EVIL Surfer's Ear

General Discussion
21
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I make my own drops out of alcohol, hydrogen peroxide (I just love that bubbling sensation!) and vinegar. There are many recipes but what counts most is that you use them consistently.

Hydrogen peroxide is an indiscriminant cellular killer - it will kill your skin as well as any bacteria in there. Repetitive use can have an impact on scar buildup. Put a drop on the back of your hand, let it sit for a minute, and check it later…

It is for this reason that either a pure drying formula, or a drying plus pH altering formula, are recommended. Hydrogen peroxide is used in wound treatment only as a first treatment of a really dirty wound (like a knee scrape on hard packed dirt).

Also, back on the “does vinegar dissolve bone” kick - low pH substances will dissolve bone, for sure. An old tooth and some lemon juice can demonstrate this. But, that low pH has to make it through the skin. The body regulates pH to a few hundreds of a unit, and a substantial alteration would kill the skin before it got to the bone. I think that is unlikely as a mechanism, although it has demonstrated effects on ear canal infections that are beneficial.

HTH, get yer quota.

22

I ignored my symptoms (left ear deafness) for 6 months last year and finally saw the quack. She reckoned 98% in the left, 80 in the right. No bad infections in that time but a lot of pressure. Michael Murray at the Cal Ear Institute in Palo Alto is drilling me next month, and the right next year. I’ll let the board know how it goes, sounds pretty straightforward.

I surfed through 10 or so South Island (New Zealand) winters (occasional snow on the beach, offshores from Antarctica) without plugs or drops, and was a motorbike courier for quite a while too (again, no plugs and chilly temps in winter).

Lesson being, don’t be a silly bugger, look after them ‘cause you only get one set. Bit of a shame to have to stay out of the water for so long post-op’, but I’d rather that than get some nasty infection once they close right over.

23

Well, nobody’s gonna do this 'cuz everybody thinks it’s so hard, but I used to get an insane ear infection every year. Moaning agony in a darkened room, etc.

I went vegan five years ago, and haven’t had one since. And it was easy. You don’t miss cheese or any of it after ten days.

My ears used to be kinda prone to, uh, brownish crap. That’s all gone.

Strictly speaking from a health standpoint: meat and dairy = allergens, excess cholesterol (look that word up, and its problems, see if you think it might relate to yours), too much free calcium (ding!), and growth hormones (hmm). Simply speaking, we evolved on this stuff when our lifespan was thirty years.

Your mileage may vary, and now back to your regularly scheduled program.

24

Wow, thanks for all of the advise. I was sort of an idiot, in that I went to school in San Luis Obispo for 4 years and never wore a hood or ear plugs. Now I’m paying the price for it. I hated the ear plugs at first but now I’m very uncomfortable not wearing them. Without them I’m constantly trying to clear my sinus’ and my head freezes. It’s weird how plugs can keep your head warmer. Before the plugs, I was getting infections every few months and was more or less living on Ampicilin for a while. Now I live in Huntington Beach which has some of the most polluted water around.

Anyway, maybe I’ll try to do more cleansing and cleaning and see if there is a chance for reversal, I’d hate to have a botched surgery!!! I’ll just learn to read lips when I’m at bars and parties… I usually ignore what people say anyways,

25

After putting off the operation for many years, I plan on doing it after returning from a trip in February.

My right ear is so closed up that my ENT laughed when I asked him what percentage closure I had. “I’m looking in there and see a little tiny black hole, about the size of a needle.” “What do you want me to tell you? 98.5%?” “Fine, that’s what it is.” “Happy?” He’s actually a great guy, with zero bedside manner but generally good natured. My left ear is only about 70-80% closed and I probably won’t have it drilled.

My experience has been that my hearing hasn’t suffered from the closure, provided that a small opening remains clear (this was confirmed by a hearing test). The problem is that a small drop of water or minute piece of debris will block the hole. When the hole is blocked, my hearing is horrible and I have the sensation of pressurizing/depressurizing every few minutes. When I can’t get the hole to clear, I break out my ear vacuum - a plastic syringe that I hold in front of the vacuum hose. It maxes out at a very low pressure, due to the syringe’s small hole, and I love hearing that loud whoosh when the hole is cleared. However, I’ve found that it’s possible to make things worse by aggressively poking around my ear canal, which causes swelling.

I’m wondering where to have the work done. We have a couple of doctors in town who do 3 or 4 of these a month. Then, there’s the House Ear Institute in Los Angeles, but I’m having trouble finding information about their surgery center. The California Ear Institute is about six hours away, but their web site is laid out so well that you can practically order the operation on line. Gives the impression that they do a lot of these operations. I’m thinking it might be worth the effort to find the doctor who does this operation several times a day, but my neighbor, an orthopedic surgeon, is going to schedule his exostosis removal with one of the local doctors. Maybe I’m making too big a deal out of this, but I’m a little concerned about someone drilling into my melon.

