Shallow water ear rupture

[tridacna]

I think that explains it. I was very lucky as I was a junior doctor at the time and had good contacts. The ENT surgeon was happy to do the surgery for lifestyle reasons (i.e. diving). Not all will, especially in a public health service. I professed my desire for ear drum strength over hearing. He agreed and did a cartilage graft. This was in 2010 and many hundred dives ago. Zero issues since that time.

I understand your name now. I’m from Springbok country where we too have MBs and not MDs.

 

[MB NZ]

I understand your name now. I’m from Springbok country where we too have MBs and not MDs.

Ha! That's funny. Not the reason for my username. I'd never even thought of it before. My username comes from the name of my first boat which in turn, came from a TV show. My primary medical degree is MBChB though

 

[tridacna]

Ha! That's funny. Not the reason for my username. I'd never even thought of it before. My username comes from the name of my first boat which in turn, came from a TV show. My primary medical degree is MBChB though

After the AB’s slaughter of SA 10 days ago, you’re lucky I’m even talking to you.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

My son, 16, was taking his first dive lesson. The pool is max 12 feet and he didn't even go all the way down. On the swim test he does a skin dive to about 8 feet and said he felt something "pop" followed by minor pain. He then went on to try and defend on SCUBA to the bottom but said he was dizzy and told me about his ear so we told the instructor that he wouldn't be finishing that night. Pain got worse, much worse and so I took him to the doc who tells me he has a small, almost perfectly round rupture in his ear drum.
I am no expert in dive medicine, or even normal medicine. Can barely play doctor with competence. I am just posting because I have never heard of someone getting injured on such a shallow dive and to see if this might be some indication of not being able to dive in the future (future being next spring).

Thanks

The tympanic membrane should heal pretty quickly but he'll need to be re-evaluated before he considers getting back in the water. The thing that is devilishly slow to heal is the inflammation that he probably has in the middle ear secondary to the barotrauma. That can take weeks to resolve.

To test his equalization once he's all healed up, he can try a very gentle Valsalva (pinch the nose and blow) maneuver on the surface. If both ears equalize easily, he can probably clear in the water as well. Before he goes back in, he'll need to perfect his equalization technique. There are quite a few - the Valsalva is one, and if done correctly it's fine, but if done too vigorously it can lead to permanent inner ear damage. The Toynbee (pinch and swallow) maneuver is a gentler method, and there are a number of other techniques. Remind him to equalize early and often, i.e. before he feels like he needs to. By the time he feels the pressure building up, it's too late.

Best regards,
DDM