50% alcohol and 50% vinegar to clean ears after swimming?

[zeehag]

my diver uses h2o2. the-a the-a the-a thats all folks.

[anacapaisland42]

and ......if I don't do it, I get a ear infection :-)
Bill (another Bill)





QUOTE=wsmurdoch;2829501]I swam competitively in my early teens. We rinsed our ears with a mix of isopropanol and distilled vinegar after each swim to prevent swimmer's ear. For me, it hurt. I have not done it since and am now 68.

Bill[/QUOTE]

[Sailormanbigd]

JUst another point to consider. I had been getting ear infections since a teen. I would get the antibiotic ear drops and a few days later it was much improved. THen at 30 years old I would get a recurring ear infection every 2-4 months. Same thing antibiotic ear drops. THen I got an infection and a week later I still had it. THe ENT said I needed a Cat scan of the mastiod bone to rule out chronic osteo infection of the bone, and he prescribed an antifungal drops to use just for good measure. After 2 days of the antifungal the infection was mostly gone, continued to use drops for a week or whatever was prescribed. ANd, and, and, I have not had an ear infection since, miracle it was I had suffered for years and years from recurring ear infections. I suppose that something in the antibiotic drops helped to reduce the infection but not eradicate it and in a month or 4 It would be back. Swollen ear canal, loss of hearing, and pain, PAIN. I have permanent ear damage now, hearing loss and tinitis (constant ringing in the ear). Just wonder if I had been treated with antifungal years earlier if my hearing would be better today. SO those with recurring ear infections, ask for anti-fungal along with anti-bacterial drops and cover both nasties.

[Taipe]

As a physician, and just to further clarify the use of the isopropyl alcohol/vinegar solution, it is for both treatment and for prevention of swimmer's ear, and works by acidifying, or another words, lowering the pH in the ear canal. The addition of alcohol prolongs the lowered pH, making it more effective. Swimmer's ear is a fungal infection of the ear canal. Technically speaking, fungii are not bacteria. This distinction is important, because in warm, polluted and stagnant waters, all sorts of bacteria can be cultured from water samples, among which Staph aureus is not uncommon to find. The alcohol/vinegar solution might help to prevent infection by this particular bacteria but I would not rely on it for treatment of bacterial infection in the ear canal.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by Sailormanbigd

JUst another point to consider. I had been getting ear infections since a teen. I would get the antibiotic ear drops and a few days later it was much improved. THen at 30 years old I would get a recurring ear infection every 2-4 months. Same thing antibiotic ear drops. THen I got an infection and a week later I still had it. THe ENT said I needed a Cat scan of the mastiod bone to rule out chronic osteo infection of the bone, and he prescribed an antifungal drops to use just for good measure. After 2 days of the antifungal the infection was mostly gone, continued to use drops for a week or whatever was prescribed. ANd, and, and, I have not had an ear infection since, miracle it was I had suffered for years and years from recurring ear infections. I suppose that something in the antibiotic drops helped to reduce the infection but not eradicate it and in a month or 4 It would be back. Swollen ear canal, loss of hearing, and pain, PAIN. I have permanent ear damage now, hearing loss and tinitis (constant ringing in the ear). Just wonder if I had been treated with antifungal years earlier if my hearing would be better today. SO those with recurring ear infections, ask for anti-fungal along with anti-bacterial drops and cover both nasties.

Our youngest had an inner ear infection turn in to mastoiditis and it dissolved his mastoid bone, medivaced, over a week in children’s hospital, surgery etc. We have been watching him ever since (only one other mown ear infection since, 2 years) but I will keep the fungal thing in mind. Thankfully it did not affect his hearing or worse.

[gjordan]

We always used half alcohol and half hydrogen peroxide, especially when bottom scrubbing. The alcohol to dry the ear a bit and the peroxide to bubble out the many little critters that like to go into the ear. I often could feel (or hear) the bugs in the ear and the peroxide got rid of them. It seemed to work well but I dont know if there might be some bad effect from the peroxide. Reading this thread is interesting, in that the only real ear infection that I ever had was from a fresh water swimming pool. Fresh water seems to be more of a hazard than salt. Grant.

[blueazimuth]

In questionable waters, fill a glass with good whiskey, put 3 drops in each ear. Drink the whiskey

[Bawlmer]

Yes. We raised 4 kids in Florida with a huge pool in the back yard. After dragging them to the doctor with ear problems we instituted the 50% Alcohol and 50% vinegar protocol with an eyedropper. It was SOP for all the kids and their friends to line up for the dose. drop it in wait a few seconds and let it run out. After the protocol was enacted the ear issues dropped to Zero. I highly recommend this if you do a lot of swimming, especially with kids.

[Norbert1]

After 14 years around the world here are my experiences and recomendations.
I got ear infection every time we change location and went snorkeling, due to different bacterias.

