I fell doing a wakeboard jump and my ear slapped the water hard. I went to an urgent care facility since I m away from home. They irrigated it and removed a lot of wax. When the doc was able to see the ear drum he said it was perforated. He recommended seeing an ENT specialist . I ve read a lot about drums healing on their own. What determines if surgery is needed and can I wait a period of time safely before that determination is made? Also a still have water behind the drum. Ive read that my eustacion tube is sealed off, is that true? When I ve plugged my nose and blown gently I ve had some success getting water to drain out of the ear. Is that ok to do? It gives a sense of relief when I do it. I have very little pain now 48 hours after the crash. Will this water drain on it s own and when so does it drain back out of the hole I now have in the drum or will it drain down my sinuses and throat? Sorry for all the questions, I can t afford health insurance and as long as I m not doing irreparable damage I m inclined to wait and see if this heals on its own. Please advise.