Surfing Product Reviews

Had a wicked ear ache for the last few days, and had been generally off and on sick for the last 6 weeks. Also, my right ear wasn’t draining right while surfing, would continually get clogged and I’d have to hit my head to hear again out of that ear. That can really throw off your balance while riding. I was scared I had an ear infection or Surfer’s Ear. So after some online research I figured I’d skip the regular doctor and head straight to an Ear Nose and Throat specialist. ENT is called Otolaryngology in doctor talk. I looked on my plan (Health Net PPO) and 3 ENT doctors were covered in the area so I choose McCaffery cause he was closest to work.

Dr. McCaffery’s office made an apointment for me within 2 days, which is pretty good in Doctor land. They take a lot of insurance plans, and the paperwork was pretty minimal. The Doc himself seemed like a nice guy. I dislike doctors that don’t listen to you and just pump you full of drugs. This guy actually listened to all my inane comments about when and where my sinus’s have been jacked, and all the signs that led me to his office. He answered all my questions and generally seemed like a problem solver. The greatest reason I was glad I went to an ENT guy was also the most unconfortable reason. He shot some gas up my nose to de-congest it and numb it, and then snaked a fiber optic cable up it to go see what was going on. It kinda hurt but was well worth it to have visual proof that something was not right deep down in there.

The doctor said I had an acute sinus infection and a mild case of Surfer’s Ear. He said not to worry about the surfers ear, the bone hadn’t built out that much yet to stop the ear from draining. I imagine in 10 years or so I may have to have that tackled though. He did hop me up on anti-biotics to get rid of the sinus infection and recommend OTC mists to ease the symptoms. He also recommended a 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and vinegar to dry my ears out after surfing. However, this alone will not stop sinus infections since water can get in through your nose or mouth.

I’m giving Dr. McCaffery a thumbs up for this review, a knowlegeable doctor with good communication skills and a desire to help you solve your problems. If you think you’ve got Surfer’s Ear or some sorta surfing related sinus/ear infection you oughta think about seeing the old doc.

The lowdown:

John McCaffery, Board Certified in Otolaryngology (ENT)
5333 Hollister Ave
Santa Barbara, CA 93111
(805) 964-6926

Some online resources for Surfing related sinus action:
SurferMag’s SurfDoc