Top Ten Do’s and Don’ts of Ear Remedies

June 10, 2010

Patients always ask what they can do on their own to prevent chronic ear problems. Here’s a Top Ten List of my Do’s and Don’ts for your ears. It’s a condensed version of what I tell my patients all the time. Hope they help you to avoid ear problems from plaguing you.

TOP TEN DO’s	TOP TEN DON’TS
1. DO…use a blow dryer to keep ears dry after water sports.	1. DON’T…undergo ear candling to remove ear wax—it doesn’t work.
2. DO…use nasal saline to keep nasal passageways clear during allergy season to prevent ear and sinus blockage.	2. DON’T…use a Q-tip to clean out your ears. Better yet, remove them entirely from your bathroom medicine cabinet.
3. DO…apply sunscreen to the back of your ears as the skin there is prone to sun exposure.	3. DON’T...expose your ears to continuous loud noises. Translation: turn your iPod down.
4. DO…use a 50:50 alcohol and vinegar solution as ear drops to evaporate excess water and keep your ears dry if you’re prone to swimmer’s ear.	4. DON’T…smoke
5. DO…see a physician if you experience sudden onset hearing loss	5. DON’T…ignore sudden hearing loss
6. DO… cover your ears when exposed to loud noises	6. DON’T… use ear plugs if you have wax problems
7. DO…have a qualified physician remove ear wax	7. DON’T…try to remove ear wax on your own
8. DO…use hydrogen peroxide or mineral oil to periodically loosen ear wax	8. DON’T…use anything larger than your elbow to clean inside your ears.
9. DO…use OTC decongestants while flying if prone to ear popping	9. DON’T…eat right before you go to bed—eat at least 3 hours before instead.
10. DO…use mineral or olive oil to drown live insects that get stuck in your ears (& get the dead insect removed by an ENT)	10. DON’T…scratch the inside of your ear with a pen or any sharp object.

Written by Steven Park · Filed Under Articles | 2 Comments

Unusual Gear To Combat Swimmer’s Ear

June 10, 2009

Ear Problem #1: Swimmer’s Ear

The second worst thing to happen while you’re on vacation next to not sleeping well is to get an ear infection. Especially when you get caught with swimmer’s ear.

The organisms that cause ear infections like swimmers ear and others like it love dark, warm, moist places, and your ears, unfortunately, are the perfect vacation spot for these types of visitors. In the case of swimmers ear, humidity and heat can aggravate swelling in the layer of skin inside your ears. Add to that any additional water from swimming and in some cases the irritation of pool chemicals or even polluted water from natural swimming and diving areas, and the outer ear canal can get even softer and more prone to infection.

However, swimmer’s ear isn’t only for swimmers. Because swimmer’s ear is caused by water trapped in the outer structures of the ear, any water based activity can lead you in that direction. Some people even get swimmer’s ear from baths or showers.    

Common symptoms of swimmer’s ear can include:

Itching
mild to moderate pain
fever
ear fullness
decreased hearing
swollen lymph nodes
ear drainage

Solution for Swimmer’s Ear : Blow Drying 

With some severe infections, antibiotic drops may be necessary to treat swimmer’s ear. However, mildly acidic solutions such as white vinegar (diluted with an equal part of water) can be highly effective for early infections. Of course, the best treatment for swimmer’s ear is to keep your ears free of moisture during and after water activities. But using Q-tips even to just dry the outer ear canal is NOT recommended. They have a tendency to pack the ear wax deeper into the ear canal, or worse, remove the protective layer of earwax in the ear canal. This can not only irritate the thin skin around the ear canal, but make the ear a more habitable place for bacteria to congregate. As such, the safest way to dry your ears is, believe it or not, with a hair dryer.

If you do NOT have a perforated eardrum, rubbing alcohol or a 50:50 mixture of alcohol and white vinegar used as ear drops will evaporate excess water and keep your ears dry.

Written by Steven Park · Filed Under Articles | Leave a Comment