After a long period lets say 2 years my ears got used to it and my body fight at self the bacterias.
I can go diving now every time without problem if I stuck to the simple rule I describe here.

My wife is not so lucky, she still suffers.
She have to take antbiotic ear drops.
Wich of course prevent your body to fight alone.

There is a absolutely importend rule.
After every contact with saltwater, rinse carfully with freshwater.
After that,dry the ear. I use my finger wrapped with toilet paper. Dont put anything sharp, long and thin in your ear.
So keep your ears dry and without salt.

If you put anything, like vinegar, alkehol inside, that might help but on the same time makes your ears wet and also etch the ear.

So I have tried all these vinagar things as well but if you keep to these 2 rules and try to give your body a chance to fight at self , you can have the solution.
As I say it did not completly work for my wife, thats also because she is not so often in the water, so here body is not devoloping the anti bacterial devence.

[Le Freak]

Originally Posted by Cpt Balu

Hi guys,
One of the blue water guides I was recently reading said one rule should be to clean your ears with 50% alcohol and 50% vinegar after each swim?
You guys have experiences? Seems a bit over carful to me but happy for Tipps.

For over 50 years I've been Spearfishing and free-diving extensively without the need for that. It's always been all over the Caribbean. Made it a rule never to swim or dive in murky waters only as safety avoiding sharks or barracudas mistaking your watch or buckle for something edible while looking for (yummy) lobster, stone crabs and so on

[SoonerSailor]

Now I need to chime in here.. A few people above have given good advice, others have given flawed information. I am a former internist and emergency medicine physician who also swam competitively, with occasional swimmer's ear (otitis externa). I also have the bony ear canal narrowing known as "Surfer's Ear".

Common swimmer's ear is otitis externa, which does not normally involve the middle ear, and is most often caused by a bacterium, and less commonly by a fungus. It can be eradicated with the vinegar/ethanol solution if used early, but is typically treated with something like Cortisporin Otic Suspension, which is a combination of antibiotic to kill the bacterium (doesn't work on fungus) and hydrocortisone to reduce inflammation and pain. This antibiotic is NOT suitable to prevent swimmer's ear, because it can actually promote a fungal infection if used that way. Besides, it is expensive. It is important that ear infections not be allowed to persist, because they can lead to mastoiditis, a very serious and difficult to treat infection of the mastoid bone. If otitis externa (swimmer's ear) isn't treated fairly quickly, the canal can become blocked from tissue swelling, wax, and products of inflammation, which can all prevent an antibiotic solution from reaching the site of the infection. This is definitely something your qualified health care professional should be called upon to help you with.

For prevention, the vinegar/alcohol combination, or even just alcohol, can be used. Alcohol (ethanol or isopropyl alcohol) will help dry the ear canal while also killing bacteria. Vinegar also helps create an environment to prevent bacterial growth, particularly the nasty pseudomonas bacterium. These agents should be used after every swim if one is prone to ear infections. Growing up, my physician father used "Burow's Solution" (a solution of vinegar and sodium acetate) to prevent my ear infections, but this is not available in the USA anymore for this purpose.

The caveat here is that if you have a perforated ear drum, these agents could be damaging to the middle ear. And if you have a perforated ear drum, which can be present without your knowing it, you can be subject to a middle ear infection which can lead to hearing loss and is the most common cause of mastoiditis. If you have any doubts, see an ENT specialist for a checkup.

[Discovery 15797]

Originally Posted by wolfgal

as i have a very sensitive ear, I asked a professional that same question, and the answer was, No!!!!!!!

He said that he has seen more inner ear damage from people that have put vinegar (etc) in the ear than from anything else.

It is one opinion, only one, but if you could have seen his face!

If people have perforated ear drum, or existing infection or pain, or have had ear surgery it is not recommended and can lead to additional problems.

HOWEVER,

Mayo Clinic, Standford, and The American Academy of Otolaryngology (ENT) recommend at 50/50 solution to prevent swimmers ear.

As a PADI MSDT for 20 years I never experienced and outer ear infection. I had a dive master who got an outer ear infection twice. Afterwards he used 'ear beer' religiously.

[Arclight]

I like to use extra virgin olive oil and wine vinegar. Pick it up at the salad bar after your swim.

[gatorman49]

I accidentally got some Mt Gay in my ear once after a hard day of spearing fish. I can’t remember if it helped or not.

[Norbert1]

With all respect, I can not understand, why as a doctor, you do not mention first the basic, rinsing with freshwater and dry first. If sombody like to use any vinegar or what ever, that can only be additional.
I swimm every day 5 times in the ocean and I do not think it would be good to use vinegar and alkehol so many times.
I agree with the antibiotic problem, I dont like it.
Its just the only thing wich helps in my wifes case.
I can not prevent here since she is a nurse.