Eardrums are not for beating

**kylasdad** · Posted On: 11/27/2006 9:36am

I was reading the post about cauliflower ear and started to reply before I decided this was more of a new post..

I've been lucky enough to avoid cauliflower ear. Usually what happens to me is I bust an eardrum. My right ear had a tumor when I was young and I lost permanent hearing and my eardrum, so it's basically a hollow cavity. No problem there.

Since my left ear has to make up the difference, however, it is extremely sensitive. I think I've busted it three times sparring, once water skiing and once in a street fight. Once I was even wearing headgear. The last time it happened it took awhile to heal. The doctor said it's basically just a membrane of scar tissue anymore.

I've been thinking about investing in one of those wrestling headgear or wear an earplug under my regular headgear to keeps the air from being compressed into the canal. I remember a guy who used to wear wrestling headgear but I never asked him about it.

Anyone have any thoughts or opinions on it? I have accepted that I'll be hard of hearing one day, but my concern is that one day I'll bust my eardrum and it just won't heal.

cya

**Mago** · Posted On: 12/02/2006 7:12pm

you definitely want to take care of that ear. Even the 'hollow cavity' one. Ears are also balance, and a good strike to the ear will compromise that, even without popping the eardrum. This is a common strike in capoeira regional, so we learn to not expose the ear much.

**ar549** · Posted On: 12/03/2006 1:59am

For Gods sake get some kind of specialized protection, Go and see a Ear Docter in Oklahoma City or Norman, Someone who knows atheletes. Spend whatever amount of money it takes to protect your remaining ear drum.

**feedback** · Posted On: 12/03/2006 4:12am

And sweet jesus, stay away from cue-tips.

**kylasdad** · Posted On: 12/03/2006 8:40am

Hahaha. I actually have a pretty good ear doctor who has been taking care of my bad ear since I was a little kid. I see him every six months.

As far as the "good" ear, I just was asking if anyone else has had experience wearing the wrestling headgear to see how they are about protecting the ears against air being funneled into the ear canal in a direct blow.

Of course, the easy answer is not to get hit in the head and I'm pretty good about protecting it, but that's easier said than done in our sport, since it's one of the top two target areas.

Anyways, thanks for the posts.

**smillard** · Posted On: 12/03/2006 2:13pm

The wrestling headgear will help protect you since the air holes are generally around the ear and not directly over it and you'd need to have someone with some HUGE meathooks the compress the air pressure on those to affect your ear.

On the topic of wearing earplugs, or earplug on your good ear. I've always heard that is a bad idea, so I'd definitely ask an ENT doctor before I did that.