Ear Infection

[Line Squirrel]

I have an ear infection brewing and my RB class is in 6 days :( Just noticed it last night, all day today I have been using some Rx drops I've had laying around. No improvement, worse actually.

Other than being painful, can I dive? or will that cause more problems...I suspect I already know the answer.

I'll be seeing a doctor asap tomorrow. I'm hoping I can get it cleared up for the most part before next Wednesday.

[amphipod06]

I have an ear infection brewing and my RB class is in 6 days :( Just noticed it last night, all day today I have been using some Rx drops I've had laying around. No improvement, worse actually.

Other than being painful, can I dive? or will that cause more problems...I suspect I already know the answer.

I'll be seeing a doctor asap tomorrow. I'm hoping I can get it cleared up for the most part before next Wednesday.

Mike,

Trolling the forums for medical advice?

If it is otitis externa, the usual drops should help. Can you tell whether it's outer ear infection or middle ear? (Has someone used an otoscope on you is what I mean...)

Go see the MD, much better advice from him/her, methinks...

Dive safe and hopr it clears up fast.

Celia

[chimie007]

I have an ear infection brewing and my RB class is in 6 days :( Just noticed it last night, all day today I have been using some Rx drops I've had laying around. No improvement, worse actually.

Other than being painful, can I dive? or will that cause more problems...I suspect I already know the answer.

I'll be seeing a doctor asap tomorrow. I'm hoping I can get it cleared up for the most part before next Wednesday.

I had two in the past 3 years. Every time I ended up on oral antibiotic. Cipro and others. Classic treatment is 10 days if I recall. The first time I felt fine after a few days. I'm sure I could have dove after 5 days. The other time I needed two more 10 day treatment to get rid of it. Really hard to tell.

[gsulliva]

What works for me 100% of the time once I get an ear infection is:

Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates and Hydrocortisone Otic Suspension, USP


I did get one that wasn't "Suspension" that didn't work as well.

[Line Squirrel]

No otoscope. More drops tonight then off to find a doctor tomorrow early...I'm out of town too :mad: S FL so I need to throw darts I guess

[jj1987]

I have frequent ear infections when I forget to use alcohol + vinegar, I'm almost willing to bet after diving thurs, fri, sat, sun, mon of this week I'll get one. I just go to the UCF health clinic and get a perscript and it seems to clear it asap, I think it's called bausch and lomb. I got one 3 weeks ago, after doing 15 dives in a week.

[Line Squirrel]

What works for me 100% of the time once I get an ear infection is:

Neomycin and Polymyxin B Sulfates and Hydrocortisone Otic Suspension, USP




Cool - that's pretty much word for word what I have in my hand...or ear as it were <G> Of course it expired 4/2007

[stairman]

I guess Ive been lucky,I put the ear beer in for at least thirty seconds before and after a dive.If I feel discomfort I put it in several times through out the day.And it always makes it better.[knock on wood]I dont wait around to put it in but do it right when I get back to the truck from the water.

[Dsix36]

I am currently suffering from the same thing. Cancelled a night dive for tonight and just cancelled for the Spiegel Grove on Sat. Ear infections really suck. I blame it on cave classes, but would did it over again in a heartbeat. I already miss the caves.

[FW]

A quick way to tell the difference between outer and middle ear infections is to tug on your earlobe. It it hurts, it is most likely an outer ear infection. If not, it is middle, and they are a lot more dangerous.

Heat will make an outer ear infection feel better. warm air, or a hot light bulb will ease the pain, and dry it out which will help eliminate the infection.

GO SEE a Doctor!!

[skip]

I just go diving when I have an ear infection (and do some serious irrigation with 50/50 alcohol and vinegar). more than half the time it gets better. 25% of the time it stays the same, some of the time it gets worse (would do anyway right?), and a three times the eardrum has ruptured so I had to dive using doc's proplugs, one of those masks with "ear cups," and limit my diving to every other weekend, shallow. One time it looked like surgery would be needed to fix things, but then another month of diving fixed it right up so that surgery was not needed after all!

