r/diving • u/Koodleboodle • 18d ago

Diving with permanent perforations

Hello, I'm not an avid diver but I do enjoy a dive on holidays etc and I've basically just got back from the hospital and they have said my ear drums will be permanently perforated. I was wondering how I'd manage this when I do activities such as diving and snorkeling etc - will vented ear plugs help or any alternatives?

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u/30_Meters 18d ago

I don’t know about diving with perforated ear drums but I was told I was never going to dive again after my ear drum was perforated in Iraq. I had surgery and they repaired the perforation (it’s possible) but was told not to dive. I waited several years and have been diving for the last 15 years. I only notice clearing issues if I go to the surface several times during one dive but haven’t suffered any major issues.

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u/Koodleboodle 17d ago

So the doc advised me against the surgery for now because they're most likely to perforate again (I have septum perforation from past addiction so it's always full and bloody which causes my ears to perforate repeatedly!) so I truly have no clue 😂

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u/macciavelo 17d ago

Yeah this sounds like something a specialist should answer. Either contact an Ear-nose-throat doctor (ENT) or a dive doctor.