How to treat swimmer's ear

[dmaziuk]

I once tried drugstore alcohol-based ear "drying" drops. They burned my ear worse than swimmers ear they're supposed to help prevent. So I'll just come out and say it: I use q-tips. After an hour in the pool and a shower, after drying with the towel I use q-tips to wick the moisture out of where towel does not reach. Just like the manual says, I do not enter ear canal and I figure at the point I shouldn't have much wax and dirt left in there that I could push deeper inside. Same after a shower after a day of diving.

 

[fmerkel]

Water soluble....but we don't want water in our ears.
The hand disinfectants I'm familiar with are pretty much alcohol in a semi-solid form. So, use alcohol, with a little vinegar.

 

[LFMarm]

Good question! "Ear beer" has to do two things - you want to dry the ear (alcohol) and you want to drop the pH (vinegar). The most common ear bacteria (Pseudomonas) doesn't do well in acidic environments.

So you don't need a lot of vinegar, since all you need to do is drop the pH, but vinegar is mostly water, so using a lot of it keeps the ear wet. I tell people to get a pint bottle of rubbing alcohol, pour out a few tablespoons and replace them with vinegar, and if you have some glycerin, a few drops of that can keep your ears from getting over dried.

This is an easy thing to make, even in remote tropical locations.

Lately, I have been using this, as recommended by my instructor Wayne... it actually helps keep me from getting swimmer's ear, especially in fresh water like Dutch Springs.

Great recommendation from @doctormike that combined with the USN protocol (5 minutes per ear) should serve our ears well.

What would be the equivalent formulation that you would ask a pharmacist to prepare?

I am planning on bringing with me some pharmacy grade solution and reserve the home brewed ear beer when in need to prepare more in remote locations.

 

[formernuke]

To treat swimmers ear go to your Dr. And then pharmacy with the prescription the Dr gives you.

I prefer preventing swimmers ear. Your local pharmacy should have ear drops designed especially for these purpose pick some up and after each dive use as directed.

 

[formernuke]

Good question! "Ear beer" has to do two things - you want to dry the ear (alcohol) and you want to drop the pH (vinegar). The most common ear bacteria (Pseudomonas) doesn't do well in acidic environments.

So you don't need a lot of vinegar, since all you need to do is drop the pH, but vinegar is mostly water, so using a lot of it keeps the ear wet. I tell people to get a pint bottle of rubbing alcohol, pour out a few tablespoons and replace them with vinegar, and if you have some glycerin, a few drops of that can keep your ears from getting over dried.

This is an easy thing to make, even in remote tropical locations.

Lately, I have been using this, as recommended by my instructor Wayne... it actually helps keep me from getting swimmer's ear, especially in fresh water like Dutch Springs.

What percentage alcohol? I have a bunch of 90 around here.

 

[LFMarm]

To treat swimmers ear go to your Dr. And then pharmacy with the prescription the Dr gives you

Yes, I am asking for the formulation to give to pharmacist to prepare the ear beer for prevention not for treatment

 

[doctormike]

I have never had a pharmacist compound that... Probably the easiest thing to do is to get some SwimEar which is 95% isopropyl alcohol and 5% glycerine, and then add a little white vinegar. Maybe 3 ml to the 30 ml bottle..

 

[Belzelbub]

Yes, I am asking for the formulation to give to pharmacist to prepare the ear beer for prevention not for treatment

No need to go to the pharmacist. There are often drops you can get in dive stores, or you can simply make your own. I just use a 50/50 mix of Isopropyl alcohol (80-90%) and white vinegar. Works well to clear out my ears after a dive.

 

[formernuke]

Yes, I am asking for the formulation to give to pharmacist to prepare the ear beer for prevention not for treatment

It's an over the counter product you can buy off the shelf at any pharmacy Walmart etc

 

[Akimbo]

A squeeze bulb like this is a convenient way of using ear beer. It doesn't take long to get a sense of how much to squeeze it so you don't suck so much into the bulb that it overflows your ear.