Perforated ear drum. :(

[amyycp]

I started my open water course a couple of months ago and as i was on my 3rd open water dive i had trouble equalizing and continued descending which was a big mistake because i perforated my left eardrum. I had this and my right ear looked at 3 times by my GP to see if it was infected/healing and eventually after 6 weeks she said she couldn't see a perforation and recommended that i wait another 2 weeks till i dive.
So 2 weeks later i went diving in a pool to see how my ear was, the pool was 3 meters and my left ear was fine, i was finding it hard to equalize with my right ear but eventually i did and it was fine!

A week later i booked my final dive so i could finally complete the OW course. But as i was descending my right ear felt uncomfortable and i had to keep going up and down to equalize. I tried this and surfaced about 3 times and on the last time my right ear was painful i thought i was going to damage it so i decided that i could damage my ear further so i came out of the water.
It been 24 hours and my right ear is still aching the pain isn't unbearable but it hurts every now and then and is uncomfortable.

:depressed: I am pretty worried as i love diving and don't want my mistake to ruin my chances of diving again! My instructor was great and is giving me details of a doctor that specializes in diving but i was just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this or if anyone's got any advice or if anyone thinks i have badly damaged my ear!
Thanks.

 

[doctormike]

I started my open water course a couple of months ago and as i was on my 3rd open water dive i had trouble equalizing and continued descending which was a big mistake because i perforated my left eardrum. I had this and my right ear looked at 3 times by my GP to see if it was infected/healing and eventually after 6 weeks she said she couldn't see a perforation and recommended that i wait another 2 weeks till i dive.
So 2 weeks later i went diving in a pool to see how my ear was, the pool was 3 meters and my left ear was fine, i was finding it hard to equalize with my right ear but eventually i did and it was fine!

A week later i booked my final dive so i could finally complete the OW course. But as i was descending my right ear felt uncomfortable and i had to keep going up and down to equalize. I tried this and surfaced about 3 times and on the last time my right ear was painful i thought i was going to damage it so i decided that i could damage my ear further so i came out of the water.
It been 24 hours and my right ear is still aching the pain isn't unbearable but it hurts every now and then and is uncomfortable.

:depressed: I am pretty worried as i love diving and don't want my mistake to ruin my chances of diving again! My instructor was great and is giving me details of a doctor that specializes in diving but i was just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this or if anyone's got any advice or if anyone thinks i have badly damaged my ear!
Thanks.

Hi, amyycp...

Thanks for writing! Sorry you have to go through this.

It's hard to say this without sounding arrogant, but it's simply true. It is rarely possible to diagnose a perforation of the eardrum without a good cleaning of the ear canal and evaluation by an ENT doctor using a microscope. The exception to this would be if you tried to valsalva underwater and bubbles came out of your ear.

Yes, large perforations can be seen with a handheld otoscope, but this would be rare in cases of an acute traumatic perforation. I have great respect for GPs, pediatricians and other general medical doctors, but having done this for 20 years, I can just tell you that there is no substitute for an ENT exam (and an audiogram) in cases of ear pathology. There are many, many subtleties of the eardrum that can be mistaken for infections, middle ear fluid or perforations.

Feel free to PM me if you want a local referral, I may know someone in your area. You can also contact DAN for referrals. Until you can equalize safely, you should not dive.

Mike

 

[flots am]

:depressed: I am pretty worried as i love diving and don't want my mistake to ruin my chances of diving again! My instructor was great and is giving me details of a doctor that specializes in diving but i was just wondering if anyone else has experienced anything like this or if anyone's got any advice or if anyone thinks i have badly damaged my ear!
Thanks.

I'll leave the medical part to the doctors , but before you go back into the water the next time, I'd suggest watching the video "The diver's ear under pressure" at: Doc's Diving Medicine Home Page

It's a little long but worth the effort and in regards to equalization, is probably several hundred times more informative than your Open Water class.

flots

 

[doctormike]

I'll leave the medical part to the doctors , but before you go back into the water the next time, I'd suggest watching the video "The diver's ear under pressure" at: Doc's Diving Medicine Home Page

It's a little long but worth the effort and in regards to equalization, is probably several hundred times more informative than your Open Water class.

flots

Yup, that's a great resource, I recommend it all the time! However, if there is a question of a perforated eardrum, then we shouldn't be recommending those techniques until a definitive diagnosis has been made...

 

[boulderjohn]

One you have a proper diagnosis and are cleared to dive...

When I first started diving I had so much trouble equalizing that an instructor said I might have to give up on diving altogether. I worked on it and worked on it and worked on it. I now rarely have any trouble at all--I can descend as fast as I feel like going down without my ears being a problem. I would say that the solution was primarily my ears getting used to it. The big factor is that I dive often, which is much more important than any technique I may have learned.

So, when you are ready to go again, be patient. Read up on it and try various techniques. Most importantly, though, is to keep trying it with the understanding that eventually it will be easy for you.

 

[amyycp]

Thanks guys great advice and i have booked an appointment with a diving doctor around my area and hopefully he will take a good look and tell me whats wrong! I am going to be patient and not risk further damage to my ear. I will also watch that video thanks again, wish me luck!!

 

[flots am]

Yup, that's a great resource, I recommend it all the time! However, if there is a question of a perforated eardrum, then we shouldn't be recommending those techniques until a definitive diagnosis has been made...

I recommended watching the video so the injury doesn't reoccur, not as a treatment or something to try while watching the video.

flots.

 

[amyycp]

Went to the doctor he said that i had blocked eustation tubes as i am quite small and have a small face and that's why my ear perforated in the first place.
I'm now having to take tablets and nasel spray everyday for 3 months and that should clear it up, i hope it is working and he said if it doesn't work after 3 months then i have something wrong and can't dive again but im sure it will work so i cant wait for 3 months to be over!