How long for ruptured eardrum to heal?

[Mahhz]

Friday night I experienced some sort of INTENSE reverse block behind my eyes. It didn't start hurting untill after I surfaced. Max depth was 30'. After being in absolute pain most the night, it finally went mostly away. So I figured that I would give it another shot in the morning, and just make sure I ascended very slowly. While at about 20' or so I realized that the pain in my eyes was coming back, so I decided to abort the dive. As I was attemting to equalize my ears, I noticed bubbles coming from my right ear. After i got back to the surface, the pain in my eyes again became severe....but my ear never hurt. Well, it's Sunday morning now, I'm back at home, and my eye pain is gone, but my ear is getting sore. Is there anything i can do untill i go see the doctor? How long do these things usually take to heal? It didn't seem like it was a very big puncture, because only really small bubbles were coming out.

 

[texdiveguy]

Friday night I experienced some sort of INTENSE reverse block behind my eyes. It didn't start hurting untill after I surfaced. Max depth was 30'. After being in absolute pain most the night, it finally went mostly away. So I figured that I would give it another shot in the morning, and just make sure I ascended very slowly. While at about 20' or so I realized that the pain in my eyes was coming back, so I decided to abort the dive. As I was attemting to equalize my ears, I noticed bubbles coming from my right ear. After i got back to the surface, the pain in my eyes again became severe....but my ear never hurt. Well, it's Sunday morning now, I'm back at home, and my eye pain is gone, but my ear is getting sore. Is there anything i can do untill i go see the doctor? How long do these things usually take to heal? It didn't seem like it was a very big puncture, because only really small bubbles were coming out.

Jeff,,,, sorry to hear of the ear /sinus trouble. Much of your description is classic sinus pain with your ascent and reverse block. Usually we associate a reptured ear drum as a sharp pain during decent or as few just 5-15ft. in the water column/can be deeper and on ascent in some cases...followed by a pop and a rush of water entering the middle ear and in most cases the diver will suffer symp. of virtego/dizzy. Many times the ear will drain blood. Sudifed may help with your sinus congrestion and also a product called Mucinex. **Get to a ENT as soon as you can get in to get a medical look. It has all to do with your E tubes and getting those stretched and used to the diving.....it will get easier and better as you do more dives.

 

[opiniongirl]

Agree with the above...

Ruptured eardrums can take a couple of months to heal, as there are usually infections that come with them that can extend recovery time.
Not much you can do before seeing your dr - but medication will ease any discomfort if it is infact sinus or an infection.

Again, ruptured eardrums usually happens on the way down..and the pain in your eye sounds exactly like a sinus problem..if so, you'll be back diving as soon as the infection clears up.

 

[DocVikingo]

Friday night I experienced some sort of INTENSE reverse block behind my eyes. It didn't start hurting untill after I surfaced. Max depth was 30'. After being in absolute pain most the night, it finally went mostly away. So I figured that I would give it another shot in the morning, and just make sure I ascended very slowly. While at about 20' or so I realized that the pain in my eyes was coming back, so I decided to abort the dive. As I was attemting to equalize my ears, I noticed bubbles coming from my right ear. After i got back to the surface, the pain in my eyes again became severe....but my ear never hurt. Well, it's Sunday morning now, I'm back at home, and my eye pain is gone, but my ear is getting sore. Is there anything i can do untill i go see the doctor? How long do these things usually take to heal? It didn't seem like it was a very big puncture, because only really small bubbles were coming out.

Depends upon the size and nature of the tear, among other factors. Given normal healing time and that it doesn't need surgical repair, in about 8-12 weeks the area should be sufficiently strong to consider medical clearance to dive. If there are complications, expect to wait longer.

In the meantime, absolutely no diving.

You can contact DAN at 919-684-2948 (Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm EST) or email at http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/contact/email.asp?RE=Medicine

Best of luck and let me know how it goes.

