Ear infection

[diverbob]

well, I was given some ear drops, and 800 MG ibuprofen. It still feels sore, but it doesnt hurt like it did. It feels like it needs to pop. I have had a few little pops, I'm just waiting for that one big, slow pop. If I dont feel improvement by Monday, I am asking for the strong stuff.

I always use the swimmers ear ear drops after every dive. I guess this was just one bad a$$ bacteria I found.

Thank you to everyone who has given me some advice. I appreciate every word of it.

 

[DandyDon]

well, I was given some ear drops, and 800 MG ibuprofen. It still feels sore, but it doesnt hurt like it did. It feels like it needs to pop. I have had a few little pops, I'm just waiting for that one big, slow pop. If I dont feel improvement by Monday, I am asking for the strong stuf

I think you have to wait until the medications work on the infection enough that the swelling an liquids subside. I can hardly hear right now. :klo:

 

[diverbob]

hopefully that doesnt take too long. I am scared to death that this is going to interupt my trip to Cozumel.

 

[DandyDon]

hopefully that doesnt take too long. I am scared to death that this is going to interupt my trip to Cozumel.

Never had one last over a week with the medication. You might check the pharmacy in Coz for your med, BTW; it's over the counter there, and they'll dicker on price.

However, never discount the value of physicians advice! :lildoc:

 

[FreeFloat]

Question. Seems I have a bit of an ear "issue" myself right now - I'm sorta leaning toward thinking it's a form of infection as well, except that I don't have any of the pain or itching or loss of hearing you guys are reporting. I'm gonna have it seen firts thing in the morning. For now, though, it just seems to fell a bit "thick" - no pain like I said, and no problems clearing my ears either.

If it in fact is an infection, and I catch it "early", how soon do you guys think it could clear up?

Never had any sort of ear infection etc before, so really not sure what to expect.

 

[DandyDon]

Question. Seems I have a bit of an ear "issue" myself right now - I'm sorta leaning toward thinking it's a form of infection as well, except that I don't have any of the pain or itching or loss of hearing you guys are reporting. I'm gonna have it seen firts thing in the morning. For now, though, it just seems to fell a bit "thick" - no pain like I said, and no problems clearing my ears either.

If it in fact is an infection, and I catch it "early", how soon do you guys think it could clear up?

Never had any sort of ear infection etc before, so really not sure what to expect.

With all of the particulate in the St.L last weekend, I should have been more guarded. I know you were going diving somewhere...?

The course mine tooks was "thick" first - I guess as the bacteria set up camp, then pain as they became more numerous, then loss of hearing with the swelling. Get to the MD early in the morning.

Responses vary, I'm sure, but I've never had one take more than a few days to clear up, never a week.

My right ear flared up first, and after 3 days of treatment - it feels much better. I didn't bother treating my unbothered left, though - big boo boo! Now it's keeping me awake. :help:

 

[scubasean]

In the future, carry a squirty bottle of half white vinegar and half isopropyl alcohol and each night, when diving is done, squirt in ear for 5 minutes each side. Excellent preventitive.

Before your next trip also ask your doc for a script for meds for swimmer's ear. Take the stuff with you and Murphy will prevail and you won't need it. Forget it and you'll need it!!!

One thing you might wish to consider when doing this is.....The vinegar isn't likely sterile, but is rather used in cooking...I'm not a biologist, but would hate to find out later that I got a different nasty infection in my ear while trying to prevent a different ear infection.

 

[^*^BATMAN^*^]

Question. Seems I have a bit of an ear "issue" myself right now - I'm sorta leaning toward thinking it's a form of infection as well, except that I don't have any of the pain or itching or loss of hearing you guys are reporting. I'm gonna have it seen firts thing in the morning. For now, though, it just seems to fell a bit "thick" - no pain like I said, and no problems clearing my ears either.

If it in fact is an infection, and I catch it "early", how soon do you guys think it could clear up?

Never had any sort of ear infection etc before, so really not sure what to expect.

well if you are on class B for over 180 days(which i will assume) your fully covered. so the last ear infection i got, i dont know what i took, but there were 6 pills, 2 on the first day, then 1 a day after that, a week and a half later, doctor said if she didnt know before, she never would geuse i had an infection. so FF just get the drugs, eat them, then all will be good.....after about 2 weeks of not diving

 

[SueMermaid]

One thing you might wish to consider when doing this is.....The vinegar isn't likely sterile, but is rather used in cooking...I'm not a biologist, but would hate to find out later that I got a different nasty infection in my ear while trying to prevent a different ear infection.

Microorganisms won't generally grow in vinegar due to the low pH. Acid environment is generally hostile to the organisms that colonize the ear canal, and they don't get a foothold, or they at least have trouble doing so! That's why it's a good thing to squirt into your ear.
I am not a human type medical person, (my expertise lies with animals), we use white vinegar and alcohol for dogs with chronic yeast or bacterial infections in their ears.

 

[Desa]

I used to get an ear infection nearly every time my ears got wet. In the late 70's, I started putting hydrogen peroxide in each ear as soon as I started feeling any type of pain. It always cleared it up.

For the last 10 or so years I have used swimear type of drops. Doesn't matter if I am diving in the Ohio River, a swimminy pool or the Cayman Islands. I use them everytime I get out of the water and have not had an ear problem in the last 10 years.

PS. If you start antibiotics, you MUST continue to take them as prescribe until they are gone. There can be serious problems if you stop taking them halfway through the dosage, even if you feel/get better, its the next go-arround that you can have problems. Just FYI