Comedian Harry Enfield, 65, has revealed that years of daily cold-water swimming have left him with 'surfer's ear', a condition that causes hearing loss. Speaking on the Off Menu podcast, Enfield said he has 'stalactites in my ears' – extra bone growths that narrow the ear canal. He was diagnosed when he sought hearing aids for his partial deafness.
Surfer's ear, medically known as external auditory canal exostoses, occurs when repeated exposure to cold water and wind irritates the ear canal, triggering abnormal bone growth. Consultant otologist Joseph Manjaly explains that the condition is usually harmless but can trap debris and wax, leading to infections and eventually hearing loss if the canal becomes too narrow.
Most people with exostoses have no symptoms and may not know they have it. Treatment is not always necessary; for some, hearing aids help, but blocked canals may require surgery called canalplasty to drill out the bone. Bone conduction hearing aids or implants are alternatives. Earplugs and a headband can help prevent the condition.
Manjaly notes that surfer's ear is more common in coastal Australia and parts of the US, but only 3-6% of the general population may have it. He advises that sudden hearing loss should be treated as an emergency, as it could be sudden sensorineural hearing loss, which requires prompt treatment.
