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

[gert7to3]

Hethen,
If your spouse has perforations she is likely pressurizing both her middle ear and the outer ear space between her eardrum and the Doc's Pro Plug. The vented Pro Plugs limit water entry into the outer ear canal next to the ear drum. The vent hole in the plug uses surface tension of the water along with some stretching of the Pro Plug into the ear canal, to hold the water back. This only works to about 20 feet. Going lower results in a drop of water oozing through the vent hole. If one were to dive using a Doc's Pro Plug, with a perforated eardrum, the Pro Plug would hold the water back going deeper because the space in the outer ear canal would be pressurized through the perforation. A head band, such as you say your wife wears, or even a hood might seal the ear completely if that space is being pressurized through a perforation. In my situation I use the Pro Ear Mask and the Doc's Pro Plug.

 

[Hethen57]

Gert7to3,
The headband she wears is also vented in a more primitive manner to prevent trapping air, just as a second layer of protection and to keep from losing the Docs Pro Plugs. We will have to look into the Pro Ear Mask as well. I was just glad that she could continue diving because it is much easier to plan trips if you have a live-in dive buddy rather than trying to go out on the open market and find one who has a compatible schedule .

 

[mike41799]

I dive with that mask along with the plugs and fitted hood. I also shave the side of my head for dives. My eardrums are perforated as well, so I can't let any water get in there.

 

[Rod']

Thank you for all this info about the plugs and mask (and the nice video), that gives me hope! I will see an ENT next week, and potentially a surgeon next month, I will keep you updated.

What is the maximum depth you suggest I could go with this setup of plugs and mask in the (hypothetical) case of my eardrum not being able to be fixed?
I wanted to start scuba and freediving courses, but if this solution works only for limited depth, I might have to focus only on scuba.

 

[Rod']

Update:

So I got the chance to see earlier than expected an ENT surgeon specialized in diving and things are getting a bit more interesting:

It seems that my eardrum is intact! But I apparently suffer from a "tympanic membrane retraction".

Tympanic membrane retraction - Wikipedia

Probably as a result of otitis when I was kid. There was some blood in my ear also, that might be sign of previous eardrum perforation, but hard to tell because if it was the case, it appears intact by now.

The ENT said that it is easy to mix perforation and retraction because in my case (refraction level 2), my membrane is so ridiculously thin, it feels like there is nothing there, and even air and water can pass through like a sieve, given enough pressure. (That would explain why I never had inner ear leaks swimming not beyond 3-4m depth, but can feel air leak with vasalva and frenzel).

Good news: According to him, usually ENTs do not endorse diving, or surgery, with this kind of problem (it is kinda "overkill"), but given my personal drives (strong love for water, wish to explore diving as potential professional career in the future, therapeutic effect of diving for my mood, etc), he would be ready to perform the surgery to reinforce my eardrum. 80% chances success. Recovery in two months, with likely no depth or other limitations in case of success. I could scuba or freedive.

Bad news: Well, that would be the "gore" version of tympanoplasty, similar to aggraved perforated eardrum fix. So yeah...ear wide open, skin and cartilage sampling...scars...the whole show. But eh, doesn't seem too bad to get a scar and a couple of months being miserable in exchange of being able to dive.

I am waiting for a scanner to confirm the diagnostic and the structure of my ear. Will let you know.

 

[mike41799]

I have been down to 100 feet with this setup. I have had multiple operations but the patches never take on the eardrums. I am going to be staying within the recreational limits, I look at the plugs as a back up in the event an earpiece gets knocked off. I would be able to have a controlled ascent with as little water getting in my ear as possible. I would be in real trouble if I had to deal with a deco stop in this situation. That's why the hood is crucial to keeping the earpieces on. Good Luck!!

 

[gert7to3]

The hole in Docs Pro Plugs utilizes surface tension to prevent entry of water. You can see surface tension when you overfill a glass with water. A small amount of water can be seen above the rim of the glass. This surface tension works down to about 20 feet. Lower than that, a small drop of water may seep through. With a Pro Ear mask on you will be equalizing your ear cups as you descend and this would equalize the space in your ear canal on both sides of the Docs Pro Plug to whatever depth you have gone to. Should you have an ear cup fail or get knocked off, the Docs Pro Plug would probably keep the water out, unless you descended over 20 feet beyond the depth where the problem occurred. I put a hood on over my Pro Ear Mask earcups as well. Cutting out a hood for the ear cups lead to pulling when I moved my head.