With great white sharks, rugged coral reefs, and wild waves, anyone that has been on the water for prolonged time can face a lot of dangers. However, if you are one of the adventurous few who enjoy riding waves, there is another danger you might not have thought of: surfer’s ear (also known as exostosis).
This is a condition involving abnormal bone formation in the ear canal. After many years of swimming or surfing, this blockage can develop to block the ear canal and cause hearing problems. Even though you may feel like you’re going deaf, an ENT for ear problems in Los Angeles will diagnose this as the easily treatable surfer’s ear.
Many swimmers and surfers suffer from exostosis due to spending too much time in the water. The cold, windy water associated with these activities is believed to increase the surfer’s ear risk. Also, it has been perceived that those who surf in cold water are at a higher risk of getting the infection than warm water surfers.
Men have a high likelihood of getting affected, even though that is speculated because a higher percentage of men participate in sports events that incline people to develop the disease.
The main cause of exostosis is wet and cold weather. People need long-term exposure to notice symptoms. The most affected individuals are between 30 and 40 years old and have a long history of outdoor activities in cold water.
It’s easier to take steps to avoid it than to treat it. Many of the methods of prevention are overlooked by surfers and swimmers, but many are low-cost.
Find an earplug that works for you. Currently, you can purchase the ones permit sound in while keeping the water away. Foam and silicone are among the most popular types of earplugs. You can also get earplugs specifically made for waterwear from brands like Speedo. Or you may purchase the paste at any drugstore and apply it across the ear canal. It does not matter the type you use, as long as you are wearing protection for your ears.
Put ear drops to assist in drying up the water trapped in your ear canal. However, watch out for drops with high alcohol concentration. Such drops will dry the water but can as well dry out the skin and lead to infection.
After a surf session, switch the blow dryer on minimal heat and slide it backward and forward over your ear to vaporize the water. Nowadays, you can even purchase portable electric dryers specially designed for use in the ears.
On cold days, wearing a hoodie traps heat around your head and prevents your head from getting cold. This can help prevent years of earache or discomfort.
In the initial stages, the ear canal will fill with debris, which may be accompanied by an ear infection. As the blockage increases, other symptoms might also appear. They include:
While compulsions might affect both ears, one ear is likely to be much affected than the other. This may often be related to the cold environments that the person is in, for instance, winds emanating from a certain bearing for surfers.
In such a narrow space like the ear canal, dirt and water might get stuck in it and cause a surfer’s ear. Treating the infection is much more challenging for persons without open ear canals. Treating the infection will require several visits to head and neck specialists (otolaryngologist) to remove the debris and treat them with antibiotics.
Once more than 90% of your ear canal becomes blocked, noteworthy hearing loss may occur, which could only be alleviated by removing the debris.
The best remedy is prevention, as it can easily be helped with a few small lifestyle changes. However, for those who we can’t save, the surgical treatment option is available.
Exostosis surgery has gone through some progress in late years, which is beneficial as it makes it less invasive. Depending the severity of the blockage, there are three available surgery categories.
In the course of your recovery period, ensure that no water enters your ear canal. This means you must wear earplugs when in the water (for instance, in the bath or shower) and that you cannot surf or swim under any circumstances. If you fail to wear the earplugs after your healing from ear canals, it might re-occur within several years.
This condition is preventable and curable at the same time. In case you have a question regarding exostosis, do not hesitate to contact an ENT doctor in Los Angeles. If you have begun to experience hearing loss, you may have developed a surfer’s ear, but luckily, it’s treatable with the help of a talented ear doctor like Westside Head & Neck.
Any source of sound sends vibrations or sound waves into the air. These funnel through the ear opening, down the external ear canal, and strike your eardrum, causing it to vibrate. The vibrations are passed to the three small bones of the middle ear, which transmit them to the cochlea. The cochlea contains tubes filled with fluid. Inside one of the tubes, tiny hair cells pick up the vibrations and convert them into nerve impulses. These impulses are delivered to the brain via the hearing nerve. The brain interprets the impulses as sound (music, voice, a car horn, etc.).