But then I've always been a bit of a contarian...

but seriously, sometimes i think a cautious dive, the cool water, the wetness, something actually "breaks up" the gunk and helps it clear....?

we can't be held legally responsible for advice given on an internet forum, right?

-skip

[MORGAN]

Hi Mike - see my PM


Skip - I dive with 'em, too - with an otitis externa my ear feels better in the water than out!

Mike

[imdown]

Mike,
You should of got a cis! Aside from making your wallet smaller they are also supposed to cure all your ills!!!!
Seriously, hope you heal up and keep us posted on the rb!

[CGriffing]

Get well soon, Mike! Which RB are you gonna be diving with?

-Carl

[FW]

Get well soon, Mike! Which RB are you gonna be diving with?

-Carl

He is picking up a Meg.

[Line Squirrel]

Thanks everybody, drops all day yesterday and seems about the same this morning. I could probably clear it up with what I have & if I didn't have a class coming up in under a week I would probably live with it a couple more days and see how it plays out but...

Looking at the Pompano Yellow Pages, there are dozens of walk-in clinics. I'm going to be waiting at their door when they open.

Mike

PS: I'm usually so good about the ear beer but have been slipping up lately. Lesson learned I guess <G>

[Me]

Thanks everybody, drops all day yesterday and seems about the same this morning. I could probably clear it up with what I have & if I didn't have a class coming up in under a week I would probably live with it a couple more days and see how it plays out but...

Looking at the Pompano Yellow Pages, there are dozens of walk-in clinics. I'm going to be waiting at their door when they open.

Mike

PS: I'm usually so good about the ear beer but have been slipping up lately. Lesson learned I guess <G>

You can't slip up Mike, I learned that the hard way too. Remember that trip we did with Connie where I finished out the week with a double ear infection? Couldn't do the last day at Temple of Doom.

[FW]

Warning about walk-in clinics.

They don't always know about outer ear infections. I went to one in Key West, and they mis-diagnosed, and I couldn't dive the rest of the trip. It meant I had to suffer several extra days, and go to my doctor at home to get the right medicine.

Go back and look at my post on the bottom of page #1, and be sure which part of your ear is infected, then check the prescription to see if it is the right thing. Clue: Middle ear infections involve drops, *and* pills, outer ear infections get only drops. The drops for middle ear infections are only pain killers, and won't help outer ear issues.

[caroln]

I just had a double ear infection 4 days before a trip. My DAN ENT doc gave me Cipro ear drops after a sleepless night, and told me I'd be good to dive in 2 days---he was right (and I could sleep that night). The Cipro worked MUCH faster than the other antibiotic drops I've had before. Also, you can get a set of docs proplugs which are ear plugs you can use for diving, and they really help when you have an ear infection because they sort of slow the pressure change you feel in your ears and allow you to equalize gradually instead of a big dramatic change all at once.

[runawaylobster]

Cool - that's pretty much word for word what I have in my hand...or ear as it were <G> Of course it expired 4/2007

If it's any comfort to know, in my RB class with Jill we spent the first day doing classroom
and equipment stuff so you have at least one extra day before you get in the water :).

Then we spent day two in the run at devils.

Les

[Wizard]

First a birthday, now Mike's health is failing. You're taking this age thing too seriously.
What you need is advice from Sid ASAP. I'll take a stab at this in his absence.
Drink liquids (80 proof and higher) until comfort level is achieved and dive.

But seriously, go to a Doc in the box. They may at least give you a antibiotic and some drops and see your Doc when you get home. I have dove with ear trouble and like mentioned above it felt better. If it worsened skip the class.
I work out of town all week and have been caught out with stuff like this. That's why I carry a couple of different antibiotics with me in case of things like this.

Hope things work out Mike and get better soon!

[BabyDuck]

I work out of town all week and have been caught out with stuff like this. That's why I carry a couple of different antibiotics with me in case of things like this.

Hope things work out Mike and get better soon!

he said *ear*, not something he'd get from working out of town! :D

[Line Squirrel]

Charlie, watch it bud or I'll beat you with my cane :)

Ear is feeling great, class starts tomorrow!