on the TM repair; they can be done, but whether that's appropriate for you will be up to your ENT physician. For the difficulty equalizing the other ear, the ENT will be able to tell you if you have some kind of Eustachian tube dysfunction, but it also could be related to technique, allergies, acute viral infection, or some other source of inflammation.

*This is not an endorsement of a product* but FYI there is a diving mask called a Pro-Ear that has specially designed cups that go over your ears and keep water out, with tubes that connect them to the main part of the mask for equalization of the external ear canal. This may be an option if your TM can't be repaired. Again, not an endorsement, do your homework as to whether it could work for you, but wanted to at least make sure you knew it was out there.

Best regards,
DDM

 

[Rod']

Thank you for your replies!

Researching the surgery, it seems like quite a long and annoying experience but it might be worth it if it can make my life better, or even allow diving.
For the other ear, I noticed that I am often congested on the same side, so maybe some cleaning spray might be enough.
But yes, it sounds like I will just have to cross my fingers. I'll make sure I talk to the ENT about the Pro-Ear as well.

I'll give updates here for people curious about the topic.

 

[Norwegian Cave Diver]

Following for a buddy. Thanks

 

[gert7to3]

Here are a few threads about the Pro Ear Mask and Docs Pro Plugs. Rummaging through these may help you to understand what Dr. Mike was mentioning. I have had a tympanoplasty and have used these products for over 150 dives. As a belt and suspenders approach I use the Docs Pro Plug with my pro Ear Mask. Wait until after your ENT consult so you fully understand what your situation is. Good luck.

https://www.scubaboard.com/community/search/44610133/?q=pro+ear+mask&o=date&c[node]=4

Treatment For Clogged Ears

Diving after Tympanoplasty

Narrow Eustachian tubes and diving?

Hole in Ear Drum

Do vented ear plugs work? The topic comes up often.+

 

[martincohn]

I had to go look. Had never seen one.

 

[Germie]

I had to go look. Had never seen one.

View attachment 537218

Yes this works really well, I know from divers with performated eardrums who use it without any problems and divers with the tubes in their ears. So then you can also dive. If I ever get a performated eardrum I will order this asap and use it. From the divers I know who used it none had any leaks, so the risks are almost zero. You only have to cut in a hood and that is a pity to do as you need to buy a new one if you want to use a normal mask again. But you can dive without any limitations. Of course you need to clear you normal ear, otherwise you get problems with that also.

 

[gert7to3]

You don't have to cut a hood. I did this to a couple of hooded vests at first. Unfortunately when you turned your head it would pull at the earcups and could displace them enough to leak. This is why I also use Doc's Pro Plugs under the ProEar mask earcups.

I finally settled on using a hooded vest with a vent valve in the upper part of the hood. I just pull the hood over the earcups before entering the water. You can also purchase and install a vent valve in a hood which doesn't have a vent valve. If you don't have a vent valve, the hood inflates underwater when you equalize the earcups and really throws your trim off.

I have gotten a few "ice cream" headaches in really cold water. An insulated whitewater helmet cap can help with this, but if you are not doing decompression diving this is not much of a factor.

The Pro Ear mask not only protects you if you have an eardrum problem it can help if you suffer outer ear canal issues.

You can transfer the ear cups to another mask because the tubes attach with threaded ends.

 

[Hethen57]

My wife has 2 perforated ear drums and was told to quit diving by her ENT, then she tried the Docs vented ear plugs with a neoprene headband type thing (Bandit?) to keep them in, and the ENT also said to use some prescription ear drops as a precaution after diving, and our past 2 dive vacations have been trouble free for her ears up to depths of about 90'. After her recent check up, the ENT said whatever you are doing seems to be working so keep doing it. Don't know if it will work for you, but it is possible to dive with permanently perforated ear drums.