Diving after Perforated eardrum

[k374]

As I posted elsewhere, I perforated my eardrum during my OW checkout dives by descending too quickly without being able to equalize, big mistake. Now I have a small tear in my right ear that is healing up, the doc says he does not see a problem with it healing 100%.

My question is for those that have experienced a similar thing... I know this is variable depending on severity but how long did the healing process take before you could dive again? Did you feel that your eardrum was any weaker or more sensitive to pressure than before?

I just want some assurance that the eardrum will heal to close to 100% of it's original strength and not create a weak spot at the point where it healed. My doc seems to think it will heal 100% and I should be able to dive in 2 wks (I will confirm that it has healed before diving again of course!)

 

[DandyDon]

I dunno, but the word Perforated should be easy to on this Medicine forum, yielding threads by others who have been there.

I'm curious: Did your Inst have you covered by the DAN free student insurance? If so, it should pay the bill if you had any out-of-pocket.

 

[Rickg]

k374,

If you go to the following thread you will find my comments on having this happen to me.

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/diving-medicine/210459-ruptured-perforated-eardrum-question.html

If I remember correctly, each time it happened I stay out of the water for 2 weeks.

 

[PullmanSCUBA]

It happened to me and I recovered just fine. My doctor initally thought that it would heal up in 2 weeks but after I came in for my followup the doctor had me wait another week. Everything is fine now, no lasting problems.

 

[Screwbag]

a dive had his eardrum blown...it was about 4 weeks and he's back with no problems...keep it clean and dry so it heals good...

 

[k374]

thanks very much, appreciate the responses and feedback!

 

[Wormis]

I am new to this site and can't figure out how to post my own question so I will answer your question with my own annecdote and then ask my own question in the same post.

In answer to your question, my experience has been very bad with my perforated eardrum, but from what I have read on the internet, I am a very rare case.

I did it for the first time 9 years ago. about 3 months later after checking with a ENT doctor, I went on another dive. The ear felt a little strange, but it was fine. My next dive at about 30 feet of water with no excessive clearing the perforation happened again while performing the valsalva. I tried two more times to dive after that with no luck. the ear drum perforated both times. I gave up after that on SCUBA diving despite my over 100 dives and love for the sport.

About 5 years ago I lived on an island in southern Japan. the snorkeling was amazing. I snorkeled and could go down to about 10 feet if I went down slow and let my ears naturally equalize. One day while returning to the surface, it happened again merely by the expanding air from my accent. My eardrum seems to have gotten consistently weaker with each perforation.

I suspect that through blowing my nose with vairous colds and such that it has happened more than the six times that I have counted.

The last time was 2 1/2 months ago. I was doing a headfirst dive into a lake and the impact of the water on my eardrum perforated it again. This time, the doctor told me that it was such a huge hole that he couldn't imagine it healing so upon my return to Japan, I went to the Ear Nose and Throat doctor here to get a referal for surgery that the doctor in the U.S. assured me would be needed and they told me that it was healed and there was no need for surgery.

I am very frustrated. I have always wanted the injury to be bad enough so that I could have surgery. Even though my eardrum seems to heal enough to satisfy a doctor, everytime I try to dive or snorkel more than a few feet, I prompltly get another perforation!

I don't know what to do!!! Please help!

 

[Tasape]

have the surgery apparently they insert a grommett in to the ear and the tissue grows back around that, having searched the web, some pro divers have had this done with no issues, althought it does take time to heal and you need the all clear from your surgeon before diving again