I’m currently a few thousand miles from home, and have had water in my ear for three days. I don’t really think this is a medical urgency, and I don’t have good access to health services right now.
It’s driving me batshit crazy.
I’ve tried bouncing on one foot, a little time with a hair dryer, and sleeping on that side. I don’t have ready access to isopropyl, or I would try that. The internet is mostly telling me to try the above, and then telling me about the dangers of infection (which doesn’t seem to be the issue anyway)
SO, I am looking for your various home remedies. Please, what have you found works?
I don’t think you have water in your ear. Water would have evaporated by now. More likely it is dried up earwax or an ear infection. More likely the former.
If an ear infection is the case try hydrogen peroxide mixed 50/50 with water in your ear for 10 minutes.
There will be a temptation to clean your ear out deeply with a q-tip - don’t do it! Take a piece of tissue paper and twist the end a little smaller than your pinkie finger. Rotate that around in your ear canal. Hope this helps!
Thanks for the thoughts. I assumed it was water because I definitely felt it fill up while swimming, although I suppose it could be that water pushed earwax in.
How can I be certain? Because if its earwax I can get drops for that (although, not til I get home)
I am currently traveling in an underdeveloped country (rather not say where) and while there are pharmacies here, it will be a “thing” to get to one.
though it can harden and block the newer softer wax from flowing out. a dry chunk could roll back. it can sit stimulating the nerves in a way that an ear full of water might.
For water, place the ipsilateral thenar eminence (fleshy part of the palm SW of your right thumb, SE of left) of your hand over your ear and press, then pull it away. Repeat. The pressing pushes the air out of your ear, and the pulling away makes a tiny vacuum that sucks the water outward. Works every time. For water.
For wax, that can be tougher. People always say don’t put anything smaller than an elbow in your ear. That’s probably good advice. But then I’m not " people" and I’ve never been known for giving good advice ( the above notwithstanding). So, a bobby pin works a treat. Pull gently up on the top of your ear; that straightens out the ear canal. Then gently insert the bobby pin and dig out the wax. It works, and you’ll be amazed at what comes out. The sensation is, also, kind of, and for lack of a better word, erotic.
Try the ear wax drops and see if that works. You can also try the Swimmer’s Ear drops, but since that is mostly isopropyl alcohol, you can try that instead. That will also help clear out any infection. When I swam I would get the same ear problem. I used a solution of vinegar and isopropyl alcohol. Tilt your head to let it drain into the ear canal. It seems that when water gets into the ear, it can not only lead to infection, but causes the wax to harden.
I was on a Caribbean island and got water stuck in my ear.
I went to a hotel and asked for the hotel doctor. He looked a little dicey to me but beggars can’t be choosers.
He took a…dunno what it is called…a rubber bulb with a spigot sticking out of it, filled it with very warm water (not hot but borderline uncomfortable when squirted in your ear) and proceeded to blast my ear with it. The noise of rushing water was overwhelming and, while not exactly painful, was distinctly uncomfortable.
Several good squirts later (refiling the bulb each time) a big lump of nasty-ass ear wax came out.
My ears were ringing for the next 24 hours and for the next day my hearing seemed ultra-sensitive.
Be careful. You could have a punctured ear drum. It happened to me and I have no idea how. I was sure it was water- it certainly felt that way. But nooo. It’s been 2 months now & it seems to be getting better. Have a doctor look at it.
That’s called, in scientific terms, a squeeze bulb. I use it. Just plain water will do the trick, to get the wax out, but as suggested oil will do the trick, as will the alcohol and apple cider vinegar mix I use. That should not have any sequela. You should not have to blast it in. Just tilt your head so it will go down the canal.
Wow—I never knew I had an ipsilateral thenar eminence!
But somehow, it’s a bit of a letdown to think that I’m not the only one. It sounds so cool…
Still, I’ll show you mine if you show me yours…Maybe we could even press 'em together and shake a bit, or something
Actually, if you buy one in Walgreens, etc., it will say “ear syringe” on the label.
They don’t always work these days, because apparently only the small ones are sold now. They used to sell larger ones that created more pressure.
I swim every day, and in order to prevent this, I use hydrogen peroxide (to loosen the wax) immediately after swimming, and then isopropyl alcohol later on, to help all the water evaporate. (The stronger, the better. In fact, hard liquor is the best.)
I haven’t had the OP’s problem for a while, but the all the stuff they sell is generally unhelpful if you have a major blockage. In that case, I used to go to a doctor, where they use a more powerful syringe then the ones sold over the counter.
Then a couple years ago, I didn’t have time to go to the doctor, and the stupid, useless ear drops were of course doing nothing. So I got a Waterpik® tooth cleaner, filled it with hydrogen peroxide, and used that as a syringe–being extremely cautious, not to direct the pulsing water directly at the eardrum, but rather toward the wall of the ear canal. It worked almost instantly, and completely cleared out all the earwax, with no lingering discomfort, and everything back to normal.
I wouldn’t use a bobby pin. (The price of the Waterpik was about the same as what a doctor would charge to do the same thing.)
I should point out that I’d never do this if I had an infection or a even suspected a ruptured eardrum, in which case I’d go immediately to the doctor.
The small ones, they do nothing! We only have one big one in the house and it feels odd to share it (irrational I know) so I have to get by with the baby one.
I use it. Just plain water will do the trick, to get the wax out, but as suggested oil will do the trick, as will the alcohol and apple cider vinegar mix I use. That should not have any sequela. You should not have to blast it in. Just tilt your head so it will go down the canal.