Preforated my eardrum on the Oriskany today

[Florabama]

Today was the first dive I've made since April when I hurt my ear, but did not think I had ruptured it. I finally got to go to the Oriskany today and was trying to gingerly clear my ears so as not to traumatize it again. I cleared normally down to the superstructure of the "O," (about 65') and when going down to just the next level, felt a pop in my left ear and could feel bubbles coming out of my ear. Sure enough, I asked my buddy to look at my ear, and bubbles were coming out.

I'm worried that something serious is wrong with my eardrums since this has never happened to me before this season. I'm wondering if I can get healed up and dive again or if something is wrong with my eardrums now.

 

[TSandM]

I would go have the ear looked at. If you have a perforated drum, you will have to keep the ear dry until it heals. Most perforations heal uneventfully, and people can dive afterward.

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=30

 

[Bratface]

Go to the doctor NOW. You want to preserve your hearing and be able to dive again. I had a pinhold perf in mine and couldn't dive for about 6 weeks. This happened in April and I have just been able to dive comfortably.

 

[Florabama]

Thanks for your responses. I am calling my doctor today, but I think I'm going to ask for a referral to an ENT. My GP looked at my ear in April and said it just looked like fluid behind the eardrum. I think it may have been preforated then, and I just reopened it yesterday.

 

[Bratface]

Yes, go the the ENT. Find one through DAN who is experienced with dive injuries if you can. Don't be surprised if you have to stay out of the water for several months. Not diving for a few months beats not diving for the rest of your life. Be conservative and follow the doctor's directions.

 

[bennedc]

Sorry to hear about your injury! Keep us posted on what the ENT says. Take care of that ear.

 

[gert7to3]

I am quite surprised that your PCP was so blase about "just looked like fluid behind the eardrum". There should have been some followup to be sure things had cleared and/or a referral to an ENT.

Was your April injury diving related? Did you flood your ear or was this just a pinhole leak?

 

[Florabama]

I am quite surprised that your PCP was so blase about "just looked like fluid behind the eardrum". There should have been some followup to be sure things had cleared and/or a referral to an ENT.

Was your April injury diving related? Did you flood your ear or was this just a pinhole leak?

Yes, the injury in April was a diving injury. In all fairness to my GP, I did not think the drum was preforated in April, so I didn't indicate that to the Doc. I only told him that I had felt pain, but looking back, I had the same symptoms that I had recently -- pain and inablity to clear but no vertigo (the lack of vertigo led me to believe that there was no preforation in April). In April, after a surface interval of about an hour, I was feeling better so I tried to get back in the water for a second dive only to have my ear erupt in pain, but everyone told me it was probably just strained since I had no vertigo.

The only difference between April and last Sunday, was that on Sunday, I was absolutely sure that it was preforated due to verifying that air bubbles were coming out of my ear (yes, I'm offically an air-head ). I suspect that it was just a pin hole preforation in April, and I reopened it last Sunday. I am praying that it will not keep me out of the water forever. I certainly don't mind missing the rest of the summer if I can get back in a few months.

I am seeing my Doc this afternoon. He's already prescribed some antibiotic ear drops, and he's going to give me a referral to an ENT. I'll make sure the ENT is familiar with diving injuries.

I appreciate everyone's help and concern. Thanks!

 

[TSandM]

In all fairness to your doc, it is quite possible that it wasn't a perforation the first time. Failure to equalize promptly can lead to fluid transudation or even bleeding into the middle ear, which would appear as fluid behind the drum. And given the trauma, attempting to dive shortly after this type of injury could result in significant difficulty equalizing because of the tissue edema and problems getting the Eustachian tube to open.

Having two injuries like this would lead me to believe that you need to be much more aggressive about "equalizing early and often". You may just not be that sensitive to the pressure changes in your ear, and by the time you realize you need to equalize, you may already have some trauma.

 

[1amphibian]

Take heart though, I ruptured mine and I don't mean a pinhole rupture, and the healing was a bit slow since at the time I was working on pressurized Naval aircraft, I could feel it flapping when the canopy dropped and the cockpit pressurized.

But it did heal and I have had no problems diving with it at all. You'll heal up, just get to the ENT and then let it heal properly. And do as they tell you to to let it heal all the way.

Chris