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Q. You recently wrote about preventing swimmer's ear with a home remedy involving alcohol and vinegar. The best solution is ear molds.
An audiologist can take an impression of your ears and send it off to be custom made. In about two weeks you have ear plugs that fit your ears exactly. I learned about ear molds from a surfer and have been using them for about 20 years with success.
A. You weren't the only one to mention ear molds as a way to keep water out of the ear. Another reader wrote: "I swam all the time growing up, as a lifeguard and on the swim team. By the time I got to college I had swimmer's ear problems non-stop.
"A month out of the pool and a prescription from my doctor cured the worst swimmer's ear, but it wasn't a fix. Instead, I found that swimming with an ear plug in my ear worked to prevent it every time."
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I was very interested in the topic of swimmer's ear, which I have had for many years. For the first time, I learned about ear molds in your column. My ENT doctors have recommended I treat the itchiness with hydrogen peroxide. I pour it in, lie down and wait until the fizzing stops, then pour it out. This worked for many years.
Recently I found I needed to apply it every couple days in one ear. I started to notice large white flakes on my shoulders, like a horrendous dandruff problem but didn't connect it with my ears. Eventually, one of my ears started to bleed. The ENT told me that the skin in the ear canal, which is very tender, was fragmented and inflamed, probably due to the constant use of H2O2, which is very harsh and drying.
He gave me an antibiotic, then recommended the vinegar-alcohol mixture, and if that didn't work, I would need a prescription drug. So far it is working. It helps evaporate moisture in the ear, and helps control the fungal infection which causes the itchiness.
My children suffer terribly from swimmer's ear even though they use molded ear plugs.The only thing that works for them is a 50/50 combination of distilled water and white vinegar. I mix it and keep it in a bottle. A few drops after swimming or the shower and no swimmer's ear. Do not use alcohol or commercially prepared drops containing alcohol. It causes drying and cracking of the skin and invites infection. Good luck !!! Nothing more painful than swimmer's ear.