Water+Ear=HELP!

[zebbmx]

Ok ok i got water in my ear like uh 2 days ago i t wont come out!!! its like clogged ive tried a million things what are good tips? its gettin scary enough to call the doctor !
Thanks!

[tcburnett]

We did this about two weeks ago. There are several non-prescription products available from the drug store. Or a little 99% alcohol in an eyedropper will evaporate it out.

If you go swimming everyday the problem will eventually go away as your ears get used to draining water.

Why would water in the ear scare you?

[RealityChuck]

Turn your head on one side and hop up and down on one foot. This usually works for me.

[Alpine]

Rubbing alcohol in the ear should help. Have you tried just lying down with that ear facing down for a while? Sometimes gravity works.

[Qwisp]

Get an ear cleaning kit. If you still have water in your ears after two days you probably have an abundance of wax blocking it.Trust me. I've had ear problems all my life and can usually diagnose myself.

[wavedancer]

There are a few ways to solve this.

You can mix up some rubbing alcohol and vinegar...one will dry it out with out over drying it out. Otherwise, you can you hydrogen peroxide in your ear...which really feels funny! But it also cleans your ear at the same time!
In any case...I would try jumping around first.
Good luck!

[Viscera]

WOW. This exact thing happened to my wife two days ago. I talked to my mom (nurse), who called her friend. You can get the stuff in stores which is like 95% alcohol, and 5% something else, sells for like 3 bucks for a 1oz. bottle. After several hours though, it is likely that the water isn't there anymore anyway. My wife took the stuff, didn't work, was still blocked in the morning. So she went to the doctor, and it turns out is was a chunk of earwax.

So, in your case, I would guess it is just earwax that is blocking the ear canal now. Not sure if you need to go to a doctor though. In my case, we already used up the entire deductible for the year on our plan, so it won't cost that much. ;)

[Homer]

Hey, if you try the one foot jumping thing, just be careful not to crash the plane. "Anyone here from Cellblock D? Good, I'll speak slower.."

--Tim

[theuglytruth]

I feel for you. I got a badass swimmers ear infection from Mexico 3 weeks ago. I went to the sawbones and he prescribed me an eardrop for 28 bucks, and it cleared up in days. If none of these suggestions work just go see the doctor. It hurts like hell, but it is easy to cure, so dont panic.

[triton277]

RealityChuck has the right idea. I'v a waterpolo player and swimmer so I deal with this problem on a daily basis. And that method has never failed.

[Podkayne]

Look for eardrops in the grocery store. Nobody's mentioned a brand name, so I'm wondering if that's taboo, but something called "Swimmer's Ear" or "Swimmer's Choice"--they say on the packaging that they help dry the ear, or something like that.

I once had water stuck in my ear for a day before I managed to find some of this stuff, and man that warm trickle of water down the side of my neck was a relief. It usually only takes one drop.

[Chegg]

If it turns out it is wax and not water, some drug stores sell a little device that allows you to fill it up with water and then squeeze it out (the water) through a small hole with some force. You put this gizmo up to your ear and let the water rush into your ear -- it usually dislodges the wax. Very quick and easy, but make sure you have plenty of paper towels on hand.

[DougC]

- - - If you already have excess wax or an infection, do not use regular water to try to clean the ear. You have to get antiseptic stuff; there's bacteria partying in there you have to kill first and foremost.
- If wax is really bad you have to scrape it out. Drug stores sell special thingys to do this with; a screwdriver is not a suitable substitute.
- If you seem to have water trapped in there, try tilting your head over (to that side), pulling down kinda hard on that earlobe and pushing your jaw forward hard and side to side(with your jaw muscles, silly). - MC

[Capt. Spaulding]

To quote tcburnett:

Why would water in the ear scare you?

The answer is:

It can lead to one helluva an ear infection. I had water trapped in my ear when I was a teenager and developed an ear infection that ate a hole in my ear drum. Talk about pain, it was like having someone stick a needle through my brain via my ear canal. Fun, fun, fun! I was literally incapacitated for days and the damn infection took 2 months to clear up.

Now, I always wear ear plugs when swimming.

Take my advice zebb: If the over-the-counter stuff doesn't work within a day or if the water doesn't drain on its own SEE A DOCTOR ASAP!

[percypercy]

if excess wax turns out to be your problem as it is mine only too often, then a water pick actually really works. My dad's a pediatrician, and they use it all the time at his office. the huge chunks of wax that come squirting out are beyond disgusting, but it definitely feels better afterwards.
-Lillie

[lee]

My doc said never use Hydrogen peroxide to clean your ear. It can get trapped in your ear and bubble and pop for a long time. It also has a high water content in solutions sold for home use and that can cause the same problems as water. Use rubbing alcohol, but better yet avoid water in the ear to begin with. Alcohol evaporates faster than water, which is what helps it dry your ear canal.

I once had a zit in my ear which i left alone and it grew until water was trapped behind it. The zit turned into an abcess. This lead to a middle ear infection.

[handy]

For ears, have someone look in the ear & see what it is. Probably wax, so just have someone take a look. Thats what friends are for.

[Rysdad]

Originally posted by Tom Taylor
To quote tcburnett:

Why would water in the ear scare you?

The answer is:

It can lead to one helluva an ear infection.

Damn straight!

I swim regularly, and if I don't take care to get the water out of my ears, an infection is guaranteed.

:::looking at my little bottle of Swim-Ear manufactured by E. Fougera & Co. in Melville, NY::::

95% Isopropyl alcohol, 5% anhydrous glycerine.

It works.

[Anastacia]

This may sounds a little odd, but when I get water in my ears, I take warm water and poor a little in my ear (the ear with water) and then quickly tilt my head the other way and it all comes out. Sometimes it takes two tries, but it has always worked for me.

[Revtim]

I've had problems in the past in this area, including a few days ago. If i don't get the water out promptly, my ear produces excessive wax and plugs the ear, severly impairing my hearing.

The first time this happened, I was swimming and got water in the ears, and I couldn't shake it out like I normally can. This developed into both my ears being totally plugged; I could barely hear. Hint: DO NOT USE A QTIP TO TRY TO CLEAN IT OUT! I tried this, and it packed the wax tighter, making it worse. I went to an ear doctor (not my usual, since I was out of town visiting my parents), and he used an electric suction device to suck out the wax. I have to wonder about this, though, because every once in a while it felt like he hit the eardrum or something and it hurt like a bastard.

The second time this happened at home, so I went to my usual GP. He used a hand-powered device that looked like a giant syringe that forced water into my ear. It took a few tries, but it worked fine with no discomfort.

A few days ago it happened again, I think from the shower. I got a kit from Eckerds with a dropper of Carbamide Peroxide 6.5% and a rubber bulb irrigator. I followed the directions, putting drops in my ear and letting it bubble and soften the wax. This didn't seem to help right away. Then I went to the sink with the bulb, filled it with warm water from the tap, and squirted it into my ear.

When I removed the bulb there was a chunk of soft dark-brown wax the size of a large garden slug hanging from the side, and my normal hearing was restored. Gross, but it was quite satifying to have my hearing back.

[lee]

Originally posted by Revtim

When I removed the bulb there was a chunk of soft dark-brown wax the size of a large garden slug hanging from the side, and my normal hearing was restored. Gross, but it was quite satifying to have my hearing back.

The large garden slugs from my garden used to be about 3 inches long and about 3/4 inches across the middle. How big are your ears?