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[sprange]

Chances are that if you ruptured your eardrum you'd know it. Of my limited sampling of people who had, all of them experienced a degree of (temporary) hearing loss, and some (like myself) experienced tinnitus. I'd agree that it -sounds- like a sinus problem mixed in with some barotrauma (which can cause symptoms immediately or overnight, apparently). I had medical clearance to dive 4 weeks after rupturing my right eardrum, but held off until 6 weeks. A two week prescription of antibiotics was also part of the deal and obviously I didn't develop any complications. Good luck...and (reiterated) see your MD even if your ear is no longer hurting when at the time of your appointment is scheduled.

Sean

 

[Charlie99]

At a pre-employment physical 6 weeks after having a ruptured eardrum the doctor didn't notice anything unusual with my eardrum even after I specifically asked. Only after I drew a picture of where the tear had been was he able to locate it. It healed completely and has never caused any problem while diving.

No infection problems. No hearing loss. No treatment other than observation. It was from a blow to the ear rather than an underwater injury. Your combination of having a cold or something stuffing up your sinuses, and then having the injury underwater probably make the risk of infection higher.

DON'T use eardrops, and GO SEE A DOCTOR!

 

[DocVikingo]

... you're getting requires additional discussion.

It is not possible to definitively diagnose your condition based on your report thus far, but here are some considerations:

1. Small tears of the eardrum may be missed upon examination by the hand-held otoscope (http://health.allrefer.com/health/tympanometry-otoscope-examination.html). Examination by an ENT using a binocular microscope or by a tympanogram (http://health.allrefer.com/health/tympanometry-info.html) may be required to identify it.

Likewise, a small, healed rupture may not show up on routine otoscopic examination.

2. If you in fact had bubbles coming from the right ear, then a sinus problem alone would not account for this. While your symptoms do suggest some involvement of the frontal sinus, the eardrum must have been breached if gas actually was escaping.

3. While rupture often results in pain, hearing loss or tinnitus, or all three, it is possible that a small rupture may not cause any of these. Or, they may not appear until later.

4. The area of the tear may continue to strengthen even after it is healed to examination. This is why a number of diving medicine experts recommend an additional wait. While each rupture must be evaluated on a case by case basis, return to scuba in 4-6 weeks would be considered risky by some ENTs.

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[Mahhz]

Thanks for all the advise everyone

DocVikingo.....I did in fact observe bubbles coming from my ear while trying to equalize, and strangely enough, there was no pain (at the time....it hurts like a S.O.B. now, though.)

From the sounds of it, my ear and my sinuses aren't really related, more of a coincidence, is that correct???

I'll let you all know what the doc finds out when he does an examination.

 

[texdiveguy]

... you're getting requires additional discussion.

It is not possible to definitively diagnose your condition based on your report thus far, but here are some considerations:

1. Small tears of the eardrum may be missed upon examination by the hand-held otoscope (http://health.allrefer.com/health/tympanometry-otoscope-examination.html). Examination by an ENT using a binocular microscope or by a tympanogram (http://health.allrefer.com/health/tympanometry-info.html)may be required to identify it.

Likewise, a small, healed rupture may not show up on routine otoscopic examination.

2. If you in fact had bubbles coming from the right ear, then a sinus problem alone would not account for this. While your symptoms do suggest some involvement of the frontal sinus, the eardrum must have been breached if gas actually was escaping.

3. While rupture often results in pain, hearing loss or tinnitus, or all three, it is possible that a small rupture may not cause any of these.

4. The area of the tear may continue to strengthen even after it is healed to examination. This is why a number of diving medicine experts recommend an additional wait. While each rupture must be evaluated on a case by case basis, return to scuba in 4-6 weeks would be considered risky by some ENTs.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

DocV.,,,, have a question. If one did rupture the ear drum,,,,afterwards if you equalized say the next day (not diving) what would the result be and how would it feel to the person???

 

[DocVikingo]

By the following day discomfort probably would have set in. With attempts at equalization you might experience additional discomfort as well as sensations of air escaping through the rupture.

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.

Best regards.

DocVikingo