The dictum that patients who have plastic ventilation tubes (grommets) inserted in their tympanic membranes should not go swimming is questioned. A theoretical assessment is made of the pressure necessary to push water through a grommet. This value is compared with practical observations. These values are discussed with reference to chemical and bacteriological hazards and it is concluded that water is unlikely to enter the middle ear in surface swimming, and even when diving underwater the chances of setting up an otitis media must be small.
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