naked ears?

[sliverchick]

Recently I've had this external ear infection (swimmer's ear), and seeing as how we're in between insurance companies, I can't quite get to the doctor yet. This means that I've been doing OTC stuff and home remedies. Now, I had one last week, my left ear, and left my hearing aid out for a few days. That seemed to work. The pain was completely gone

Comments

[chancelot]

I definitely prefer to have my fully clothed ears, and can't wait to put my hearing aids back in again. I don't know how you all deal with naked ears with the empty space, wind blown, hair itching happening in there.

lol, I don't know how you deal having fully-clothed ears! That would drive me nuts!!! ;)

Maybe you've already tried this...

[just_aims]

...but here's a swimmer's ear remedy that works for me:

Equal parts isopropyl alcohol and white vinegar. I mix it up in a medicine dropper bottle (so it usually works out to about 1 tsp alcohol and 1 tsp vinegar). Lie on your side, drop a few drops in your ear, and let sit, then drain. Repeat for the other ear.

The alcohol dries out the ear and the vinegar kills the germs. Works really well for me.

I've had a naked ear since about November. I *still* leave the house and think, "Oh shoot, I forgot my hearing aid," only to remember it's broken. I can't afford to get a new one right now, so I've been 'getting by'. I know I'm missing a lot. Gotta get an audiogram and look at my hearing aid options. Sigh.

[vatis]

Are you just prone to ear infections, or are they common in people who wear hearing aids? Just curious. I imagine it's frustrating! *hugs*

[sliverchick]

It's common for people to get swimmer's ear if they have hearing aids in all the time. The hearing aid traps moisture into the ear increasing the chances of an infection happening. :)

[sliverchick]

PS sorry it took so long to respond to this, it's been a crazy week :)