Lucrezia had made inquiries and discovered that “external auditory exostoses” had been found in archaeological contexts and could be found even in lifeguards and surfers today. “Surfer’s ear, it is called.” She’d been put in touch with the ENT in Nazaré, an expert in removing “EAEs.” He saw them all the time in professional surfers. Habitual exposure to cold water would cause soft tissue irritation in the ear meatus, then bone growths would begin to form. Over time, they could basically close the ear canal. “My boss seems to think they happened because of the thermae, the baths.”