I’ve finally (typical for me) started wearing ear plugs and a hood for cold days. The silicone ear plugs are uncomfortable, but the Doc’s Pro Plugs with the vent are very comfortable. I’ll probably even wear those in warm water just to keep my ears clean.

Deke, I’ve heard of a few problems with the laser technique and I think most places now use an ordinary diamond bit to grind the bone. Based on my experience, your hearing should still be normal if you still have a small opening. You might want to make sure that you don’t have a persistent infection or physical blockage in there. Have you been to an ENT for an ear vacuuming?

Blakestah, I’d be interested in your referral for a surgeon. I’m tempted to give the warm-head regimen a try, but I’m frightened by the thought of blind drilling if I completely lose the hole.

26

xKDx,

The Doc’s plugs will not prevent infection since they let the water into your ear. Doc’s plugs keep your ear warm, not dry. Doc’s plugs help prevent Surfer’s Ear, but not Swimmer’s Ear. Blakestah clarified the difference. Try a plug that keeps the water out to prevent infections. The bacteria is in the water and damn near every place else. Good luck on the drill thing. Mike

27
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Quote:

Keith… Lucky huh! I was born with surfer’s brain plus I was born with no skull cap, so my Mom plopped a wig on my head and the hair fused onto the top of my head, :+)

Alright ! Here we have a late entrant in the 2004 Swaylocks Awards…

" person I’d most like to surf with / crowd control / namesake awrd winner "…

ben shipper …

…Now, THAT’S the look, right there ! [“SSSSENSSSATIONAL, possums !”]

Surfer’s ear / hair jokes aside,

I think I’m in the same boat as you, shippy…33+ years in the water, no ear operations.

Yet, my brother, surfing much colder water than me for the last 20 years, HAS had bone growths in both ears causing pain , and perhaps hearing loss [but that could just be from all the Midnight Oil and other concerts we went to in the '80s and 1990’s !]

    ben

our Perth water temperature ranges from 17-21 celsius [add 15 and double it]…his Phillip Island water temps range from 13-17 celsius…

28

I was diagnosed in 1985 with some Stenosis in my left ear at a pre-employment physical, this was after about 8 years of surfing the East Coast of the US. I finally had the operation in 1997 when that ear had closed up to 95 % and I could not get the water out of it.

The operation isn’t too bad, a couple days of pain/discomfort, not being able to chew too well because the ear canal is packed with gauze or something. The worst part is the 6-8 weeks out of the water, usually the surgery isn’t an emergency and can be scheduled to minimize the impact of the time off.

I have had both ears done now and as others have suggested I use an ear flush (90/10 alcohol vinegar), ear plugs and a hood for cold water. If you decide to go the surgery route do your homework, find a Dr who has a good reputation for achieving results. The first few I talked to were clueless, wouldn’t let them get near my head with a high speed drill! I believe the doctors who do many of these also monitor that nerve that was mentioned “Facial nerve” to prevent nerve damage.

Good luck

Jim N

29

I have to agree with the vinegar treatment, one drop in each ear after drying the outside. One thing people are missing is that the Middle Ear is connected to your throat by the Eustachion Tube (?spelling). If you have a throat infection this can run up into the middle ear and cause an infection in there as well.

Percussion on the outer ear from diving/falling can speed infections up due to the rapid pressurisation/depressurisation through this canal. Too many infections over time will create scar tissue build up and close the outer ear canal.

Blow your nose after a surf, restabilise the pressure to normal, dry the outside of your ear with a clean towel (no sand, salt) and put a drop of vinegar in then dry again.

hope this helps as well.

cheers

Hicksy

30

By the time I was 21, my right ear was 98% blocked. I had the surgery on my right ear that year, and my left ear the next. For me, the surgery was a miserable experience and reinforced my tendency to wear earplugs. Nineteen years later, after plugs and a hood, I have zero regrowth. My point is this: Clearly I was highly susceptible to this condition, but ALWAYS wearing earplugs and a hood has prevented any regrowth.

It’s very important to find a reputable surgeon who has done a thousand of these operations since, as has been mentioned here, a facial nerve runs underneath the ear canal. What hasn’t been mentioned is that if that nerve gets clipped, your face loses enervation forever. That means your face will droop on that side for the rest of your life.

I’ve tried every type of earplug out there and, don’t laugh, the best stuff to use is…poster putty. Seriously. Get the blue or yellow poster putty ( the grey makes it look as though you’ve got a disease) form a plug, work it into your ear without undue pressurizing of the air in your ear canal, and viola! Waterproof, cheap, and works without a hood and stays in during a pounding. One package of the stuff will provide ten or so plugs which will last for several to many sessions depending on how diligent you are about keeping the sand out of them. Eventually they get slimy, but who cares at five cents a plug?

I think that warm water surfers (rat bastards…sorry, but I get sick of 40 degree water) will still get surfer’s ear, but only if they are exposed to persistent wind. Slack wind means no evaporative cooling and just wet ears, i.e., swimmer’s ear.

Wear those earplugs.

