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Background and Aim: The objective of this review is to report the ear injuries in sports. The relevant literature was searched via Sport Discus and Medline online databases.
Results: External auditory exostosis was evident in 87.7% of 204 ears in breath-hold divers. The severity of exostoses was significantly less than that found among surfers. The most significant predictor was the sea surface temperature. Acute diffuse otitis externa, middle-ear infections, and otomycosis are common in swimmers and are caused by the water conditions. Traumatic eardrum perforation may occur during water skiing or scuba diving with symptoms of hearing loss, otalgia, otorrhea, tinnitus, and vertigo. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo was evident in swimmers, caused by the rapid head movements that dislodge otoconia from macula, which then enters the semicircular canals. Barotrauma of inner ear is common in scuba diving. Diving is a popular activity, with nearly 9 million divers in the United States and 1.5 million in Germany. The distribution of the disorders in nearly 300 patients treated from January 2002 to October 2005 in Germany was: 46% middle-ear disorders, 18% inner ear disorders, and 24% eustachian tube dysfunction. Auricular hematoma and permanent auricular deformity were found in wrestlers. Among 537 Division I collegiate wrestlers, 39% reported permanent auricular deformity, which occurred with (10.6%) or without (26.6%) headgear. Acute auricular hematoma was also reported by a professional rugby player that affected the central part of concha and was causing 75% occlusion of the external auditory meatus.
Conclusion: In conclusion, protective devises are suggested to reduce these injuries and their consequences.