Cold-water swimming has become one of the most talked-about wellness trends, with celebrities from the Princess of Wales to Harry Styles and Jamie Dornan praising its health benefits. However, comedian Harry Enfield has revealed that years of daily cold-water swimming in north London have left him with a serious health condition.
Harry Enfield's Diagnosis
Harry Enfield, best known for characters like Kevin the Teenager and Loadsamoney, has exostosis, commonly known as 'surfer's ear', caused by cold-water swimming. The 65-year-old was diagnosed after visiting a specialist to be fitted for hearing aids. 'I'm deaf, partially deaf,' he explained on the Off Menu podcast. 'And because I swim in Highgate Ponds, I've got stalactites in my ears.'
He continued: 'They've got tiny little hearing aids you can get now and apparently they're very good. They cost a fortune, but they're worth having. So I went to get them fitted. They said, 'No, you've got big bones – stalactites – that have grown in your ears. Do you do a lot of fresh water swimming?' I said, 'Well, yeah'. They said, 'Ah, that's what it is.''
Exostosis occurs when repeated exposure to cold water and wind irritates the ear canal, triggering bone growth. Enfield added: 'You can have them chopped off, but it's very painful and takes a long time. I'd sooner not hear what you're saying.'
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