Blew out my eadrum again

Blew my 4th eardrum on memorial day. I'll use putty type earplugs now for a while then forget about it after its better and the ringing in my head goes away(6months). The putty sucks and usually falls out after getting wet. Anyone else use a quality plug that is comfortable and stays put?

I didn't want to look like a moron on the short bus wearing a helmet but I think I may have to invest in one.

Improving my skills on the water is obviously not an option

I'm not an expert, but I think that most people only have two ear drums. Actually, when the doc removed my wisdom teeth he was surprised to find two extra ones in there for a total of six, so I guess anything is possible. However, you've got to look pretty wacky with four ears upside your melon. Based on that alone, I'd have to say that "looking like a moron" ship has probably already sailed.

I busted both ear drums last season and invested in brain bucket with ear flaps (Protec). I am definitely not going to win any vanity prizes this season, but least I won't have to deal with the frustration of water inside my inner ear. I don't use the helmet all the time.

I just blew my eardrum the day before yesterday jumping off a diving board. It does not feel to good.

Brett, you can buy wax earplugs that mold to your ear at the drug store. They work great and they never fall out. I perforate my ear once a season usually. Doc says every time you do it the healing time increases, the perforation gets bigger, and you could jeopardize your hearing in that ear. Last year at camp this guy showed up with a soft-style surfing helmet to protect his ears. He still blew his ear on his first set. So I'm not sure how well that helmet will work for you, Ladson. Good luck.

Hi Brett, I blew out an eardrum last year and bought a pro-tec helmet like ladson. It is great, but one earflap came off and floated away... so now the goober factor is through the roof. Anyways, I went to my doc and he told me about these earplugs that were specially designed for slalom skiers. He gave me a pair, but I lost them before I made it home...oops. May want to ask your doc about that, he said they sorta form a suction to the inside of your ear, but don't go up inside it if you crash hard.
just a little info.
Later
Tiffany
www.wakechicks.com

Do you think a regular foam sound barrier ear-plug work to protect the ear?

My boyfriend has blown his eardrums a few times now and one time was WITH A HELMET ON, so don't be fooled. I think the best way to prevent it, is to invest in those Pro plugs or the waxy ones, so far he has had good luck with ear plugs.

Zee,

Gum works good too! Have Chris try it.

Why would you perforate your ear drum?

how about this:

practice falling
}
get in the habit of falling in such a way that you do not turn your head so your ear hits the water flat.

The inner-ear membrane is perforated (punctured) when pressure from water or air is forced into your ear. It's not by choice. It sucks actually. Music sounds like crap for a few weeks.

Oh, I thought you were having it done as some kind of treatment or something. Fooled me with the medical terminology. Duh.

Tim, yeah it's THAT EASY! In fact, I bet everyone who blows their eardrum just does it for fun. Kind of like, falling in such a way that one would not blow their knees too??

Blew both inner and outer ear last year. Had to have surgery to repair inner ear or I would have gone deaf if all fluid drains out of inner ear. Really spooky also, beause it threw my equalibrium off big time. I had blown the outer ear drum on same ear back in 1998, but that was nothing like getting the inner ear also.

hahaha

http://www.proplugs.com

find a distributor near you. You can get them with tethers so you don't lose them. They're under $10.

Doug,

You should take Tim's suggestion and practice falling until you can do it "in such a way that you do not turn your head so your ear hits the water flat."

Tim, that's the most asinine statement I've read here in a long time. Who in their right mind is going to PRACTICE CRASHING?

-Jeff

yea i think they are called pro plugs, they are great, pick them up at most surf shops. or try proplugs.com. i think

ever wonder why some people get hurt more easily than others? some people have a natural tendancy to fall to minimize damage. indoor volleyball players learn to roll on the floor so when they lunge for a ball they don't get hurt (and can get right back up) skateboarders and snowboarders learn how to fall to minimize injury to their wrists, etc.

when i when to a mike seipel barefoot clinic to learn deepwater starts on shortline, the first thing he had me do was to let go and fall on purpose, to make sure that i was falling correctly to minimize possibility for injury.

you may think it is asanine, but hey, i will sit back and laugh because my ears are fine (and so are my knees zee) take my advice with a grain of salt, but don't expect any sympathy from me when you clumsy fools get hurt.

IMO, there may be certain "habit forming" things you can practice on to help you fall a certain way or help you not fall a certain way. But sometimes when you fall you have no control how it may result! How are you supposed to practice falling when you are trying out new tricks? If you are trying an invert for the first time, how do you "practice" that fall? I'm just trying to make a point... Sh*t happens! Sometimes bad falls are unavoidable. Well I suppose you could give up wakeboarding all together.....

EXACTLY. Crashes come by surprise sometimes. I agree that you can learn to impact the water to minimize damage when you see it coming. It comes with experience. But sometimes you get a surprise SMACK and by the time you think about it, it's over.

Salmon: those proplugs look dope. Thanks for the link.

Hey Tim you meathead, your profile says your 285 lbs., it's not your reflexes saving you from injury...

for all other suggestions thanx.

and what do you propose is saving me from injury? my belly?

I've had my eardrum replaced 4 times. It sux. I have scares all over from where doctors have acquired new skin for the next ear drum. All of them are due to ear infections, which is one of the worst pains ever. I would get so many of them from being in the water so much as i was growing up that it created a hole in my ear drum that would get bigger and bigger until there wasn't much of an ear drum left. Ear infections have got to be somewhat genetic because I have friend that've been in the same water as me for the same amount of time and havn't gotten anything and my mom and her dad got infections all the time like me.
A while back, there was word of a shot that would prevent ear infections and stuff. I keep on waiting to hear more about it but nothing's come up. Has anyone heard anything about a shot that prevents ear infections?

-Chris

I practice falling enough without trying to. Maybe I could practice for my practice falling it would make me tougher if nothing else. I really do fall a certain way that helps, but sometimes stuff happens and you try to pull out that move but........Caught edge...busted eardrum. It's just the nature of the sport. Regular earplugs seem to help me... when I wear them.

I just ordered some of the pro-plugs. Thanks for the advice. I spent a lot of last year in pain and don't want to do that again.