Thu Jan 02, 2020 10:49 am
- I get that itchy ear periodically. It used to precede an ear infection... Which was caused by me sticking a Q-tip in there and scratching the itch. The doctor called it "Q-tip ear". Since then, Sea Hunt Jerry told me about the ear drops recipe developed by the Sea Lab project... It's a 2% Acetic Acid mix that includes Aluminum-something as a drier. Its actually available commercially by prescription. The principle goes like this. Submersion causes the protective ear wax to soften and crack... allowing germs that are already in your ear to break through and start an infection. So, you put these Sea Lab drops in your ear BEFORE you dive and let them set for 5 minutes to kill the germs. Then, after your dive, you put the drops in again, let them set for 5 minutes to kill germs. And, you shouldn't get any infections.
I asked my doctor to prescribe it for me and what I got was a fairly big bottle with the label "2% Acetic Otic Solution" and it includes glycerin. Jerry says this isn't the exact Sea Lab stuff, but I've got it so I use it. ANYWAY... When my ear canals feel itchy, even when I haven't been diving, I put these drops in and let them set for 5 minutes. The itching stops. Maybe it kills an infection before it starts. Maybe the glycerin soothes and/or repairs the the protective ear wax coating. Maybe it will work for you, I hope.
BTW - 2% is essentially diluted Vinegar. I think it gives the concentration between 4-8% on the label of table vinegar. Records show that vinegar has been used as a healing agent as far back as Egyptian Pharoahs.
SurfLung
The Freedom and Simplicity of Vintage Equipment and
Vintage Diving Technique are Why I Got Back Into Diving.