Blue Spring closed due to bacteria?

[FloridaCaveDiver]

That’s funny after diving there with Chip and Rodger last weekend I came down with a nice case of swimmer ear. I’ve been on Neomycin all week.
Beware the grey water!!!! It was beautiful when we got there first thing but by 11:00 am it was nasty.
Are they concerned it is coming out of the spring or is it from the bather load?

Curt

NO DOUBT. I was there on Sunday and got a major ear infection as well!!!! I woke up at 3am on Wed morning with something that felt like a hot soldering iron being shoved into my right ear!!!!!!!!!

Now I have confirmed what I thought when I saw this about Blue Springs in TV Channel 6 news.

I wonder how many other people got sick.

Brett

[curtschu]

Mine's pretty much cleared up; 5 days of neomycin did the trick. Mine was outer ear infection. Anyone else affected?

[MikeH]

Mine's pretty much cleared up; 5 days of neomycin did the trick. Mine was outer ear infection. Anyone else affected?

Do you(or Brett) use ear beer after dives? I've always used it since I get ear infections easily, and the fact that I can't work when I have a bad ear infection.

Mike

[curtschu]

Ten years diving the springs I never have had an ear problem, 30 years with a backyard pool never once had swimmers ear. I guess times have changed. I will now be using something. You said ear beer, is that a homebrew of viniger and alcohol? or something I can buy?

[MikeH]

I use equal parts of Isopropyl alcohol, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide.

Mike

If the vinegar you use is distilled white vinegar, it's the same solution I use.

I used to ALWAYS have ear problems, but not any more. I put the ear beer in before the dive and after the dive. I haven't had any ear problems in over 550 dives, or eight years.

Russell

[MikeH]

If the vinegar you use is distilled white vinegar, it's the same solution I use.

Yes, that's exactly what I use. I had to actually go look at the bottle to be sure..

Mike

[CaveDivingCop]

I use equal parts of Isopropyl alcohol, vinegar, and hydrogen peroxide.

Mike

sounds like that is a lot cheaper than buying the commercially available "Swimmers Ear" at the local store. Plus you can make a good size bottle of it instead of the little bottles they sell.

Thanks for the recipe.

[curtschu]

That is exactly what my Doc said to do I'll be mixing up a batch tonight.

[FloridaCaveDiver]

Mine's pretty much cleared up; 5 days of neomycin did the trick. Mine was outer ear infection. Anyone else affected?

Do you(or Brett) use ear beer after dives? I've always used it since I get ear infections easily, and the fact that I can't work when I have a bad ear infection.

Mike

I *ALWAYS* use ear beer after every dive.... and it got me this time anyway. If you were there and saw "butt crack log" up by the springhead you would understand why this breakout must have happened.

The strange thing is there were 10 of us there (I was doing a checkout for my students) and nobody else was affected...... only me.

Oh well.

Brett "Still using the prescription eardrops"