Ear Drops

[DocVikingo]

Doc, Seems to me that one should be careful that the solution one puts in their ears be sterile...Do you agree? Or do you think it is okay to use the 50/50 solution of white wine vinegar and isopropyl??

The solution should be kept as uncontaminated as possible, but does not need to be sterile. Such mixtures largely police themselves as regards the growth of pathogens.

IMHO, too much alcohol can result in too much drying of the ear canal. Therfore, my recommendation for home-brew is 1/3 distilled water, 1/3 distilled white vinegar (save the white wine vinegar for cooking) & 1/3 isopropyl alcohol. You may add a couple of drops of lanolin, glycerin or mineral oil to offset the drying effects of the alcohol and protect the ear canal. Make only a small amount and make a fresh batch every couple of months, more frequently if you like. Shake well before using.

I make no claims for the efficacy or safety of this mixture.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[scubasean]

The solution should be kept as uncontaminated as possible, but does not need to be sterile. Such mixtures largely police themselves as regards the growth of pathogens.

IMHO, too much alcohol can result in too much drying of the ear canal. Therfore, my recommendation for home-brew is 1/3 distilled water, 1/3 distilled white vinegar (save the white wine vinegar for cooking) & 1/3 isopropyl alcohol. You may add a couple of drops of lanolin or mineral oil to offset the drying effects of the alcohol and protect the ear canal. Make only a small amount and make a fresh batch every couple of months, more frequently if you like. Shake well before using.

I make no claims for the efficacy or safety of this mixture.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

Thanks!

--Sean

 

[ewong]

I once went to a lecture by a doctor (expert in diving medicine) and he said that ear wax was the best defense for ear infections. Therefore one should not "clean" her/his ears like with a cotton swab. If this is true, that puts in doubt any solution that will perturb naturally growing ear wax. Can somebody confirm?


Eddy.

 

[DocVikingo]

I once went to a lecture by a doctor (expert in diving medicine) and he said that ear wax was the best defense for ear infections. Therefore one should not "clean" her/his ears like with a cotton swab. If this is true, that puts in doubt any solution that will perturb naturally growing ear wax. Can somebody confirm?
Eddy.

You raise a good point, Eddy. A modest amount of cerumen ("ear wax") does serve a protective purpose.

It is for this reason that I have repeatedly cautioned about mixtures that may strip the ear canal of this substance--->

http://www.scubaboard.com/search.php?searchid=698052

This is educational only and does not constitute or imply a doctor-patient relationship. It is not medical advice to you or any other individual, and should not be construed as such.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[jsbromley]

Navy medics, use to tell us not to use ear drops until we were finished with our diving and we were certain that we would not be getting back in the water for at least a few days. The reasoning was the same as mentioned in some of the earlier posts: Ear wax being the best defense for ear infecections.

We were taught that after every dive, while your cleaning yourself up, you should just turn your ear toward the shower head and allow the water to rinse out your ear.

 

[Charlie99]

IMHO, too much alcohol can result in too much drying of the ear canal. Therfore, my recommendation for home-brew is 1/3 distilled water, 1/3 distilled white vinegar (save the white wine vinegar for cooking) & 1/3 isopropyl alcohol.

I've found that the 95% alcohol + 5% glycerin commercial mixtures such as Swim-EAR and Auro-dry (sp?) are too harsh. Sometimes I'll use that sort of mixture for a quick rinse out of water stuck in my ear, but I won't let it soak.

An easy way to reduce the alcohol percentage in an alcohol/vinegar mix is to use rubbing alcohol, with is 70% isopropyl alcohol. My preferred mixture for soaking in the ear is 50/50 mix of rubbing alcohol and distilled white vinegar --- that gives you about 35% alcohol without having to add in water.

 

[tboxcar]

I have been using an ear dropper bottle full of a 100% Isopropyl solution for well over ten years. I dive almost all in the tropics and in rather warm water where bacteria forms fast. Never have had a problem.
Well this last trip to the Philippines, I thought I would do a 50/50 mix of alcohol/vinegar. As we were swimming in water of my g/f beach the water temp. was 32 C. so after each swim I was putting the solution in. On my last day before flying south to Dumagete for some diving, I could feel pain 'coming on in my ear'. I knew what is was right away, and as soon as I found a chemist I purchased anti-biotic ear drops. Within two days the pain was gone, but my ear was plugged and would non drain, so a doctors visit was a must and for a US$10 office visit he cleaned out my ear and all was well, he said it had been a fungal infection. Anyway I could not dive for a week, and was stuck on a beach looking at Apo island while I recovered. Now get this. I took a close look at the solution I was using, the small bottle which was dark smoky brown had definite particles floating in the solution. Don't ask me how, but the solution had some how become contaminated and without me knowing I dumped the contents in my ear! I admit it was my fault completely for whatever reason, but I"m sticking to 100% for now on. I felt like a real idiot after that!