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A paintball in the ear is about as scary and devastating as one
to the eye. Permanent and partial deafness has occurred with
these types of injuries. It is also extremely painful if a
paintball pellet becomes lodged in the ear causing a rupture to
the eardrum and other internal damage. It is important to
remember that paintball pellets are shot with significant force
and the ear is the perfect size for a paintball to make its way
into. In many cases, paintball injuries to the ear have also
rendered players unconscious and with a concussion.
Another common injury associated
with external ear trauma is “cauliflower ear”.
Cauliflower ear got its name because the shape of the outer ear
changes due to a severe injury to the outer ear. A blood clot
forms under the skin and prevents blood flow to the ear
cartilage. Left untreated, the cells of the cartilage
eventually die leaving a deformed outer ear. Once the cartilage
dies, it cannot be reconstructed.
Players always have a responsibility to participate
safely. One should never shoot their gun at another player’s
head, especially at close range, nor should anyone ever take a
shot at a person who is not properly protected with safety
equipment. A forceful, direct blow to the side of the head can
cause not only a head injury, but can increase the air pressure
inside the ear canal, leading to a ruptured ear drum or
disruption of the tiny bones in the inner ear that transmit
sound. Another common residual effect of an ear injury is
tinnitus, or a ringing in the ear. This can be temporary or
permanent.
The only
way to properly protect the ears is to buy a mask that
completely covers the ears comfortably. In fact, a player’s
eyes, ears, face and head should always be covered by a
full face
mask. As with eye injuries, an ear injury is easily
preventable if players take the common sense approach and wear
industry approved protection on the field at all times. |
