Perforated ear drum

[Wet & Broke]

On Sunday I took my soon to be Son-in-Law for his first dive since qualifyiing PADI OW two weeks ago, he found it a little difficult equalising on the first dive, which was a max depth of 12 metres. On our initial decent to around 4 metres he signaled he was having trouble equalising, I encouraged him to accend to a depth where he was able to equalise comfortably, and when he signaled he felt ok we carried on with a slow decent. He complained of his ears being a little blocked on surfacing but no discomfort. On our second dive we again did a very gradual and slow decent to a max depth of 16m and he appeared to have no problems equalising. Both dives were unremarkable and he seemed to enjoy the experience of just diving after completing his training.
On the surface he complained of feeling some pain in his left ear and felt a little bunged up as if he had a cold, but felt it would go as he had experienced something like that when he did his training. Yesterday because the pain in his ear was bad he went to the emergency GP clinic and the Dr there told him he had a perforated eardrum, but that it was not infected. He gave him some antibiotics to take if he began to spike a temprature and advised him not to dive for around 7 months. When my soon to be son-in-law explained he is off to the maldives on Sunday for his honeymoon the Dr said his official advice was don't dive for 7 months but unoffically he would understand if he did a couple of dives out there.
Does anyone have any advice, would it be too dangerous to dive so soon, should he start the antibiotics now, should he wait 7 months?
Thanks
Doug

[Peter M]

I wouldn't dive, one of the girls in our club went ahead and went diving after hurting ear, Now she selling her kit because she is deaf in one ear and no chance of it getting better !

[DonnaA]

7 months sounds a long time though... I've perforated my ear drum before and was advised to stay off diving for 6 weeks, although I did only have a small hole.

[Keith Whittaker]

When i perforated my eardrum, it healed in about 4 weeks but took 3 months to get an appointment with an ENT specialist to give me the all clear. My advice would be don't dive until given a medical clearance, it may be ok or it could screw his ears for good. Not worth the risk IMO.

[Wet & Broke]

Thanks everyone, for your suggestions and help. He's going back to his own GP today to see what he has to say, I must say I'm supprised though because he says he's not in any pain now at all. He's just finding it difficult to hear out of that ear unless he's bent forward. I'm hoping he will be told the first diagnosis was wrong and he is able to go diving next week in the maldives but he wisely will not take the risk unless the Dr says it's OK to dive.
Doug

[Simon A]

it may be worth him discussing this with his doctor, as if the eardrum is significantly holed he may be able to dive with an earplug in that ear for the week of his holiday.
HTH
Simon A

[Wet & Broke]

I've just come back from seeing him he's been to the Dr and he said it's definately perforated but it's only a small one. The Doc says it should be healed in 4 weeks but that he shouldn't dive in the Maldives as the risk of infection is too high, he's said he can snorkle if he wears earplugs but thats it unfortunately.
Doug

[frosty the snowman]

Eardrums are just made of skin and usually heal quickly. Obviously any middle ear problems secondary to the perforation would complicate things but 7 months seems rather pessimistic to me!

[buchhawk]

I learned to dive with a perforated ear drum, not that I knew at the time.
I ended up with a 5 hour operation, two years later.
The ENT surgeon says I am not allowed to get water in my ear, so with her approval I now use a pro ear mask. And dive most weekends.
Ken

[copperband]

Originally Posted by Wet & Broke

On Sunday I took my soon to be Son-in-Law for his first dive since qualifyiing ...snip

When my soon to be son-in-law explained he is off to the maldives on Sunday for his honeymoon the Dr said his official advice was don't dive for 7 months but unoffically he would understand if he did a couple of dives out there.
Does anyone have any advice, would it be too dangerous to dive so soon, should he start the antibiotics now, should he wait 7 months?
Thanks
Doug

Errrm, won't he be too busy on his honeymoon to go diving?