My ear hurts when I am two feet under the water. Is it due to the previous eardrum surgery?

Hello,

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The graft generally used to close the eardrum perforation is usually the temporalis fascia. Any graft, for that matter, is not as robust as the natural eardrum, and its tensile strength is never the same. There is a certain amount of pressure (both on the positive and negative sides) that the ear can tolerate. After surgery, any slight change in pressure can exert stress over the newly grafted drum and thereby into the middle ear system. This is the reason why you happen to develop pain in the ear while trying to get to the bottom of the pool. My advice to you would be to try using snugly fitting earplugs, thereby creating a seal for both the canals while you swim and try if it hurts while you try to reach the bottom of the pool. If there is pain in spite of using the earplugs, it is always better to prevent going to such depths, which can cause pain. Furthermore, there is a possibility of attracting an infection in the region of the eardrum if there is constant irritation and inflammation around this region. I hope I have answered your query. If there is anything more that you need to know or enquire about, please do let us know, and we will get back to you.