Ear beer
After a group outing last night we were in a bar doing what we do best, and the subject of ear beer came up.
What is the latest on ear beer? What is your fav formulation? Is it really a good idea? Downsides and limitations?
Thanks, Peter
Domboro Solution (A.K.A. Ear Beer) used to be a water based treatment for outer ear infections. Divers used it prophylacticly to prevent ear infections. BUT... about 20 years ago it was changed to a glycerin based solution. Very impractical for divers.
The concept of Ear Beer is to wash out and remove contaminated water from the ear canal, and replace it with an antibiotic liquid. Both alcohol and Domboro are used for this. The limitations of alcohol are that it can cause irritation, AND that it evaporates and loses it's antibotic effect within 1 to 3 minutes.
Domboro solution is hypoalergenic, AND remains in the ear for 30 to 90 minutes, giving a greater antibotic effect. Side effect is that it makes your ears smell like salad dressing.
Factory Original Domboro solution, from the pharmacy (no longer available) is a 2% concentration of Acetic Acid (vinegar) in a modified saline base (salt water with a preservative).
You can MAKE YOUR OWN "Ear Beer" by using eye drops as the "base" and adding vinegar to a 2% acid level. Same idea as partial pressure blending. Each bottle of vinegar in the store lists it's acetic acid content by percent. I take 4% acetic acid vinegar and mix it 1-1 with eye drops. I do this by taking a new bottle of cheap, generic eye drops, squeezing out half the bottle, then suctioning vinegar into the eye drop bottle.
CAUTION: Clearly label your "EAR BEER" AS EAR BEER. It's not "fun" to accidently put a 2% acid solution in your eye by mistake. My gym bag has both eye drops (pool chlorine) AND "ear beer". So it's important to positively identify the bottles.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
I use a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and 94% isopropyl alcohol. 70% isopropyl alcohol is more easily available and works too. A few drops in the ears right after diving, then at bedtime lie on your side, put a few drops in and let it sit in there for 5 minutes. Then flip over and let it drain out and do the other ear for 5 minutes. Haven't had an ear infection since starting this routine 15 years ago. I forget where I learned this but was told it came from the US Navy.
Mike
Yep, I got the same mixture advice from a retired Master Diver.Originally Posted by MORGAN
"Have you ever noticed
When you're feeling really good
There's always a pigeon
That'll come shiat on your hood?" John Prine 4-7-2020
"Into the blue again; in the silent water
Under the rocks, and stones; there is water underground" Talking Heads
In another thread in another forum, a poster who is an ENT responded to the very commonly recommended 50/50 mix of alcohol and vinegar by saying that was too much vinegar and suggested making the solution only 1/3 vinegar.
I almost never use drops, but i do clear my ears every day a few times a day, whether I dive or not. I have not had an ear infection since I started doing that. I used to get them all the time.
The basic problem with saying 50/50 or 33/66 vinegar solution is that vinegar comes in DIFFERENT acetic acid strengths from 2% to 10%. It's NOT the percentage of vinegar, it's the percentage of ACETIC ACID that counts.
P.S.- 5% acetic acid is the most common over-the-county vinegar found in grocery stores, but NOT ALWAYS.
(I can't believe I'm explaining this to people who's lives depend on calculating proper % O2 gas mixtures!)
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
You don't see a difference between importance in calculating the precise percentage of acidity of the vinegar you put in your ear (which in the worst case won't cause any real harm) and a MOD failure which can kill you?
He's an engineer - precision in all things becomes a habit. It can have interesting effects on real life.
Granted. But using a 50/50 mix of vinegar with only 2% acetic acid will result in Ear Beer with only 1% acetic acid, and may not give you protection from infection.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
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