If when you swim and get water in your ear that feels discomforting, you may want to make your own Swimmer’s Ear Drops instead of buying an over-the-counter remedy that contains chemicals you do not want to use.
The easy recipe is as follows:
- Vinegar
- Everclear or vodka ethyl alcohol or 70% rubbing alcohol
- Sterilized eye drop container (or anything with the ability to distribute drops)
- Cotton balls
1. Fill container you have selected with equal parts vinegar and alcohol. Mix thoroughly.
2. After swimming, either rinse ears, using a cotton ball soaked in the mixture or
3. Put four drops in each ear. The alcohol dries out the excess water in the ear, and the vinegar kills any bacteria lurking in the area.
This is not a remedy for an ear infection that may be caused by bacteria. It is an ear-drying agent or ear-canal acidifier.
According to drugstore.com, “swimmer’s ear, also called otitis externa, is an inflammation of the ear canal often caused by bacteria or fungal growth in the moist area of the outer ear. Frequent showering or swimming (especially in polluted water) can make you more prone to swimmer’s ear. Additionally, any type of injury to the ear canal that makes it swell can trap extra moisture, giving bacteria and fungus a place to grow. Symptoms include itching, pain, discharge and a feeling of water in the ear. Swimmer’s ear requires treatment by a physician. Your doctor may prescribe antibiotic or corticosteriod ear drops to clear up and reduce swelling. Once the infection is gone, you can use over-the-counter ear-drying agents or ear-canal acidifiers to keep it from coming back. Ear-drying agents such as Auro-Dri® or Swim-Ear®, typically contain isopropyl alcohol, which evaporates and removes the excess moisture from the ear.”
Another remedy is to use a few drops of warmed extra virgin olive oil in the affected ear and cover it with a cotton ball to prevent drainage.
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