Can divers lose their hearing over time?

Yes, it is possible for divers to lose their hearing after diving for many years.  Ear injuries can range from simple swimmers ear to total hearing loss.  There is a potential for the eardrum to rupture while diving, which is generally caused by the diver not equalizing the ears properly during descent.  Symptoms of a ruptured ear drum include a reduction in hearing, a ringing sound in the ear, and possibly a bloody discharge from the ear.  Inner ear barotrauma results from a diver over-equalizing the ear during descent.   Symptoms of inner ear barotraumas include dizziness, vertigo, loss of hearing, and a ringing sound in the ear.