Subject: RE: Good over-the-counter drops for ear infection? I got chronic ear infections when I swam in High school, and even worse when I was younger and just swimming for fun all summer. The nonRx stuff is basicly rubbing alcohol diluted. It forces any water stuck in your ears to evaporate. Once it evaporates it can't grow any infection causing bacteria. If you let moisture just sit in there, it will grow stuff. You can buy it at any drug store or mix your own. And they're all about the same. And yes, you need to lay on each side for like 5 min to get to go all the way down into your ear. If you get up right away it will run out and do you no good. THAT was fun for my parents - getting a squirmy 8 yr old to sit still on a couch for 10 min stuck insdie w/ all my friends/cousins still out in the pool. Especially since I was the swimmer of the bunch! Since that's evaporating the water in your ear right after a swim, it will prevent ear infections, but won't do you any good on an infection you already have. If it's just an ear ache - treat it like a headache and go on w/ preventing future ones. If it's an ear infection, you basically need antibiotics to celar it up. |