BODY WATCH : YOUR BODY : Ailments-- and Treatments-- for Surfers Only

Who would engage willingly--make that gleefully--in a sport that sets up participants for lacerations, pimples and bony ear growths?

That, of course, would be surfers. They know that their passion for catching waves increases the chances of accident and injury, but they insist that the returns--exercise, serenity, that storybook California look--more than compensate.

“Surfers have gotten more creative and aggressive”--and injuries are a natural consequence, says Dr. Mark Renneker, a San Francisco surfer and physician who founded the Surfer’s Medical Assn. But surfers are also becoming more prevention-savvy, Renneker and other experts say, taking care not just to avoid sharks but to protect their ears and skin.

Canal Problems: Bony exostoses, or surfer’s ear, is common. These bony growths under the skin of the ear canal get bigger when aggravated by irritation from water and wind exposure. As the growths enlarge, they can trap water, ear wax, dead skin and sand next to the ear drum, explains Renneker, co-author of the self-help paperback “Sick Surfers Ask the Surf Docs and Dr. Geoff” (Bull Publishing Co., 1993, (800) 676-2855).

When the growths close off the ear passage and cause hearing loss and ringing in the ears (tinnitus), Dr. Joseph R. Di Bartolomeo, a Santa Barbara ear specialist who treats many surfers, uses a kind of high-speed “drill” to remove them.

Canal Self-Help: Surfer’s ear can be avoided or minimized, though, with such self-help measures as wearing protective gear and cleaning the ears properly.

“We sell more plugs and more caps than before,” says Brian Hilbers, a veteran surfer who manages Val Surf & Sport in North Hollywood. Older surfers in particular, especially if they have had ear surgery, are buying the billed neoprene caps, which fit hoodlike over the ears and cost $20 to $30.

Good Hygiene: Clean the ears very gently, Renneker advises, because “the skin in the outer ear canal is very sensitive.”

Use a mixture of one-half white vinegar and one-half rubbing alcohol to rinse the ear, suggests Di Bartolomeo, who cautions surfers not to use stronger alcohol solutions.

Don’t forget to rinse ear plugs after removal, Di Bartolomeo advises: “Otherwise, it is like putting on dirty socks to go running.” Bacteria on the plugs can be forced into the ear canal, leading to infection.

Other Ear Ills: Ear drum perforations are another hazard, says Dr. ChippMiller, an otolaryngologist on staff at Santa Monica Hospital Medical Center and an avid surfer. The implosive force of the ear hitting the water can be so great that it causes the drum to perforate. When salt water and bacteria enter the middle ear through the perforation, infection and drainage can occur.

The good news is that 90% of these acute perforations heal without surgery. “The hardest part for surfers is to keep the ear dry,” he says. If they must surf before the drum heals, they should wear caps and plugs, Miller says.

Sinus Problems: Surfer’s sinusitis is another risk. Usually, Miller prescribes a 10-day course of decongestants and antibiotics. But some surfers get the infection back again and again.

Sneaky Boards: Then there’s the runaway surfboard problem. “They lose the board, go under water, don’t know exactly where it is and come up and hit the fin,” says Dr. Wally Ghurabi, director of the Nethercutt Emergency Center at Santa Monica Hospital Medical Center.

Manufacturers of surfboards have become more prevention-oriented, too, encouraging surfers to buy protective gear.

Sun Protection: Use water-proof sunscreen with a sun protection factor of at least 15, Renneker advises. The sunscreen lasts only about 80 minutes in water, he says, and perhaps only 40 if the product is water-resistant rather than waterproof.

Wet-Suit Pimples: When a tight wet suit rubs body hair wrong, the skin around the tiny follicle of each hair becomes irritated. That’s because inflammation and swelling has blocked the oil produced by underlying glands, trapping them inside the follicle.

For relief, apply over-the-counter hydrocortisone cream in 1% concentration three times a day, experts advise. At night, try benzoyl peroxide gel.

Chin Splits: Any ill-trained athlete can get shin splints. But surfers get chin splits, a more exotic nuisance that occurs when the chin is gashed open upon impact with the board.

* Doheny cannot answer mail personally but will attempt to respond in this column to questions of general interest. Please do not telephone. Write to Your Body, Life & Style, Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles, Calif. 90053.