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Go Back   WakeWorld > >> Wakeboarding Discussion Archives > Archive through June 05, 2008

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Old     (kitewake)      Join Date: Jul 2007       06-01-2008, 5:57 PM Reply   
I actually did it this Sat p.m. while kiteboarding...not wakeboarding (blown powered kiteloop attempt...major impact). I have not been able to get in to see a doc yet. For those of you in the know...do you think I perforated it?

Symptoms:

-Substantial hearing loss right after impact. It later returned for the most part. I would say I am now at 60% hearing in left ear. I can not hear very faint noises, or low pitched noises at all. For instance...if I listen to music with a lot of Bass...it almost makes me dizzy.

-I was very dizzy after impact. I felt like I was in the spin cycle. It took me 5 minutes to drag back to my board because my equilibrium was so jacked.

-Pain. Yes.

-I later noticed faint trace of blood in my ear

-Later that night...pressure built up like crazy in my ear. I was almost ready to go to the ER it hurt so bad. Then suddenly the pressure spontaneously released and my ear drained some. Yuck.

-My ear has since been draining...but only a very slight amount. Clear fluid

My guess is that I did rupture it....but it must be a very small hole...otherwise why would pressure build up in my ear. I need to get some antibiotics.

By the way...I used to have problems with ear infections. I was really concerned about the nasty delta water I got in my ear...so I decide to put a few drops of swimmers ear solution (95% alcohol and 5 glycerin) in the impacted ear to kill any bugs. OMG don't ever do this. ONE DROP and I was on the floor. Yeoww! But 24 hours after impact...no infection pain yet....
Old     (ldr)      Join Date: Nov 2002       06-01-2008, 6:43 PM Reply   
That pressure you speak of was/is the most pain i've ever experienced in my life. I feel for you man. I had one where my ear drained on my pillow every night for a couple months.
Old     (ethan31)      Join Date: Jun 2007       06-01-2008, 6:53 PM Reply   
A couple years back, I got swimmers ear or something. I've never had a pain like that, it was so bad that my jaw actually misaligned, made my bite messed up.
The doc gave me some drops that took about a week to work.



Does any know if theres some kind of ear plugs to prevent stuff like this?
Old     (brodie_chaboya)      Join Date: Apr 2006       06-01-2008, 7:23 PM Reply   
yeah it def. sounds like you poped that s$%#. I did mine a few years back and yes it hurt, felt like i was in a space ship or my head was a sea shell. Mine too drained fluid clear for the most part. go to the doc and get the antibiotics cause an inner ear infection is very serious. take time off water, get some ear plugs and it heals pretty quick. I took it easy for 3-4 weeks and healed fine, started using different types of wax/rubber/etc. plugs with a head band to keep them in after a few weeks.
Old     (joe_crawley)      Join Date: Jan 2007       06-01-2008, 7:28 PM Reply   
I popped an eardrum 3 times in 5 years and started wearing a helmet with ear flaps (ace wake) and I haven't had a pop since I started wearing it 3 years ago. Having popped my eardrum like you, I've found 2 parts to 1 water to vinegar works well to relieve pain and help an infection or entrapped water clear up. Wearing a helmet sucks, but if you have multiple ruptures it makes sense, and forehead smacks on face plants don't hurt nearly as much.
Old     (redwhiteblizue)      Join Date: Oct 2003       06-01-2008, 9:12 PM Reply   
If the eardrops hurt you definately perforated it. If you're still feeling dizzy and in alot of pain, it's probably worse (larger tear in the eardrum and/or troubles with the inner ear). Get it fixed before you ride again- I have a friend who rode for a couple days on a ruptured eardrum and now can't hear quite as well out of his left ear.

A year ago at the wakeboard camp I perforated my eardrum during a tantrum while wearing a helmet with earflaps. Kyle said the earflaps may have caused/added to the problem - landing square on the earflap could have created the right amount smack that did me in. 3 weeks of keeping my ear dry and I was good to go. I also made the painful mistake of putting in swimmer's ear eardrops. OUCH!!
Old     (mac_attack)      Join Date: Oct 2003       06-01-2008, 9:19 PM Reply   
HAHAHA!! I put alcohol in my ear too when I perferated mine and hit the floor like a little girl having a tantrum. I think that was the most pain I have ever had!!! Anyways mine healed back slowly and didn't require operation. Good luck and get you some docs pro plugs.
Old     (hfgcey5589gmailcom)      Join Date: Jul 2007       06-02-2008, 8:00 AM Reply   
I have blown both eardrums out twice in my right ear and once in my left ear. I wear earplugs religiously now. I made the mistake of putting a alcohol and peroxide mixture it was the worst pain ever. For sure go to the doctor they will hook you up with some eardrops and some good pain medicine.
Old     (era3)      Join Date: Apr 2007       06-02-2008, 8:28 AM Reply   
Yep I have blown my right ear drum 3 time and 2 times for my left. Not all wakeboarding but still know the pain. Plus had a lot of ear problems in my childhood. I have had molded earplugs just to loose them on the first run.

