perforated

Perforated Ear Drum

NOTES from HockeyNet

Problems Suggested Cap Improvements

Problems

This year I suffered a perforated ear drum simply swimming underwater laps at 3 ft. I've played UWH over ten years without an ear problem - even when kicked on the ear cup. Go figure. It seems that it does not take a blow to cause a perforated ear drum. Perhaps a cold or ear infection, who knows. I would have blamed UWH had I been playing.

I've seen 4 eardrums ruptured over the last 15 years - all while the players concerned were wearing polo caps. In each case, the cause appeared to be a kick to the head (get your head out of the way!), up under the bottom edge of the cap - between the back of the jaw and the neck. .....

Add this one to the list of injuries: Perforated ear drum while wearing a properly secured waterpolo cap. I don't know what did it. Definately not the puck.

I had my eardrum ruptured in the same manner- a heel to the ear - while playing at 1998 Worlds in San Jose against South Africa. After sitting out the remainder of that game and the next one, I was able to continue with the rest of the tournament although the doctor said it wasn't wise; but then again, who am I to follow wisdom? I had to keep one of those balls of wax in the ear for the rest of the tournament, but I got through it OK. It's not the end of the world.

Way back when a certain Chicago player would get perferations in his eardrum simply through the underwater hockey diving process. His solution (with a 100% success rate over many years) was to use decongestants before every practice. Thank you Jim for your testimony that not all such injuries are caused from the outside!

When I got my eardrum ruptured (without headgear) it was anything but a perf: more like an angled flap. My father took me to the hospital and got to see the scope they use while doing the repair: his words were "your ear looks like a butcher shop". Although I've heard of ruptures while wearing headgear I am very hesitant to "improve" the earcup. If you want the best protection then at least look into the four types of headgear:

two types of water polo helmet (oval earcup and "too big" earcup)two types of wrestler's headgear (Cliff Keen molded plastic and the two ear cups with straps variety--this latter type has an aluminum cup as part of the ear piece and is, in my view, the severest protection (but I still wear my Cliff Keen and believe there to be no practical difference among the technologies for uwh).
Jerome, Chicago

Suggested Cap Improvements

Audiologist Marshall Chasin of Toronto said to prevent eardrum injury, stuff a wrinkled up, small, thin plastic bag in each ear protector to disperse and absorb force. He also thought Dr. Baril's suggestion of making holes at the rear of the cup was good to help hearing, as pressure entering there could not enter the ear canal. He did not like the idea of using foam in the cups because a more rigid mass such as that won't give protection.

I do encounter a couple of perforated eardrums in my practice (I'm an audiologist). My suggestion is to put hot glue in every openings of the plastic cup except thoses on the top and bottom. The force that you get from a fin hitting the cup will not be directed in the ear canal. You can also add small holes on the side of the cup to hear better. Drill the holes mainly on back so that any force will first encounter the back of the ear, this should reduce the impact considerably. I submitted this idea a long time ago.

I think Margaret Francis is on the right track. If the force passing through the protective cup is alligned with the ear canal, the ear drum can get excessive pressure. She knows of someone who put foam on the inside of the plastic cup to reduce this force. I think that may not help much if the foam is flexible and compressible. It would transfer the force unless it was made to not move.