Surfer's Ear in NJ

Mike Reynolds By Mike Reynolds
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on July 30, 2009 at 11:47 AM, updated August 03, 2009 at 2:59 PM
Surfer's Ear
Ear infections are the bane of my existence. Especially when they cause me to miss surf, which they did last week.

While I've always gotten them as a kid, my real troubles started after years of surfing through the winter in New Jersey. Turns out that the frigid water (34 degrees Fahrenheit in January) causes an ear condition referred to as exostosis. In an effort to protect the ear drum from the absurdly cold water, the ear will grow bone (osteomas) in the ear canal in an attempt to block the pathway. Kinda crazy, right? It only appears in people who regularly work/play in very cold water or those that live in bitter windy climes (Ireland, Scotland, Iceland, etc). It appears much less in those mamby pamby surfers that call Hawaii, Florida or other warmer climates home. I also recently learned that there is a hereditary component to it (I'd like to thank the McBride clan from Poison Glen, Ireland), but exposure will greatly exacerbate the condition.

Ten years ago, I was "lucky" enough to have developed exostosis in both ears to the point where they were 85%-90% blocked. Infections were common, spurred on by any bit of water trapped behind the osteomas. But the worst part had to be my hearing, or lack thereof. Conversations were regularly punctuated with "Wha'?" or feeble attempts on my part to read lips. I often leaned in closer to better make out the words people were saying, but they'd only lean further back to repel what they thought was just an invasion of their personal space.

The surgery to remove the osteomas was not what I'd call a party. Working on one ear at a time because of the scary procedural complications (puncturing the ear drum, severing the facial nerve-making one side of the face droop, cutting the tympanic membranes....that kind of thing), doctors cut a line behind my ear, folded it all forward and then drilled/cut out the osteomas. Aside from the shock that my ears no longer lined up, recovery was no big deal, but I was out of the water for 6 months after each surgery. I surfed twice in a year and was an absolute joy to be around.

The best part is that it comes back if you keep surfing year-round, which, of course, I've done. The condition is nowhere near as bad as it was before I had the surgery, but I've noticed an uptick in infections again and am trying to pick my days a bit more carefully than I used to. To slow things down, I wear earplugs during every session, pour in/dump out a 50/50 mix of isopropyl alcohol/white vinegar into my ears as soon as I get out of the water and blow dry the canal every time it gets wet. A pain in the butt routine, but absolutely mandatory.

So, why am I telling you all of this? Because I needed to vent after missing such great waves last week and because the condition is very common among surfers. In fact, it's known as "Surfer's Ear". When the summer warmth is long gone and you find yourself antsy to surf when you could be skiing, just remember to take care of those ears. I can tell you that there's nothing more heartbreaking than hearing the murmur of a breaking wave when, in fact, it's a roar.