Swimmers ear

fookisan · Jul 2, 2005

A diver told me he uses a mixture of half rubbing alcohol and half white vinegar as ear drops after his dives to prevent simmers ear. Is this a good practice? I only had ear problems one time after some diving in Mexico, but was considering it as a preventive measure in the future. Do you have to use the drops after each dive or snorkel or just once a day or so? My ears get wet 4 or 5 times a day soemtimes. Does hydrogen peroxide work just as well?

Thanks,

Dan

Kriterian · Jul 2, 2005

fookisan:
A diver told me he uses a mixture of half rubbing alcohol and half white vinegar as ear drops after his dives to prevent simmers ear. Is this a good practice? I only had ear problems one time after some diving in Mexico, but was considering it as a preventive measure in the future. Do you have to use the drops after each dive or snorkel or just once a day or so? My ears get wet 4 or 5 times a day soemtimes. Does hydrogen peroxide work just as well?

Thanks,

Dan

I tried just peroxide by itself, and still managed to get an ear infection two times in a row. After using alcohol + vinegar, or Diver Douche as I like to call it, I haven't had any problems since then. The alcohol helps dry out the ear quicker and is the main ingredient in those over the counter "Swimmers ear" medicines. The vinegar is there to kill the bacteria and other harmful things. I've also heard the recommendation of using a hair dryer (on low and cool settings) to help speed the drying process.

As for problems from repeated use of this concoction, I don't think there has ever been a study on it.

webjr · Jul 2, 2005

Alcohol/vinegar is a good idea for prevention , especialy if you spend alot of time in the water . Never tried hydrogen peroxide .
I have heard of people using just straight vinegar . If I understand it correctly , the alcohol is mainly for drying the ear out while the vinegar helps prevent infection .
I've had ear infections before after spending weeks in the pool and the lake . For me , the alcohol/vinegar was useless after the infection took root . A prescription knocked it out quick though .

Scuba_Jenny · Jul 2, 2005

The mix I use is 1/3 alcohol, 1/3 distilled water, 1/3 white vinegar, and a couple drops of peroxide. Have not had problem one since using this. Oh to give credit where credit is due, I found the "recipe" here on SB.

spectrum · Jul 2, 2005

fookisan:
A diver told me he uses a mixture of half rubbing alcohol and half white vinegar as ear drops after his dives to prevent simmers ear. Is this a good practice? I only had ear problems one time after some diving in Mexico, but was considering it as a preventive measure in the future. Do you have to use the drops after each dive or snorkel or just once a day or so? My ears get wet 4 or 5 times a day soemtimes. Does hydrogen peroxide work just as well?

Thanks,

Dan

Per my physician after I got swimmers ear last year.....
50/50 rubbing alchohol and white vinegar.
The alcohol draws water out of the innner ear
The vinegar restores the normal acidic condition
Both are bad for any bugs that are flourishing.
Swimmers ear is usually a growth of bugs that normally in the ear. The flourish in the wet disturbed enviornment.

Form some navy sites I did learn that you should lay down with the ear up and add the fluid. Lay there for a FULL 5 minutes to let it work. Roll over and repeat. The studies showed 5 minues min was critical.

Do this at the end of the days water activity, swim, skin-dive or scuba.

Makes for nice cuddle time if you dive with your significant other.

Pete

Queen · Jul 2, 2005

spectrum:
...Form some navy sites I did learn that you should lay down with the ear up and add the fluid. Lay there for a FULL 5 minutes to let it work. Roll over and repeat. The studies showed 5 minues min was critical.

After years getting constant ear infections from lifeguarding/teaching swimming/diving my ENT Doc told me the same thing, I've adhered to it religiously and it works great.

SubMariner · Jul 2, 2005

This one from Scubadoc's website http://www.scuba-doc.com/otext.htm

1/3 white vinegar to 2/3 isopropyl alcohol. A few drops in each ear after diving will help evaporate the water--which sets the stage for the bacteria and fungi. The alcohol can be somewhat irritating, so you might want to substitute hydrogrn peroxide or use an acetic acid-aluminum/sodium acetate solution

He also has "recipes" for these other soltutions on that same page on his website.

Bonne chance,

The Kraken · Jul 2, 2005

Fookisan,
That is a wise and old Chinese tincture, at least 3000 years old!!!

Yes, it is a good remedy/preventative.

Years ago I used to work with the Boy Scouts as the council aquatics director. Our council camp had a slow moving, stream fed lake/pond that served as the water front. Due to the stagnant nature of the mud hole, bacteria, leeches, water moccasins and everything aquatically undesirable inhabited it.

The mixture of which you speak was a 6-time-a-day requirement for all waterfront staff. However, we added a couple of drops of iodine to our mix.

the K

Charlie99 · Jul 2, 2005

The Kraken:
The mixture of which you speak was a 6-time-a-day requirement for all waterfront staff. However, we added a couple of drops of iodine to our mix.

That probably made your ears a nice color.

During some idle chatter during an SI on a boat, one guy mentioned that he had some gentian violet a vet gave him for his dogs ear infection, and he tried it on his ear infection. He cured the infection, but turned his ear purple for a while.

I just did a google on "thrush" and violet" to get the spelling of "gentian" violet, since I remembered from my previous research that it was commonly used for treatment of mother and infant thrush infections. Found this slightly off topic, but humorous article, It Stains.

The Cipro HC Otic my wife used on her ear infection was a lot less messy.

mania · Jul 3, 2005

dr E.Thalmann wrote about it for DAN. His recommendiations were to have Otic Domeboro Solution used for 5 minutes (NAVY standards). According to him these 5 minutes are critical and can't be any shorter than that.
As here we don't have the Solution so we need a perscription from ENT and then pharmacist has to prepare a solution from the following:

Ac. Borici 1.0
95% Spir. Vini
Glycerini
Liq. Alum. acet
aa 20.0
M.f.sol.

Once done (100 mililiters costs here 1 US$) use after each dive.
Mania

Swimmers ear

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