hi...
wondering if i can dive with ear plug in my ears...
always had ear infection after diving...and i had small hole on my tympanic membrane...( kena penampar by my senior las time ) 
just came back from divng...now, left ear throbing...dung dung... sakit maa..
If you have pain that persists, go see a doctor.Once you have your current infection sorted out, then think about prevention.
What kind of ear infections do you tend to get? There are two common kinds of ear infections--ones of the outer ear and ones of the middle ear.
Problem: Outer ear infections (Otitis externa)The kind of infection that affects the outer ear is caused by microbes in the water (pool or sea) when the water is trapped in the outer ear. This happens because excess ear wax doesn't let the water drain out.
Prevention: For people who are prone to this kind of infection, there are
ear drops with alcohol in them that helps the water evaporate. People who have these kinds of infections a lot can be helped by wearing
masks that have sealed ear covers. You need to learn to use them though. There's also a kind of ear plug called
Doc's Pro Plugs that are vented so that they help keep water out (not all of the water, but some of it) and you can still equalize.
It is important
NOT to put anything in your ears to try to remove buildup on your own. This is a very common way of rupturing the tympanic membrane--so no cotton buds or hair pins or little Chinese ear wax spoons should be put into the ear to try to clean out the wax. If you think you have wax buildup, go see a doctor who can get it out or who can prescribe special ear washes that dissolve and remove wax.
Problem: Middle ear infections (Otitis media) The kind of infection that affects the middle ear is not caused by sea water unless the tympanic membrane is torn or ruptured. Many tears and holes in the membrane heal by themselves, but until that happens, you shouldn't dive so that you don't introduce water into your middle ear. Some people have permanent perforation of the tympanic membrane, and if this is your case, you might talk to your doctor about having it surgically repaired.
Usually middle ear infections in divers come from blowing too hard when equalizing. The diver forces microbes from the nose and throat into the middle ear through the eustachian tubes. Once these microbes are in the middle ear, they can multiply and cause infections that might even rupture the tympanic membrane from the inside out.
Prevention: There are no ear drops that will prevent middle ear infection. For divers with difficulty in equalizing who end up forcing microbes into their middle ear by forceful equalization methods, the best thing to do is to try different ways of equalizing. There is a wonderful video and handout that describes middle ear injuries in divers and discusses different equalization methods. Bookmark these sites even if you don't have trouble because sooner or later you will meet somebody who does have this kind of difficulty, and you would be a good friend and buddy to pass the information along to them.
I hope your ear feels better soon and you can dive again, but do take care.
