As a follow up to this thread, I've been using the Bausch & Lomb Acetic Acid 2% in Aqueous Aluminum Acetate Otic (NDC 24208-615-77) since November, 2011 and I haven't had any ear problems.
ear troubles!!! need good advice
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Dilute white vinegar with 5% by half.
I mix equal parts vinegar and 50% alcohol to get a 2% acid mix that also dries the ear, and it's virtually free.- Messages
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Uh, I checked my vinegar bottle* and it said 5% acid. Diluting it by half would yield about 2%, excuse me. I think I have seen you state that vinegar is 4% acid but I could certainly be wrong there; online sources say that distilled vinegar runs 5-8% and there are several other types with up to 20% acid or maybe higher. I've seen DAN articles suggesting straight vinegar be used on ears along with others with different suggestions involving alcohol with or without vinegar, and I've seen several variations on the suggested mixes. Lots of sources with lots of opinions.
* I live in a hard water area and go thru gallons of the stuff for cleaning everything from bathrooms to dentures, killing mold on fruits & veggies, etc. Some drink it for medical claims, but I never have.
It's not the percentage of acid that is critical, because the strength of acidic substances is extremely variable. Things like lemon juice and dilute vinegar are on the low end of th power curve. What really matters is the pH of the product you put in your ear. The low pH that dilute vinegar brings to a mix is a bacteriostat, capable of stopping many kinds of bacteria from multiplying. Alcohol is hydrophilic, and while it is also an antiseptic its primary purpose in ear drops is to dry up pockets of water. It evaporates very quickly, along with whatever water it has absorbed.
I usually use a 2/3 5% vinegar and 1/3 70% rubbing alcohol mix, gently placed in the ear and immediately allowed to run out by tilting my head. The risidual mix in the ear prevents most diving acquired bacteria from surviving because of the low pH ear environment created. The alcohol dries things out. The vinegar is, in my unprofessional opinion, the most important element in the mix for preventing ear infections. I've used just straight vinegar many times, and it seems to have worked perfectly for me. You will smell like a salad, not a bad thing.
I usually use a 2/3 5% vinegar and 1/3 70% rubbing alcohol mix, gently placed in the ear and immediately allowed to run out by tilting my head. The risidual mix in the ear prevents most diving acquired bacteria from surviving because of the low pH ear environment created. The alcohol dries things out. The vinegar is, in my unprofessional opinion, the most important element in the mix for preventing ear infections. I've used just straight vinegar many times, and it seems to have worked perfectly for me. You will smell like a salad, not a bad thing.
There is actually a good basis for using vinegar. One of the most common pathogens in otitis externa is Pseudomonas, which is a water-loving bacterium that does not tolerate acidic pHs well. That's why I've changed my recommendations for p-valve cleaning, too.
Stratosphere272
Registered
I've always been troubled with outer ear infections. I love the water too, so I had to find a solution. Ears drops after a dive or a swim didn't completely solve the problem and were easy to forget since there's no immediate discomfort. My motivation for my first dry suit was the availability of a dry hood to keep water out of my ears. After a learning curve I was quite successful and now consider a dry hood to be essential equipment.
I also lap swim and thought that the chlorine in a pool would control the problem, but found I got worse infections from pool water compared to fresh or sea water when diving. My solution was Doc's Pro Plugs with a swim cap over top. Again a learning curve before success.
I've also adapted vented Doc's Pro Plugs and a swim cap to wet suit diving. I put in the plugs and pull the cap down snug just before putting on a wet suit hood. The swim cap underneath the hood traps exhaust air that would otherwise be vented through he hood. This creates a bubble of air around my head akin to a dry hood on a dry suit. Some seepage of water into the swim cap does occur but the trapped air prevents complete flooding. I've occasionally had completely dry hair after a dive.
I also lap swim and thought that the chlorine in a pool would control the problem, but found I got worse infections from pool water compared to fresh or sea water when diving. My solution was Doc's Pro Plugs with a swim cap over top. Again a learning curve before success.
I've also adapted vented Doc's Pro Plugs and a swim cap to wet suit diving. I put in the plugs and pull the cap down snug just before putting on a wet suit hood. The swim cap underneath the hood traps exhaust air that would otherwise be vented through he hood. This creates a bubble of air around my head akin to a dry hood on a dry suit. Some seepage of water into the swim cap does occur but the trapped air prevents complete flooding. I've occasionally had completely dry hair after a dive.
UnderwaterBumbleBee
Contributor
I got back from diving in Hawaii a few weeks ago and I had a heck of a time clearing up several things that seemed like a train wreck of issues. Two nights before I left I was at a beach bonfire and accidentally inhaled smoke that I think burned my throat giving me a sore throat the following morning and laryngitis. I immediately started taking liquid Mucinex to try to clear up the mucus since I worried about coughing while diving. My ears may have felt a little clogged to. I took that for about 6 days and was on the mend when we started diving for 3 days (11 dives max, mostly 60 feet or less). I had no issues equalizing until the last day and on my first dive that day it took me about 5 minutes to successfully equalize and continue the dive. Next day we flew home and my neck was stiff, like I couldn't get one side to crack, my ears were also still a little clogged. I know what people's immediate thought would be but I attribute this to hauling myself out of the water onto the boat, carrying several heavy backpacks (dive and travel), sitting in an uncomfortable position on a plane for many hours. I've had to see a chiropractor after another trip I went on years ago for similar stuff.
After a few days I went to a chiropractor who instantly gave my neck and back some relief and I went again a couple days later. Sometime after getting back I might also add I had been swimming in a pool and hot tub FWIW. Around the same time as this the back of my head started to ache, also behind my left ear and then I started to feel really dizzy and nauseous. The pain in my head felt nerve related. When I went to a 3rd appointment and I got really dizzy he said I likely had displaced the crystals in my ear (BPPV) which was causing me to have Vertigo. He told me to take Dramamine to handle the dizziness and basically see if it clears itself up. I also talked to a family member in their 2nd year of ER Residency and she said everything I described sounded consistent with BPPV also. I watched a video of the Epley Maneuver and had my husband help me do the maneuver as best as I could on the bed. It seemed ridiculous and didn't seem to do much but the next day I felt back to normal after suffering for 2 weeks with this stuff. So I really have no idea what led to what or when I "knocked" these crystals loose but it sucked and I hope it doesn't happen again!
After a few days I went to a chiropractor who instantly gave my neck and back some relief and I went again a couple days later. Sometime after getting back I might also add I had been swimming in a pool and hot tub FWIW. Around the same time as this the back of my head started to ache, also behind my left ear and then I started to feel really dizzy and nauseous. The pain in my head felt nerve related. When I went to a 3rd appointment and I got really dizzy he said I likely had displaced the crystals in my ear (BPPV) which was causing me to have Vertigo. He told me to take Dramamine to handle the dizziness and basically see if it clears itself up. I also talked to a family member in their 2nd year of ER Residency and she said everything I described sounded consistent with BPPV also. I watched a video of the Epley Maneuver and had my husband help me do the maneuver as best as I could on the bed. It seemed ridiculous and didn't seem to do much but the next day I felt back to normal after suffering for 2 weeks with this stuff. So I really have no idea what led to what or when I "knocked" these crystals loose but it sucked and I hope it doesn't happen again!
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