I was in the car last year in the middle of nowhere when I went to put the peroxide drops in and was the second worst pain I have ever experienced, I thought we were going to have to find an ER. The only other pain worse than that was when my eardrum was scabbing up from a pretty big hole and the doctor would have to rip the scab off. I passed out twice from that. After reliving those problems I think I might have to try the earflap helmets.
Old     (k9fxr)      Join Date: Jul 2005       06-02-2008, 6:56 PM Reply   
Dont put anything in your ear, you think you have pain now....go ahead.
I did 3 drums in about 5 yrs, one with the Ace helmet, now I wear Doc proplugs.
Your symptoms are classic.
See your doc, stay out of the water, dont purge your ears.
Old     (denystaucd)      Join Date: Feb 2003       06-02-2008, 7:36 PM Reply   
GO TO DOCTORS QUICKLY!!! Also get referred to a ENT specialist. I went through multiple ear infection before a went in to docs. Well the blownout ear drum ended-up forming a beginin tumor over last few years.

After 2 major surgeries (4 hrs a piece) a grafted ear drum and extensive skull material removal,etc,etc. I'm recovering OK, but no water at all until mid-summer (so no boarding for almost a full year total).

So yeah...please everyone see a ENT specialist for these injuries.

cheers,
dc
Old     (power_rider)      Join Date: Feb 2007       06-02-2008, 8:03 PM Reply   
popped mine wakeboarding 2 or so years ago.. just hit the water right.. the worst part was that i couldnt go boarding for like 2 or 4 weeks and it was in the best part of summer.. I also got an infection inside that hurt like hell.. well anyway i would deffenatly get that checked out immediatally. I feel for ya.
Old     (kitewake)      Join Date: Jul 2007       06-04-2008, 5:00 PM Reply   
Yep...perforated the left eardrum. It is actually a small hole at the periphery on the inferior portion.

Docs are unreal. I don't have a primary care Doc in the area, as I just moved up here...so I went to an Urgent Care center. They got in me pretty quickly...which was cool. The Doc looked at my ear and said it was infected, as the eardrum was really red...but no hole. I told her she better check again, because last time I checked....you were not supposed to be able to breathe out through your ear. So she looked again and said "Oh yeah...there it is....sorry".

They put me on Amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium for one week...and referred me to an ENT. I have an appointment next Thurs to see how it is healing.

By the way...should I assume that flying is not a good idea right now?

It is definitely a bummer. Kiteboarding weather has been killer since the day I did it...and we are entering wakeboard season. To think that wearing some simple Pro-Plugs would likely have prevented this...
Old     (peterd)      Join Date: Mar 2005       06-04-2008, 5:38 PM Reply   
I seem to blow an ear drum about every 2 years. I am sure I will be deft at some point, but what the heck. Here are my lessons learned:

1. You can tell its blown if you plug your nose and mouth then try to blow. If air goes out your ear it is blown.
2. Alcohol in the ear is a VERY, VERY BAD idea. It might clean things out but there is no pain like that.
3. If you have any congestion or a cold that is bad for your ear, especially when you try to blow you nose. I use a nasal spray like Afrin to keep things clear. The best thing is that it works instantly.
4. If you must go in the water (I know you will because you have no self control like the rest of us), use an earplug. It keeps you from making your ear (much) worse and keeps some of the water out. I keep a box of the wax earplug stuff in my boat because they are more formable and don't fall out as easy when you take a fall.
5. it usually takes 3-4 weeks for my ear to heal. I blew mine 3 weeks ago and its fine now.

I haven't gotten an infection in awhile, if that happens all bets are off. Pain, sleeplessness, misery (sp?), doctor visits, antibiotics... life sucks.

Hope that helps.
Old     (k9fxr)      Join Date: Jul 2005       06-04-2008, 6:35 PM Reply   
Flying will be painful and pressurizing the ears will keep ripping it open.
Not sure on the wax plugs, but was always concerned that pulling out the regular ear plugs was like pulling a cork out of a bottle and felt like it was disrupting the healing.
I used a vaseline dipped cotton ear plug to shower- i know it kills you to be off the water, but esp. if your lake is dirty, you really should
Old     (aliwake)      Join Date: Dec 2006       06-04-2008, 6:40 PM Reply   
i flew about a week after bursting mine. the dr said not to worry about it - pressure can't build up when there's already a hole in your ear anyway! but, i did have a pretty big hole, so it wasn't anywhere close to healing when i flew. I'd say the biggest danger would be when it's newly healed over, and thus particularly weak. until then I'd say you're ok!

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