hi i have had 5 operations on my ears since 1980. keep getting bone growth in the canal. Its a bummer cause it comes back quicker every time and you end up with bad infections.
Best plugs are docs ear plugs with vent hole. Or use a helmet or hoddie. The wind can be worse than the water in making the bone grow.

If you are already having blockages when water gets in go see a specialist. the ops not bad now and recovery is quick. used to take months and hurt like hell.

If you are in melbourne brian costello is the go.

Been using Speedo Bio Fuse for 5 years for swimming, searfishing, snorkelling, surfing, kiting. They dont leak and stay put 100%. Just bend back the handle so you can get a grip easier. Get them at Rebel Sport or swim shops.

www.speedo.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-spdeueur-Site/BRG%3aen_MU/GeoShow-Search?cgid=accessories-swim-accessories

The Ergo type dont stay put as well. There are two types of Speedo Bio Fuse
on the Euro site. The darker colour are the more recent model with a few minor tweaks. Both work 100%. I preferred the earlier model but cant get it in OZ and have got used to the new model.

Tropical ear, swimmers ear is experienced by many people. The more infections you get the more you will be suseptible to reoccurrence to the point where you will 100% get an outer ear infection as soon as you ear canal gets wet. This is due to scar tissue on the ear canal being susceptible to water logging. As a result many people avoid water in the ear at all times even in the shower and from splashing.

Another crucial prevention strategy is to 100% use Aqua ear Alcohol drops in the ears ASAP (no longer than 30 mins) after being in the water even with ear plugs in.

You have to be religious about the routine or you will simply get another outer ear infection.

You adjust to the muffling of your hearing. If you find a plug that allows more sound in please let us know.

When you travel O/S take Otodex drops in case you get a flare up and know what Anti biotics have worked in the past. You want to avoid further infections at all costs becasue I found that some Antibotics lost there efficacy.

If you wear the plugs AND just, if not more importantly, use the Alcohol drops ASAP EVERY Time you take out the plugs, you will not get more infections.

You need to buy at leat 5 pairs of plugs once you settle on one type. Put a pair in kite bags, cars, sports bags and keep spares. If I forget my plugs I will drive home and get em or not go in the water.

Temporarily store them under the leg or arm cuff of your wetty or in the key pouch of the wetty or boardy pocket. IF you take one out to have a chat hold it inside your mouth.

The Speedo plugs fit tight and dont feel like they will enlarge you ear canal over time.

If those Euro plugs work well let us know.

Ioz said...



I tried the ear plugs and they did now work for me,

A couple of years ago i was having the same trouble, and then i started using aqua ear before and after going in the water,

I found after about six times or so my ears where so clean they where not retaining water and have not had a problem ever since,

i only remember to put them in ever third or so seshion now - but if it did flair up would just use it more often.

I had the operation to remove bone growth a few years ago, it stemmed from swiming etc in the cold souther waters.

I had been using aqua ear, and the ENT specialist said that it was part of the reason for ionfections. It evaporates and leaves all the crusty stuff behind.
He recommended a flush with white vinagar diluted in water.

I use an old siringe, and flush them a few times with about a glass full of the mix. I do it if I feel some sort of infection coming on, and the symptoms have ususlly disappeared by morning.

Living in the tropics cures the bone growth, this sorts the infections.
natures own....

Different things work for different people,

i am stoked i have not had any more problems with my ears,

good luck with it Rye,

as it's going to be a bit of trial and error with this one.

+1 to the doc proplugs. get the ones with the holes in them, you can still dive and pressurize. They come with an elastic harness, but you might have to modify them with fishing line and a safety pin to your rashy or wetsuit. I put them on the label and not the actual rashy. When you duck drive or get driven quickly to the bottom of the wave you have no problems adjusting the pressure of your years, plus they don't feel like you are deaf as with most other plugs.
vinegar works well, so does chopped up garlic in tissue paper when the onset of an infection starts. Smelly night, but you are good to go in the morning. You will feel the fumes as it cooks the infection. Safe and natural

yeh the op used to be a barstard. cut the ear nearly off peel the skin from the canal and then drill the bone out. 4 days in hospital and 6 weeks out of the water

But the last two times i had it it was a very small incision on the ear canal and a two week recovery and very little pain.

Beats having ear infections all the time and being scared of travelling to far away places

This is the only earplug that works for me and plugs the ear off without slipping out.
Not available in Australia (as so many good things ).

www.earplugs.de/Cont/Plugs/Ohropax-Wax-Balls.asp

Cotton/Wax you can use it as big/small as you like but not too small that you can get it out again.
The other way is to use a headband. Also not available in Australia but in the US from Neil Pryde and other manufacturers. Go figure why nobody is bringing them in.
regards
gmd

these are the zoggs - i think they come in a few different sizes

dafish said...

+1 to the doc proplugs. get the ones with the holes in them, you can still dive and pressurize. They come with an elastic harness, but you might have to modify them with fishing line and a safety pin to your rashy or wetsuit. I put them on the label and not the actual rashy. When you duck drive or get driven quickly to the bottom of the wave you have no problems adjusting the pressure of your years, plus they don't feel like you are deaf as with most other plugs.
vinegar works well, so does chopped up garlic in tissue paper when the onset of an infection starts. Smelly night, but you are good to go in the morning. You will feel the fumes as it cooks the infection. Safe and natural

Garlic………………..guessing you're a single man

My ENT specialist has told me it's not if I need an operation but when

I have been using Doc pro plugs for a few months now, blu tac for a while before that, both recommended by my ENT guy, (yes he said blu tac)
Blu tac works great but 90% loss of hearing.
With Pro plugs guessing 10% loss, some times a little water gets in behind the plug but I have not had water trapped in ear canal.
Local dive shop in Newcastle / Charlestown sells the plugs (no I'm not giving them a plug) they have a sizing chart and samples to try for size. (Which they wash)
A local surf shop wanted me to buy and check for fit, then buy another pair if they didn't, possible huge waste of money as there are about 6 sizes.

Local dive shop in Newcastle / Charlestown sells the plugs (no I'm not giving them a plug) they have a sizing chart and samples to try for size. (Which they wash)
.

Where's this dive shop in Charlestown?

These guys are awesome and keep your mold on file for three years should you lose them. I can hear fine with them.

I used to get water trapped, even in the shower. Since wearing these in the sea kiting etc. Never had trouble again and ears have felt way better. No water squelching around at night giving me headaches and pain etc.


surfplugs.co.uk/order/

Krispy54 said...

Local dive shop in Newcastle / Charlestown sells the plugs (no I'm not giving them a plug) they have a sizing chart and samples to try for size. (Which they wash)
.

Where's this dive shop in Charlestown?

On the main drag 2 or 3 doors down from


you can use his car park

Thanks.