Mountain Bicycle Tire Explosion

I had a mountain bicycle tire explode as I was attempting to check the tire pressure. I had just used my floor pump and removed the pump attachment from the Presta valve....my right ear & face was within 6 to 8 inches of the tire and wheel....as I was attempting to get a handheld pressure gauge reading. The tire was properly seated...and had been used on a 30 mile rural road ride just a few days before at 44 psi I have never had a sudden auditory trauma like this event....I did not expect anything like this to happen so I was not wearing hearing protection.... The explosion was so loud that people 50-100 yards away all stopped what they were doing to look in my direction to figure out what happened. I felt disoriented when this happened...and stupid ! Drove myself to the ER....no finger fractures....just a bad contussion on the tip of my baby finger and ER also consulted with my ENT....I will make a follow up appt on Monday(10-21)...there appears to have been zero damage to the ear drum....no blood or fluids or perferation.....but 36 hours later there is a constant tinnitis and some other weird sounds in my ear when I burp....never heard sounds like that before...ever...I'm pretty sure the ENT will conduct various tests to determine degree of injury and type of injury to my auditory system in the right ear... Any words of advise or expectations on my part....will things gradually return to more normal and will most of the tinnitis disappear.....I'm 60 years old...so I'm not a spring chicken...the hearing was already going downhill slightly... FYI...from now on...I will be wearing ear plugssafety glasses and good leather gloves when inflating any type of tire....can never be too safe !! Thanks for any advise !!

2014-11-19 11:25:36

Emma