Perforated ear

[Tasape]

Hi
can some one point me in the right direction please
i just perforated my ear (small tear)
what are the rules regarding going back down again my gp wasnt shure and nhs direct isnt all that clear doc recons 3 monthes for it to heal but what are the diving rules regarding this im a leisure diver open water

thanks

 

[FuzzyNutz]

Ears are very sensitive and fragile, unless you want to kill your ears via a painful death, I'd suggest waiting for them to heal - I know, sucks, but better than never diving again! You could call DAN (Divers Alert Network;

1-800-446-2671 or +1-919-684-2948, Mon.-Fri., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. ET​

) and ask their opinions or have them recommend an ear doc in your area who is knowledgeable with diving, and/or try asking here in the medical forum http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/diving-medicine/

Hope you get well soon!

 

[Superlyte27]

I've done this as a commercial diver. The diving doc in Louisiana told me I was out of the water for 3 months. As diving medicine goes, these guys who evaluate commercial divers are probably the best of the best in diving medicine. I waited my 3 months and got back into the water, and honestly wish I had waited 6 months. I ended up re-injuring my ear and had issues for a while.

Talk to DAN or a doctor that specializes in diving medicine. There are a few in Louisiana. But, I'd wait a while.

 

[TSandM]

You do not want to contaminate the middle ear with lake or sea water, which is what will happen if you dive while the perforation is still open, so definitely no diving (or even swimming without ear plugs!) for the next couple of weeks.

After that, the problem is that the place where the eardrum is healing is fragile, and no matter how careful we are with equalization, the eardrum experiences some stress. You don't want a recurrent perforation, because the more times the eardrum fails, the weaker the repair will be.

It would be my very strong recommendation that you establish care with a good ENT doc who can monitor the progress of healing and advise you on when the drum seems to be solid enough to tolerate the stresses involved in diving. I would not think that 3 months would be an overly conservative time, but I am not an ENT doc.