hydrogen peroxide sizzle

A couple years ago I had trouble with recurring ear infections (after a case of pneumonia). First it was in one ear, then that cleared up and it was in the other ear. Well, I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned with one of those bulb syringes and warm/hot water until the water came out clear. It was kind of disgusting. I won't tell you how many times I had to drain the sink and fill it up with fresh water.

Anyhow, I had been seeing the doctor for it. When he checked my ears the last time he got all excited and explained they had a med student and could she come look at my ear because it was so clean. I had to laugh. But he was serious. He said they rarely get the opportunity to see the type of infection I had, or to see in an ear as clean.

Well, at least once in my life, I've left a good impression.

Thanks for all the warnings and details about peroxide. I tried this on a lingering ear fluid problem this summer to no avail. What finished it off was when we got the pool and I went swimming in chlorinated water. That cleared it right up. Haven't had a problem since.

Rick, I'm guilty of doing this all the time.
I know nothing about Swimmers Ear. Are you saying that this practice of letting water go inside the ear wont contribute to getting it?

hydrogen Peroxide on raw skin is a BAD thing. As a nurse, I can tell you we NEVER use full stregnth H2O2. Ever. And we hardly ever use it diluted in half with saline either. Not anymore.
H2O2 is what we call cytotoxic, meaning it is deadly to delicate tissue.
If you have a sore that is not infected and put the stuff on it, you are eating your healthy new cells up.
In a survival scenario, if you have nothing else and need to clear an infection, it might be worth trying, especially watered down. But, in this case, you really need to see a doc and find out what is going on.

This is from the webMD site:

Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work
--From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), October 31, 2005


Snort. Sniffle. Sneeze. No Antibiotics Please!

Are you aware that colds, flu, and most sore throats and bronchitis are caused by viruses? Did you know that antibiotics do not help fight viruses? It's true. Plus, taking antibiotics when you have a virus may do more harm than good. Taking antibiotics when they are not needed increases your risk of getting an infection later that resists antibiotic treatment.

If You Have a Cold or Flu, Antibiotics Won't Work For You!

Antibiotics kill bacteria, not viruses such as:


Colds or flu;
Most coughs and bronchitis;
Sore throats not caused by strep; or
Runny noses.

Taking antibiotics for viral infections, such as a cold, cough, the flu, or most bronchitis,will not:


Cure the infections;
Keep other individuals from catching the illness; or
Help you feel better.

Even in children according to webMD, Antibiotics are only effective 20% of the time and you increase the risk of your child developing a bacteria resistant infection. There are a few situations where antibiotics may be required for ear infections in children. There is a wealth if information in webMD about ear infections and any other medical topic.

The only thing I questioned was where they said that blocked eustachian tubes were rare in adults. I had to go out to a field and pick up the pieces of a young pilot that crashed because of the pain and dizziness after his eardrums blew out. I also had a similar problem during my altitude chamber training. Fortunately I am very good at moving air in and out of my middle ear so I was able to avoid having my eardrum (tympanic membrane) rupture (barely).

This was recommended to me by a USAF Senior Flight Surgeon. As a child, I spent as much time as I could at the lake. Even the best lakes around here have silt and other stuff that collected in my ears over the years. It was embarrassing how much stuff came out when they cleaned them. Since my first assignment was at a flight training base, I had to clean out the ears of well over 100 student pilots. some were so bad that their entire ear canal was filled. It's amazing that they could even hear anything.

As long as the water coming out of your tap isn't muddy, rust colored, smells strange or unfit to drink, it isn't going to cause swimmers ear. Exactly the opposite. Now after I come back from swimming in the lake I make sure that I take a shower and use my handheld showerhead to thoroughly clean my ears. I haven't a problem with swimmers ear in over 20 years.

Good to know. Thanks rickd203