Prevent Surfer’s Ear With ZenPlugs Molded Surfing Ear Plugs
If your serious about surfing and especially during the winter months you might want to consider thinking about your ears!!!!!!!!!!
These are a great new self molding ear plug at a very reasonable price
What Makes Some Surfers 17 Times More Likely To Go Deaf?
If you are a surfer you may well have heard of surfer’s ear. This is a common condition among those who have been surfing for more than only a few years. It can lead to deafness and recurrent ear infections. The reason this happens is because the cold wind and seawater trigger the bone of the ear canal to grow small nodules around the opening. As these get larger the canal narrows. This is usually not noticed until the narrowing leaves only 10% of the original diameter. At this point the surfer may notice that they are going deaf.
The only effective treatment for the condition is having the ear nodules drilled or chiselled. This can be painful and doesn’t stop the condition coming back if people carry on surfing without protecting themselves.
Unfortunately little research has been carried out into the problem. ZenPlugs have recently performed a new study into this poorly understood condition. They sent surveys out to people using social media and a hospital staff mailing list. They received 203 completed surveys.
The results showed that most surfers knew about the condition but the majority of them did not take the right steps to prevent the condition. Although most knew that they needed to wearear plugs for surfing to protect themselves they were not aware that they also needed to wear a neoprene cap as well. This is because the cooling effect of the weather on the bone behind the ear can also trigger the condition.
Surprisingly, 60% of surfers who had spent 10 years or more surfing regularly were aware that they had surfer’s ear. The actual number in the group with the condition is probably much higher than this as it is often diagnosed late. There were a small group in the survey who didn’t develop it, despite spending thousands of hours surfing. Most of them wore a surfing cap and earplugs more than 90% of the time. In fact, wearing both of these made the surfer 17 times less likely to end up with surfer’s ear.
Summary. If you don’t wear a surfing cap and ear plugs most of the time you are 17 times more likely to go deaf from surfer’s ear. Look after yourself!
Dr Toby Bateson
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