Perforated drums: Should I let ds swim?

[DrNortherner]

Brief history. DS is 7 and has a history of glue ear. Had grommets when he was 2.5, they have now fallen out. Years of recurring infections have left ds with 2 big perforations and scarred drums. Even with ear moulds and ear bandit at his private swimming lessons ds was experienceing water in the ear which led to more infections.

We stopped the lessons in an effort to keep his ears totally dry. This has worked, no infections for months!

The specialist says ds will need an operation at 11/12 to fix perforations and untill then should always wear plugs and band in wtaer and should not ever put head under water.

Result of this is a 7 year old who can not swim, his class start swimming lessons next week with school and I am in 2 minds if I should let him go or not.

My concerns are he is probably not responsible enough to always remember to waer his plugs and band (he hates them, thinks friends will laugh etc) and will the swimming teacher accept that he can not put his head under water - this will probaly make him exempt from most of the lesson....but I do want him to be able to swim.

Any advice?

How does he feel about it?

He doesn't want to do it......

Then I would use it as an excuse to leave it. He can learn to swim at a later date.

Just done a quick google and it seems teh advice is son't swim with perforated drums...it's just that his will never heal on their own so we have to wait for the operation.

Oh well, I guess he will not be an olympic swimmer!

My 4 year old recently had a perforated ear drum and we were told no swimming and to not get it wet int he bath. I would have him excused. Learning to swim isn't that important right that it is worth him getting an infection.

I had a perforated eardrum as a child which didn't heal on itself so had to have the operation as a teenager. The advice to me was never to put my head underwater as well so I learnt to swim with my head above water. I found breaststroke is pretty much the only stroke I can do (I'm still not allowed to put my head underwater but I had lots of other ENT problems which have never been resolved). Does he not like swimming generally or is he just worried about not putting his head under? I'd be inclined to leave it because the infections can be so nasty but then I never had swimming lessons. My mother taught me and I'm actually a fairly competent swimmer (in the one stroke ofc!).

I ended up not having the operation until I was about 15 because various infections meant I had to have other operations first.

no swimming till hes 11? that is so totally crap.

just out of interest why do they have to wait until then? i have a friend who's 2.5 year old has regular infections and I wouldnt like him to be in the same position

Thanks guys. I've pretty much come to the conclusion that he should be excused.

Thanks TCH for your comments - great to hear the opinion of someone in the same boat as ds.

Wilkos - he can't swim till he is 11ish as he needs an operation to heal his perforations as his are so bad they won't heal them selves, but they don't operate till child is much older as he still has so much growing to do.

Perforations often heal themselves but his is caused by years of infectuins and glue ear.

DrNortherner - mine was the same It's not very pleasant to live with, best wishes to your DS. The operation itself isn't too bad though and seems to have been fairly successful