Appeal for ear advice
THIS IS A REQUEST TO HEAR FROM other members that suffer from fungus growth in their ears .
While on holiday in Menorca during the summer of 2019 , I ended up with a blocked ear after a few days of swimming and diving . I attended the local clinic and was told to use droplets of hydrogen peroxide for a few days . This did not work , and when I had both ears syringed , I was told that they were full of wax and dead skin .
I started diving again and within a few days ended up with an ear infection , which again curtailed my watersports activities . On returning to the UK , I saw my GP , who referred me to the local ENT clinic .
I will spare you the full history , but similar events occurred during the summer of 2020 and 2021 . During October 2021 I finally got to see the consultant at the ENT clinic . I was put on a treatment of Canesten drops of a night and Ear Calm in the morning , and told that it could take up to six months to clear .
In early 2022 , both ears became blocked and eventually I managed to get a cleaning slot at the ENT clinic . I had my follow up appointment in February and was advised that there is supposedly another treatment that is more effective , but not currently available in the UK .
I now have appointments at the end of
March and mid-May 2022 to review . However , at the current rate of progress there is a real threat that I will still need to keep my ears dry this summer .
Having spent hours on the internet , I know that this is common with those who swim and scuba dive . What I am not able to find is any papers suggesting a treatment other than over the counter medications . My questions to our community are :
■ 1 Has anyone had a similar experience with fungus in their ears and what was the medication used if the treatment was successful ?
■ 2 Are there any specialist ear consultants out there that can give advice please ?
■ 3 I see on the internet that Scubapro has a mask ( Pro Ear 2000 ) and IST have a similar mask with ear protectors linked to the air space in the mask . Has anyone had experience of either of these masks , and do they work please ? JOHN P . Ward , Halling , Kent
EDITOR SAYS : John – as a fellow sufferer of Otitis externa , I really do feel your pain . You have done the best possible thing in seeking specialist medical advice , so I can sympathise with your frustration that the problem persists . As a magazine , we cannot dispense personal medical advice , but I am sending you a copy of an article on ear health ( by DDRC Healthcare ) that SCUBA ran in February 2020 .
My personal experience has been that gently rinsing the ears with fresh water after a dive can help , followed by periodic moisturising with olive oil drops or spray , from the chemist . I also use over-ear masks such as you describe , but they cannot guarantee a completely dry ear . Nevertheless , I ’ ve had dive trips rescued by the Pro Ear ; it ’ s definitely a useful alternative to carry in your dive bag .
Finally , do not forget the golden rule ... as much as your ears may itch , do not succumb to the dreaded cotton bud , Q-tip or Internetsourced ear gouging kit . As every doctor in the UK will tell you , never try to put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear ! and really professional . Any anxiety I may have had quickly disappeared and both myself and Lee felt we were well looked after and learnt so much from Geoff our instructor and Paul who was our support diver . We will definitely be back and highly recommend to anyone else with a disability .”
Paul Crookbain , the club ’ s DfA coordinator said : “ Our members are really enjoying helping out and being part of the initiative . It ’ s been great to see people take part in our sport who might not normally do so . The DFA programme was a new initiative for all the members of BSAC 67 . We have achieved great results from the hard work and input of all involved . The funds raised by our club will help us continue to advance the DFA programme to even greater achievements involving many more people with disabilities . Our club looks forward to working with other clubs and organisations in the future , by working together within our community we can all help create a more inclusive BSAC club .”
We hope other clubs follow with the DFA programme . REBEKAH GIRLING , Aberdeen SAC
Chasing memories
THE PHOTO OF IAN DENNEY IN YOUR MEMORIAL PIECE BY KEN SMITH [ SCUBA CHAT , May 2022 ) brings back memories of the early days of BSAC . It shows , besides , Ian , and Oscar Gugen , a dark bearded figure who is Ron Chamberlin , who worked with Oscar in the early days . After a stay with Siebe Gorman ’ s , Ron became the manager of Lillywhite ’ s underwater equipment department and I have happy memories of the jokes and badinage we shared then . He dropped from view thereafter and I would love to know what happened to him .
Another pioneer was ex-SBS frogman and underwater photographer , Barry Blair , who worked at the first British diving centre at Le Trayas , and then for a period with ‘ Club Med ’ and Spirotechnique before disappearing . Those of us now in our nineties would welcome any news of either of them . Mike Busuttili , who is a bit younger and currently domiciled in the South of France , tried to retrace Barry ’ s movements , but the ‘ trail went cold ’! REG VALLINTINE ( BSAC No . 74 )
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