Surfer's Ear
Surfer's ear is the presence of bony lumps within the ear canal, a condition spurred by prolonged exposure to cold water and air.
These growths are slow to develop, but may lead to significant narrowing of the ear canal, trapping water, causing infections, and, in advanced stages, resulting in hearing loss.
There is a high prevalence in New Zealand, with most regular surfers/ kite surfers/ wind surfers aware of it- although they usually don't know about their own surfer's ear until they start struggling with clearing water from their ears.
Dr Colin Brown, FRACS
Dr Colin Brown, a Specialist Ear Surgeon, trained in New Zealand, and a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons, who performs ear operations exclusively, is one of the most experienced and respected Ear Surgeons in New Zealand.
Using a combination of techniques, Dr Brown has personally surgically undertaken hundreds of Surfer's Ear operations with consistently excellent results.
Treatment, including surgical operations, is covered by most insurance policies.
Dr Brown is an affiliated provider to Southern Cross Healthcare, and works exclusively at Southern Cross Gillies Hospital, in Epsom, Auckland.
Dr Brown treats people from all over New Zealand, with many coming from New Plymouth, Gisborne, Tauranga, Bay of Plenty and Raglan.
What is Surfers Ear?
Surfer’s Ear is a condition also known as ear canal “exostoses”. Common in countries such as New Zealand, Australia and the West Coast of the United States of America, it is frequently found in surfers (or swimmers) who spend many hours in cold seawater.
The combination of cold water and wind cause inflammation in the ear canal skin and bone. Unlike other parts of the body, there are no other soft tissues or fat to protect the bone, which gradually thickens over time. The development of the exostoses is not solely because the ears get wet- it's really the cold which is the problem.
The speed of growth of exostoses relates to "cold x duration x frequency of surfing x possible predisposition in some people". Growth is imperceptible for many years, and so by the time symptoms of water blockage occur, the exostoses will already be quite large.
Symptoms
People with Surfer’s Ear mostly present with difficulty clearing water from the ears. Often they need to vigorously shake their heads, or to hop on one foot with the head sideways.
The sensation of blockage may be for a few minutes, but, over time, this may extend to hours or days.
Trapped water ultimately encourages the development of ear canal infections, if bacteria are present in the water. These infections are called "otitis externa" and are usually very painful, with worsening of the blockage of the ear until they are treated effectively.
I have found many patients who attend ear nurses on a regular basis to minimise wax in their ears, as their narrowed ears block up very easily- and they don't quite appreciate how severe their exostoses actually are.
Many people with surfer's ear struggle to fit ear buds/ear pods comfortably in their ears.
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Can Surfer’s Ear Cause Deafness?
Partial hearing loss can occur during water trapping or infections, but in particularly severe cases a substantial hearing loss can happen in the affected ear due to a complete bony ear canal blockage. This is only correctable by a surgical procedure