Hi, my name is Brandon and I would like to get into scuba diving. I'm fairly fit, and I don't have any health related issues that would prevent me rom diving. I do have one issue though. I have a tear dropped shaped perforation in my eardrum.
When I was born, I put in my eardrums to drain fluid out. The right tube fell out on its own, the left had to be removed manually, or so I am told as I was an infant and don't know if that is actually what happened. Growing up, whenever I would go swimming, I would often get swimmers ear. In about 5th grade I started to wear swimming earplugs while swimming and the ear infections stopped. I really never thought anything about it until I was 20. I can't remember what I was doing, but I probably went to blow my nose real hard, and I felt and heard the air come out of my ear, and other people can hear the air coming out of my ear. I went to the doctor, and sure enough, I have had a hole in my left eardrum since, the one that had to be manually removed by doctors. . I guess growing up, the doctors never saw it because my ear canal is slightly curved, and it obstructed the view of the hole. I have been looking in to scuba diving since I was a teen, and never really could afford it because of family situations. Now, as an adult with adult money to pend of my own, I wanted to get certified. Well, I obviously know you can't dive with a hole in your eardrum, and earplugs like the one I wear to go swimming are also not an option. So in may of 2021, I had surgery, a tympanoplasty to be specific, to solve the issues so I could scuba dive... with no results. The graft did not take place, I never got an infection, and I certainly kept my ear dry when recovering. When I went for my second follow up appointment, I had concerns that the graft did not take place, because I could feel the airflow in my ear canal. Sure enough, the graft never took hold. The hole it seems is about the same size, and so far the only thing that amounted from the surgery is, from what I have noticed, is slight hearing loss in my left ear.
Moving forward as of now, I am 21 and I would still like to get into scuba diving, but surgery is not cheap, so I would like to avoid going through it again, especially if it means having to pay for another failed surgery. I have to pay the for it, even if it fails, because it is an optional surgery that has a chance to fail, and by going into the surgery I am agreeing to it, knowing that it has a chance to fail. So I have been doing some research, I've been looking at alternate methods that would allow me to scuba dive without having to go through surgery again, and the 2 I have come across is the 2 mentioned above. Obviously, it would be a major issue if I dive with the hole.
Pro-ear mask - The first option is the one that will keep my ears dry, or least that is what it is intended to do. Reviews on the item are mixed, works for some and doesn't for others. I don't see myself having any issues wearing the funky looking mask, if it allows me to scuba dive, than I will take looking like a pinhead.
Doc's Proplugs - The vented earplug intend to help people that have trouble equalizing. Obviously, being vented, they will allow some water in. I have heard few people say that a few drops of water get in your ear canal below 30ft, but some people say that your entire ear canal will be filled with water. a small amount of water in my ear canal is fine, because water only ever gets in my middle ear if the canal flood. I will go swimming without earplugs if I know I am not goanna be submerging in the eater, or not going down that deep.
Another solution that I was wondering if it would work to keep the ear dry is if I use both at the same time, to maximize the results, and keep my ear totally dry. I was thinking that if the mask should spring a leak where the earcups are, the Doc's Proplugs should hold the water off the comes inside of the earcup until I am able to clear the water out of the cups. I don't know if that would actually work as I have not had the opportunity to try it out for obvious reasons. So I was wondering if that it would at all be possible to use these one of either of the 2, or both methods at the same time for me to be able to scuba dive. As I have said, I would like to avoid having to do a pricey surgery again if I have to, but I also don't want to just give up on scuba diving, as I will be going to college internationally for marine biology where I could be doing some diving, and would really like to be able to scuba dive as a hobby as well. Thank you for your time and your help.
When I was born, I put in my eardrums to drain fluid out. The right tube fell out on its own, the left had to be removed manually, or so I am told as I was an infant and don't know if that is actually what happened. Growing up, whenever I would go swimming, I would often get swimmers ear. In about 5th grade I started to wear swimming earplugs while swimming and the ear infections stopped. I really never thought anything about it until I was 20. I can't remember what I was doing, but I probably went to blow my nose real hard, and I felt and heard the air come out of my ear, and other people can hear the air coming out of my ear. I went to the doctor, and sure enough, I have had a hole in my left eardrum since, the one that had to be manually removed by doctors. . I guess growing up, the doctors never saw it because my ear canal is slightly curved, and it obstructed the view of the hole. I have been looking in to scuba diving since I was a teen, and never really could afford it because of family situations. Now, as an adult with adult money to pend of my own, I wanted to get certified. Well, I obviously know you can't dive with a hole in your eardrum, and earplugs like the one I wear to go swimming are also not an option. So in may of 2021, I had surgery, a tympanoplasty to be specific, to solve the issues so I could scuba dive... with no results. The graft did not take place, I never got an infection, and I certainly kept my ear dry when recovering. When I went for my second follow up appointment, I had concerns that the graft did not take place, because I could feel the airflow in my ear canal. Sure enough, the graft never took hold. The hole it seems is about the same size, and so far the only thing that amounted from the surgery is, from what I have noticed, is slight hearing loss in my left ear.
Moving forward as of now, I am 21 and I would still like to get into scuba diving, but surgery is not cheap, so I would like to avoid going through it again, especially if it means having to pay for another failed surgery. I have to pay the for it, even if it fails, because it is an optional surgery that has a chance to fail, and by going into the surgery I am agreeing to it, knowing that it has a chance to fail. So I have been doing some research, I've been looking at alternate methods that would allow me to scuba dive without having to go through surgery again, and the 2 I have come across is the 2 mentioned above. Obviously, it would be a major issue if I dive with the hole.
Pro-ear mask - The first option is the one that will keep my ears dry, or least that is what it is intended to do. Reviews on the item are mixed, works for some and doesn't for others. I don't see myself having any issues wearing the funky looking mask, if it allows me to scuba dive, than I will take looking like a pinhead.
Doc's Proplugs - The vented earplug intend to help people that have trouble equalizing. Obviously, being vented, they will allow some water in. I have heard few people say that a few drops of water get in your ear canal below 30ft, but some people say that your entire ear canal will be filled with water. a small amount of water in my ear canal is fine, because water only ever gets in my middle ear if the canal flood. I will go swimming without earplugs if I know I am not goanna be submerging in the eater, or not going down that deep.
Another solution that I was wondering if it would work to keep the ear dry is if I use both at the same time, to maximize the results, and keep my ear totally dry. I was thinking that if the mask should spring a leak where the earcups are, the Doc's Proplugs should hold the water off the comes inside of the earcup until I am able to clear the water out of the cups. I don't know if that would actually work as I have not had the opportunity to try it out for obvious reasons. So I was wondering if that it would at all be possible to use these one of either of the 2, or both methods at the same time for me to be able to scuba dive. As I have said, I would like to avoid having to do a pricey surgery again if I have to, but I also don't want to just give up on scuba diving, as I will be going to college internationally for marine biology where I could be doing some diving, and would really like to be able to scuba dive as a hobby as well. Thank you for your time and your help.
