Any updates on swimmers ear concoction?

slackercruster · May 7, 2009

One guy told me he uses peroxide?

This is what Alert Diver Magazine said...

"A freshly brewed concoction of one-third distilled water, one-third white vinegar and one-third isopropyl alcohol is often a much more effective mixture."

Doc Vikingo's Preventing Swimmer's Ear

Should I add peroxide to the mix or stick with the above formula?

Cave Bum · May 7, 2009

I don't think peroxide would add anything to it's usefulness. I'd stick with the formula or even go to a 50-50 mix of white vinegar & isopropyl alcohol, which is what I use.

Cave Bum · May 7, 2009

Oops, it double posted... :-(

ScubaSarus · May 7, 2009

If you have insurance Id check in with an ENT. It may be impacted earwax saturated with water that he can easily remove or have other solutions and easily drain your ear.

There could be something you need to know about what led up to the condition.

SkipperJohn · May 7, 2009

I recall this discussion before and the good advice that was given was no peroxide. That is for infection and the peroxide may be too strong for your ear anyway.
Just the vinegar to balance the PH and the alcohol to help rid the water. I spoke to my ENT about it and he concurs 100%
(that said, I continue to use peroxide but only when i have any sort of infection)

Darcey · May 7, 2009

When I was in Belize with my boyfriend back in March he was having some ear issues and our DM told him to take alcohol (no beer or rum...medical alcohol only please

) and hydrogen peroxide and fill a cap with 1/2 & 1/2 and then dump it into your ear and wait for about 5 minutes. It worked like a charm. No swimmers ear and got all of the crap out.

MauiScubaSteve · May 7, 2009

The search function does work on SB; use it and you will find many, many threads hashing and re-hashing this topic.

I have had chronic swimmers ear since before age 10 (aau swimmer). I have talked with ent's in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Nevada, California and Hawaii.

Hydrogen Peroxide is the active ingredient in ear way remover. Infection is not the reason to put it in your ear. It releases an oxygen molecule from the wax compound, making it less cohesive so it can be rinsed out easier. It also continues to be active even when there is no problem; excessive use breaks down healthy tissue.

Rubbing alcohol will leave the ear canal too dry after evaporation if used too much, but it is a useful tool to float the trapped water out of small spaces.

Vinegar is the key to battling the swimmers ear infection, as it changes the ph to one the infection can't live in.

The ear beer (50/50 or 30/70 - alcohol/vinegar) is what I have used for years of working as a full time instructor in infection prone waters.

RikTikTavi · May 7, 2009

If you throw in a few drops of glycerin (up to 15% of the mix), it will help keep your ear from drying out and itching.

Splash-X · May 7, 2009

A good home remedy to use prior to the onset of swimmers ear is a 50/50 mix of White Vinegar and Rubbing Alcohol. This only works BEFORE a bad case of swimmers ear sets in.

Put drops in one ear and lie on a pillow keeping that ear up for roughly 5 minutes.

Alcohol gets in to your ear and helps the water evaporate.
Vinegar returns your ear to the natural acidic state that helps to kill the bacteria.

muddiver · May 7, 2009

Ok, here's a Dive Medics take on ear medication: 1 Tbsp of normal vinigar to 1 qt of water. You fiqure the % out youself.

Like halemano stated, peroxide will only loosen ear wax and eventually give you an ear ache. Alcohol won't kill anything in the ear, but it will dry out your ear, result = ear ache.
A weak acid solution mixed in water will kill off most bacteria that would cause infection and it rinses clean from the ear canal without drying out the ear canal. Your ears where ment to be moist, just like your lips and other mucus membranes.

This treatment is really for if you do a lot of water sports or work under water and your ears are constantly exposed to un-treated water.

Reference the U.S. Navy Diving Manual as well.

Any updates on swimmers ear concoction?

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