Ear Infections and North Florida Caves???

[divingabe]

I use Acetic Acid Otic Solution Usp 2% You need a prescription for it. There was a write up in DAN a few years ago. Not as stinky as Ear Beer.

I will second
I have gotten some severe ear infections in the past. Ever since I have been using these filling the ear canal and soaking for 5 minutes after a day of diving no more problems.
Acetic Acid 2%
in Aqueous Aluminum
Acetate Otic Solution
Costs under 10.00 with a script

Its the fancy ear beer.

Gabe

[sskasser]

Holy crap! I just looked on line and they want a hundred bucks! Couldn't I use a hairdrier (on low) or a fan, and aim it into a cone or piece of tubing that I direct at the opening to my ear??????

Or just find some cutie to blow in it

[Squirrel Girl]

Or just find some cutie to blow in it

I like your style, girl!

[BillBowden]

Do you use "ear beer"?

Make up a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and .90% isopropyl alcohol. Some people put a little glycerin in it. After a dive, put a couple of drops in each ear. At the end of the day (we do it at bedtime) lie on your side and put a few drops in each ear, letting it sit in there for 5 minutes per ear.

Used to get ear infections from diving - haven't had one in years since doing this.

Mike

This is exactly DAN's recommendation. Since I started ear beer after fresh water dives almost no problems.

[skip]

Five minutes may be nice and a few drops may work too, but I don't do either. I irrigate. Use one of those baby nose syringe bulbs (from pharmacy) and fill it with the ear beer (I use 50% white distilled vinegar and 50% of the 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol, but 90% works too). Then irrigate each ear by squeezing the bulb as hard as you can to get a full steady stream just shooting into your ear. The baby syringe is designed so you can't really hurt yourself no matter how hard you try. do it over a sink though cause it will come pouring out your ear and carry any loose ear wax gunk with it. I don't lay down on the bed, I don't turn my head to hold it in for soaking. sometimes I use two full bulbs in each ear.

i had a history of ear infections all my life, in or out of the water and have not had one infection since I started this. I even do it about 3 times a week when not diving at the suggestion of my ENT. I wondered about too little ear wax, but ENT said I had plenty - unusally high producer. So if you are normal or have too little you may want to back off on the number of times you use it...

If I forget to use it after diving or just blow it off, and later feel the beginning of a problem, I dose myself and have actually headed off ear infections that way.

by the way, I also irrigate both ears every shower by just holding my head into the spray so the ears fill with water. keeps em clean.

-skip

Just would like to add, that the "ear beer" must be left in for 5 minutes. The below is from the DAN site.

"The head is tilted to one side and the external ear canal gently filled with the solution, which must remain in the canal for five minutes. The head is then tilted to the other side, the solution allowed to run out, and the procedure repeated for the other ear. The five-minute duration must be timed with a watch. If the solution does not remain in the ear a full five minutes, the effectiveness of the procedure is greatly reduced.
- From the U.S. Navy Diving Manual"

[skip]

My Dr. - a diver told me not to use Hydrogen Peroxide in ear beer. I don't recall the reasoning....

My ENT said the same thing, and because it cleans out the ear wax too much which is needed for ear health. no wax = infections too.

-skip

[skip]

Shoot...I love smelling like a salad!!!!!

my wife calls it "skip's cologne."

-skip

[FW]

Or just find some cutie to blow in it

You want warm dry air, not hot wet breath

[amphipod06]

You want warm dry air, not hot wet breath

You are no fun.....

Dive safe,

Celia

[Squirrel Girl]

You want warm dry air, not hot wet breath

It all depends on who is doin' the blowing, I'd wager. Any guy who'd go whoooaahhhhhhhhhhh into an ear, I wouldn't want near mine! But a guy who pursed his lips and gently and provocatively blew... awww, heck, this is a threadjack.


Back to ear beer--yep, I've got little bottles of it scattered in my truck, in my travel kit, in my dive kit, on my night stand, better to have it close by and not have to search.

I don't always use it, but I should. I had a badddddd case of swimmers ear back in college. I went to the medical school and a doctor-to-be with a lousy bedside manner vacuum cleaned out my ears. He used suction to rip patches of stuff off the insides of my ears, and I was an unhappy camper. Hah! Now that's the OPPOSITE of having a cutie blow in my ear!!!!!!!!!