31

in Australia the blue stuff you mentioned is called Blu-Tac and it’s what most people use. i’ve talked to heaps of people in the water and they all reckon it’s the best stuff to use. from what i’ve heard/read it’s the water in your ear combined with the wind. apparently warm winds are the worst. i don’t know, i’m not a scientist, i work in the vineyards.

32

Blu tac is the stuff. Works so much better than any comercial ear plug I’ve tried and I think I’ve tried them all. I’m surprised someone hasn’t started marketing it as Super Surf Plug and quadrupled the price. It sticks to your skin and keeps water out.

A pinch of boric acid in alcohol as an alternative to vinegar works well too. A bottle of boric acid should last you a lifetime. I’ve had the surgery in both ears. Not too bad as surgeries go but I’d do what I could to avoid it.

33

I’m getting my right ear, which is completely closed, drilled tomorrow.

Doc says he can do it through the ear canal and won’t have to cut off my ear, assuming all goes well. We’ll see. Says I’ll be out of the water about a month.

I’m a bit worried because he seems a little overconfident (have come across few surgeons who aren’t a bit full of themselves!) but I don’t think he’s done that many before.

Had a buddy who got drilled last year and his doc told him next time to go somewhere else; he didn’t want to mess with it ever again. It was a real horror show that took them 3 hours.

I hope they give me some good drugs.

34

I’ve never tried plugs or putty, does it mess with your balance (equilibrium) ??? DR

35

xKDx- I had the surgery done at the House Clinic in Los Angeles, last spring, on my right ear- I used Doctor Brackman- (he came highly referred by other surf, and physician friends of mine). My right ear had a pin hole shaft left open, my left ear has two. The surgery is a non issue in that you are given the gas- The recovery on the other hand, is quite uncomfortable (at least it was in my case)- After the surgery, they pack the drilled ear with something that sets off to a semi hard state- Imagine having this semi hardened cement substance in your ear for about a month- Pain sub sides in about 3 weeks, though you will still feel it for a month beyond that- I had the ear peeled forward, and the canal drilled- My ear felt like one of the Pigs ear dog chew toys, that had been reattached to my face, for about 3 months. My bite was affected for about 4 months. So end thoughts to all this- Do it before you have to have the surgery to expose an “impacted infection”. I hear this will complicate ones situation tenfold- Dr. Brackman was awsome, he’s been doing these things for a long time- The recovery sucks, but when its your only option, its your only option- My right ear now is muy bueno- I shall have the left ear done when I can arrange the time out- I have worn ear plus (Docs) since the mid 80s- and will continue to do so- I have been told by the people at the House Institute that they are the best thing going, to surf with- Be very carefull with a plug that complete seals the ear- This can lead to a Blown ear drum with a good drubing in Large surf (happened to another guy I met at the docs office. Good Luck-

36

Hey all - had both done a few years apart. First time - cut the ear canal open and then peeled skin back, and then ground out the bones, hard to hear out of the ear for the 6 week time the “packing” was still in the ear, and out of the water. Afterwards - no problems. The next ear, for faster healing/less time out of water , I was told, was to cut the back of the ear, and fold it forward - saving the canal intact - then grind the bone. The thing was, the whole ear cut away from the head thing, turned out to be a pain. A couple of less weeks out of the water, but the scar line behind my ear was a source of irritation for months - years, not constant but weird scar stuff in my head… And, I swear it wasn’t as “open” - still have had some issues with it. Could be the first doc made the old canal a little bigger than before.

Good luck, good health, and good waves to all, Taylor

37

no, ear plugs don’t mess up your equilibrium. At least not for me or anyone I’ve ever talked to…

38

xKDx, I’d recommend Dr. Steven Cheung from UCSF faculty practice.

The operation, within the limits of what ENT surgeons do on a daily basis, is fairly simple. It is easier for the surgeon to do a good job, and not make any BIG mistakes, if he goes through the back of the ear. However, there are alternate ways to get it done. And maybe you’d like to add a little risk of facial droop for the added convenience of not having a surgical scar on the back of your ear, but personally I’d let the surgeon know my concerns, and let him decide (after checking his references).

Ear plugs do not affect your equilibrium. Sometimes I take mine out and re-insert them a few times to get the ear canal pressure right.

I know five people who’ve perf’d their ear drums without ear plugs, and none who’ve done it with plugs. Perhaps it could still happen, but I think the odds are against it.

39

This discussion reminds me of an issue I have: I get a lot of pain in my ears when diving deep that I never experienced before. Is it possibly related to surfers ear or something else? I don’t have any problem with infections.

Thanks, and also hello to all from a first-timer.

40

They don’t really mess up your equalibrium, but they mess with you! You’re pretty much stripped of one of your senses and it takes a bit of time to get used to it. I used to get very uncomfortable in crowded big surf, because it is sometimes difficult to know where everyone is when you can’t hear them. You look around a lot more. Once you’re used to them though it’s very comfortable and kinda comforting because you can block out a lot of the bullshit talkers and just concentrate on the surf. Plus, honest to God it keeps your head a lot warmer. Not nearly as many ice cream headaches, even w/o a hood.