Ears care

[rabe]

I had an ear infections lately, which I guess it happens.
I went to the doctor (just to confirm that it wasn't anything more serious), I got my antibiotics and everything ended well.
It was just annoying, but nothing to be worried about an it didn't stop me from diving.
I like to think that a tiny coral was making love to my eardrum.
The bottom line here is that we need to take real care of our ears.

So, what's your normal/standard ears care?

For me, after every dive, I use ear drops to clean and sanitise my ear canals.
I use the pharmacy one, not the home made solution (even though I work in a lab and I could use high grade reagents).
Lately, I have also started to use a sinus cleanser the day before diving (it's just a simple squirt of a saline solution in my sinuses), that apparently helps a better equalisation by cleaning and releasing pressure from the eustachian tubes.

Any other tips, suggestion or magic trick?

 

[ScubaJCBS]

I use to have a lot of trouble with mine a day or two after a dive so I started flushing my ears with warm water and a bulb, this has really been helping keep mine from hurting or infections but where I normally dive is not the best of water.

 

[rabe]

bulb?

 

[Joneill]

I had an ear infections lately, which I guess it happens.
I went to the doctor (just to confirm that it wasn't anything more serious), I got my antibiotics and everything ended well.
It was just annoying, but nothing to be worried about an it didn't stop me from diving.
I like to think that a tiny coral was making love to my eardrum.
The bottom line here is that we need to take real care of our ears.

So, what's your normal/standard ears care?

For me, after every dive, I use ear drops to clean and sanitise my ear canals.
I use the pharmacy one, not the home made solution (even though I work in a lab and I could use high grade reagents).
Lately, I have also started to use a sinus cleanser the day before diving (it's just a simple squirt of a saline solution in my sinuses), that apparently helps a better equalisation by cleaning and releasing pressure from the eustachian tubes.

Any other tips, suggestion or magic trick?

I clean my ears with Debrox about a week before a dive trip to ensure there is no wax that can trap water and cause irritation and infection.

Welcome to Debrox®

I also flush my sinuses the day before I leave. I use this neti pot with their USP saline mix:

NasaFlo 8oz Porcelain Neti Pot with 20 Premixed Packets

During a trip, I put a few drops of Auro-dri or similar alcohol w/ glycerin solution in each ear after each dive to get the water out and facilitate drying.

 

[rabe]

I clean my ears with Debrox about a week before a dive trip to ensure there is no wax that can trap water and cause irritation and infection.

...actually, my understanding is that earwax, although disgusting, is the natural protection for infection, therefore is better to leave it (also the doctor told me so).
However, I can see your point of the earwax being a potential water-trapping device...

 

[PoolsOpen]

Post dive.....
After a good rinse with fresh water from the shower, I also use the alcohol with glycerin over-the-counter eardrops.

 

[Joneill]

...actually, my understanding is that earwax, although disgusting, is the natural protection for infection, therefore is better to leave it (also the doctor told me so).
However, I can see your point of the earwax being a potential water-trapping device...

I had it happen years ago on a beach vacation - ear started hurting badly a few days in. Went to doctor who removed earwax that had trapped water and caused a minor infection - felt better within hours!

The health benefits and dangers of earwax, from the Harvard Health Letter - Harvard Health

 

[rabe]

I guess it's a delicate balance...

 

[dmaziuk]

There's inflammation that begins with (mild) barotrauma and then there's "swimmer's ear". For the former: equalize often, for the latter just make sure it's dry after your swim -- q-tips (don't enter ear canal) work fine -- before you get the full-blown bacterial infection going on.

Typical prescription drops include cortizone for inflammation and neomycin for bacteria, so they'll work in either case, but the best option is not letting it get that far in the first place.

 

[divesergeant]

Ear beer for us. A few drops and we’ve never had issues. Equal parts isopropyl alcohol and white vinegar, with sometimes some glycerin mixed in and sometimes not, depending if we have any glycerin.