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Vick's vapo rub

have had a bad ear infection for 3 or so years.  I work in a tropical enviroment daily...including winter while I am living in Boca Raton.

My symptoms are constant:  loud ringning in my left ear especially when the fungus is active and thriving.  This also creates a bacterial infection in my throat and left lung...so I have stayed on antibiotics this whole time.  If I would stop using antibiotics...after 3 or 4 weeks I would cough up a yellowish flem.

I have tried over the years:

1.Venitan Purple dye....has no effect whatsoever or has eventually made me worse.
2. Acetic acid  on cotton ...a compress applied to the ear for 10 minutes...where the moisture stays in the cotton.
3. Ketoconazole shampoo - A shampoo in a large quantity can be found in pet stores. Over the counter Anti-fungal shampoo's like Selsun Blue or Head N Shoulders.
4. Shampoo's with Acetic Acid in them....helps at first...but then fungus flourishes again bigtime.
5. Shampoo's with salicytic acid in them...an effort to exfoliate the skin.
6.Hand pulling or ripping of the fungal growth out of my outer ear...extremely painful...even after taking   migraine .pain medications like Excedrin...and lidocaine topical pain relieving salve.
7. Zymox ear drops...a few drops every other day...if ringing is getting louder I lay off anything with liquid in it.
8. Vinegar and 91% alcohol
9. Alcohol
10. sulfer powder blown in ear by a medical powder blower....and ENT.
11. Not wearing sunglasses....the earpieces lie on my infected ear trapping moisture and sweat.
12. Most all antifungal creams...the fungi still managed to flourish big-time and I am left feeling worse.
13. Over the counter anti-fungal powders....extended use...very slow...humid day...back to square one.
14.  Not washing my head so that the skin could dry out around my ear.  Smelly.
15.  Hydrogen Peroxide....very short relief...buzzes like a boiling caldron in my ear....but the water from it remains in the ear.  This is not good.
16. Swimmer's ear drops.  Not effective killing fungus...
17. De-humidifier in room...mostly I cannot venture outside this room or the fungus grows like crazy and loud and I feel dizzy or I have motion sickness especially when watching big-screen tv...or stopped at an intersection in the truck.
18. Not wearing sunglasses....the earpieces lie on my infected ear trapping moisture and sweat.
19. Doing nothing...the fungus stays there.
20.  Using a blow dryer's low setting for extended periods....This eventually drains all of the fluid in my ear allowing me to hear again...but to achieve the positive effect...I must do this for hours....especially during the time when I sleep and feel sick from the fungus upon waking up.  At night, I try to keep the fan and dehumidifier on.  It's at night when the still air causes the fungus to throw a all-out knock-out party.
21. Multiple ENT's and ENT surgeon's.
22. Infectious disease doctors.
23. Prescription grade anti-perspirant around outside of my ear.
24. Raising the bed to an incline position to keep fluids away from settling in my ear.
25.  Moving bedroom away from external walls.  I sleep in the office now...and have only one external wall.

NONE of these worked..or the relief was extremely short-lived.  I have literally been trying to jump out of my own skin!!!  This condition has made me a total recluse outside of work.

Recently, a friend recommended Vick's Vapor Rub.  I apply it externally around my temple, the outer ear, neck and my face on the side of the infected ear.  The inner portion of the outer ear is massaged with the Vick's... and I apply it on both sides because the fungus will travel.  Finally,  The pain is going away.  The screaching sounds are going away and staying away.  The sound is faint and subdued...pain is easing and staying away.

A pediatrician said the petroleum jelly cures nail fungus.

I live in South Florida, Boca Raton.  I sweat profusely on the left side of my body...(where the infected ear is.) keeping my ear moist.  I spray anti-perspirant on that side of my head to help stop the moisture that I am exuding.

Do you think that you may have the confidence to finally rid yourself of these persistent fungi menaces?  I am a lawn service owner and I am in humid, sweaty conditions 5 days a week, 6 hours per day, summer and winter.  I also live on a lake...and we had a pipe break under our house.  I don't sweat on the right side at all...and my right ear is okay.

I rub the inner-outer portions of my external ear well with the vapo rub.  Those dry fungal scales can no longer form and spread while feeding on my moist flesh underneath.  No more ripping it out.  The fungal infection I had was so bad that it ate the skin...exposing the cartilage in my ear.  This condition and my initial crazy reactions have made me completely deaf in the affected ear...you must be very gentle on yourself even while your ear and fungus is screaming and ringing loudly in your head, also the yellow pus from throat and lungs and lung pain.  The culture of the pus-like flem was negative for infection...go figure.  Three years of this....and I manage to keep myself out of institutions.  What doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

I still use the Ketaconazole shampoo and Acetic acid shampoo's.  I will use a shampoo with salicylic acid in it as well.  I dry my head and ear thoroughly with a blow dryer afterwards.

I always have to get wet dishtowels out of the room.  You'd be surprised how a little dampness can raise the humidity significantly in the room. I keep the fan on in the bathroom to dry out hand towels and to keep the moisture out of the area near my bedroom.

I wash my ear with Acetic Acid and/or alcohol daily.  I try to keep it from entering inner ear....only alcohol I am allowed to use there....inside...and I then gently blow dry it for several seconds.
I cannot wear sunglasses or a hat with flaps as the flaps become wet and rub against my ear.
I use the Vapor Rub.

Please don't let this condition make you crazy as it has me.  Just let the better hygiene habits do their work.  Fungus lives deep in the skin...and I takes time to get rid of it.
4 Responses
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Avatar universal
But thank you for all of the tips about living with ear fungus!
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
It seems like your quality of life is suffering so much. Your energy and life are being wasted. I think you should seriously consider moving.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
The pipe leak under the house could be the issue. I lived in a basement apartment for 4 years, had chronic ear infections, and was told I have an allergy to mold. Once I moved out the ear infections became very infrequent.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hello and hope you are doing well.

Understand your predicament. Looks like you have a chronic external ear infection. Have a culture and sensitivity test done to find out the correct antibiotic that the infecting organism is sensitive to and taking this medication for the required amount of days may help to clear the infection. Since it is a fungal infection you will need oral and local antifungal agents to clear the infection. Also, continue with good ear canal hygiene techniques and keep it dry. Do not meddle too much or apply any irritants. Please discuss this with your doctor am sure he will provide further assistance.

Hope this helped and do keep us posted.
Helpful - 0
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