Article: The serious symptoms listed earlier may be signs that you have a ruptured eardrum, caused by pressure from the infection. The following treatments are unsafe with this condition, since the fluids can drain past the eardrum and into your inner ear. Always visit a doctor if you have one of these symptoms along with swimmer's ear. If you have ever had a damaged eardrum or ear surgery in the past, consult a doctor before using the treatments below, even if you do not have these symptoms. Create an equal mix of white vinegar and 70% rubbing alcohol, heated until warm but not hot. Alternatively, purchase a non-aqueous acetic acid eardrop at a drugstore. Putting cold or hot liquids in your ear may lead to dizziness. Try to warm the solution to roughly your body temperature. Some earwax is fine, but if the ear canal is blocked or if dirt or debris is in the ear, it may need cleaning first. Fill a bulb syringe with the vinegar and alcohol mixture and squirt a trickle into your ear canal, letting it drain out. Warm water rinsing is not recommended for swimmer's ear. If your ear still feels blocked, visit an otolaryngologist or ask a general practice doctor for a referral. The otolaryngologist can clean your ear more effectively using suction. Never perform this step on a person with diabetes, not even at a doctor's office. The alcohol will help remaining moisture evaporate, while the vinegar will make your ear canal more acidic. Both of these make your ear a less welcoming place for bacteria. Apply with the following method: Warm the solution by rubbing the container in your hands or placing it in a cup of warm water without mixing the two liquids together. Lie down with your ear facing upward. Have an assistant place two or three drops on the wall of the ear canal, allowing air to escape so drops can get into the ear. Gently wiggling your ears will aid in this process. Remain lying down for a few minutes. If there are no signs of improvement, a doctor should be able to examine your ear and recommend one or more of the following treatments: An antibacterial eardrop (or more rarely, an antifungal eardrop) Insertion of a wick into a swollen ear canal, to allow eardrops to penetrate Oral or injected antibiotics if the infection has spread Surgical cleaning of the ear canal Incision and drainage of an abscess Let your doctor know if you are diabetic, immune-compromised, or if you have had ear surgery or a punctured eardrum in the past.
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Do not use these if you have serious symptoms. Warm a mix of rubbing alcohol and vinegar. Rinse your ear if it feels blocked. Use the solution as eardrops. Ask a doctor about further treatment.