Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Back in1999 (new years eve) a couple of mates thought it would be funny to pick up the chair I was sitting on and upend it/me into the spa I was sitting next to.

Kids had been using the spa since about 9:30 that morning so it was probably quite full of bodily fluids.

I went in upside down and the ears filled with water.

5 days later there were many trips to the doctors as the pain resembled knitting needles being poked in from both sides.

MANY Hundreds of dollars spent on chemical treatments and 12 years of piercing pain for what doctors tell me is a fungal infection , I've decided to take matters into my own hands.....

Today I boiled up a dose of saturated salt solution for about 10 minutes to kill all bacteria
then after it had cooled I squirted a couple of ml's into each ear....

News to anyone that really believes that salting does not stress an infected fish should really try putting a saline solution into an ear with an open wound!!!!!!

Anyway... after I could breath again.... the liquid dried out and the pain subsided

I'll keep you up to date with the progress

I've fixed fungal's in fish in a matter of days with salt ... I'm sick to death of the pain that only ever builds with noise.. In 3 weeks I will be back at ground zero of the avalon airshow fireworks
and I would rather have a good set of ears for the occasion..

That sounds like agony Dicko, good luck with the salt treatment!

A lot less pain this morning.
Still stings a bit around the worst areas, but not like yesterday.

Ouch ! Does not sound like fun. But how could it be so different to going in the ocean for a swim, or would that have hurt as well?

I suffer from a similar problem
Always get a major ear infection in summer.(been described by a few doctors as the worst they have ever seen)
Living in the subtropics doesn't help either.
I have used olive oil garlic metho and vinegar(must admit haven't tried salt )
Cortisone on a rag poked in my ear has cured it in a few days (twice) (done by a doctor)
I have had the bacteria tested by one doctor and it was an unusual strain that normal antibiotics couldn't kill.

Tip go see a good doctor because your ear isn't far from your brain and its a really dangerous place to have an infection.
The tip is to keep it dry, silicone plugs when showering.
I stopped cleaning my ears and its reduced massively the wax is a water proof barrier.(that self cleans naturally anyhow)

Don't go anti biotic root you end up with bigger madder bugs that they wont be able to kill in the future

good luck I know how it drives you mad

As an old long time surfie... I can attest to the power of salt to heal wounds...

Mind you.. constant exposure to salt water can also cause problems... as anyone who's ever had a "sea" ulcer will know...

Tip for "sea ulcers".... pack them with honey... preferably straight from the hive....

Works well for any ulcer/infection... even being used now to treat flesh eating bacterial wounds...

Candied honey works on wounds as well

Every time me or the kids go swimming, I stick a few drops of regular rubbing alcohol in them afterward. It prevents the problem as the alcohol kills any germies that got in there during swimming. (think of it as using hand sanitizer except in the ears...)

I hate ear pain had Infections as a child, hope it works out for you, iv been a self administration doctor for years, now the kids come to Dr dad. Iv lost a lot of faith in the medical profession, not much that salt, aloe vera, bed rest, and a good purge can't fix

Gooduck

Havent you seen the big fat greek wedding squirt a bit of windex in it it fixes everything

It might work
I think windex is Kero and perfume don't think much would survive that.


Swimmers ear cure is 90% metho and 10% vinegar
Vinegar kills the bugs and metho evaporates and keeps the ear dry.

When mine has been bad it doesn't work.

interesting about the vineger treatment as most chronic fungal ear canal infections that do not respond to ciprofloxacin generally need a wash out with a mild acid solution, so vinegar just might work.

You would really want to make sure that the ear drum is not perforated before doing this though and that would require someone looking in you ear with an otoscope.

My vet used to use and sell bottles of BAB (borate, alchohol, betadine) which worked wonders on dog's ears and on my right-hand-man when his swimmer's ear was acting up and he said nothing he ever tried worked as well. Since then the vet has died, but I've found something that looks similar on the web: http://www.zimfamilycockers.com/EarCleaner.html. They have the same advice on pre-check with otoscope, but I've never bothered other than taking a look with a flashlight.

I've always been a great advocate for soaking infections in hot brine (it feels so good when you pull it out!....and seems to work well), so I'll be interested to see how that test goes.

Went to the beach the last time there was a heatwave, the water was so turbid with sand and muck that I couldn't see by hand 300mm down, so I didn't want to try it.
Salt won't actually hurt unless the skin is broken.
(Ever eaten Fish and Chips with a cut on your finger?)

Also, this way I can saturate the salt solution and have the water boiled as well.

Snags, I agree with the doctor thing, Have been going to an ENT (Ears Nose Throat) specialist but usually when you can get in to see him the spike in inflamation has subsided, and then you are still $100 bucks out of pocket after medicare..

Have an old bushie mate who doesn't go to doctors for anything even snake bite and he has had a few.
He got wacked in the shin from a piece of spinning aluminium bar he was trying to drill
Took a chunk out and cut into his bone.
He went and stood in the beach a few times a day and it got worse
He went to the Dr (must have been a shade under gangrene)
Doctor wanted to give him stuff put him in hospital
He refused
Doctor said OK, do what you said first up boil water and packaged salt (the sea water has too many bugs in it)
It healed and he's ok.

PS
Have you had a Doctor put a cortisone soaked rag in your ear before?

It does work when most other things haven't.