Summertime Fun Home Remedy
Summer is in full swing here in the United States. That means spending less time at the sewing machine and more time at the pool. When I was a kid I suffered from horrific ear infections and getting water stuck in my ears would always wreak havoc on me. Back in the day we walked to school in the snow, uphill, both ways implanting tubes into ears wasn't yet practiced, although I'm sure I would have been a perfect candidate for it. Even with all the precautions I took to keep my ears dry (not going under water, wax plugs while wearing a headband) it never failed - I'd still get water in my ears, wouldn't be able to hear, and then develop an ear infection. While at the pool with my son yesterday I got water in my ears and immediately started having issues.
Desperate times called for desperate measures. I'm not sure where my mom got this home remedy (and I doubt that she invented it) but I wanted to pass along a tried and true recipe to get water out of your ears. And chances are, you have all the ingredients in your house already. All 2 of them:
The recipe is simple, mix equal parts of white vinegar with equal parts of rubbing alcohol. That's it. Not complicated. What is more complicated is how to put it in your ear! My mom always had a small bottle with an eye dropper that she used to keep it in. I had no idea where I could find something like that so I just improvised. I used a medication syringe (it's used to administer liquid meds to small children).
Since the dosage numbers have faded, I can't use it for cough syrup, but it was perfect for this. You can request one from your local pharmacist, at no cost. As you can see, the one above came from target.
I just mixed the solution (1 tsp. of each liquid) in a small cup and used the syringe to put a few drops into my ear. Just tilt your head to the side, put enough drops in your ear to fill it, wait 30 seconds and then drain your ear onto a towel. Repeat if necessary, but you'll feel immediate results.
Desperate times called for desperate measures. I'm not sure where my mom got this home remedy (and I doubt that she invented it) but I wanted to pass along a tried and true recipe to get water out of your ears. And chances are, you have all the ingredients in your house already. All 2 of them:
The recipe is simple, mix equal parts of white vinegar with equal parts of rubbing alcohol. That's it. Not complicated. What is more complicated is how to put it in your ear! My mom always had a small bottle with an eye dropper that she used to keep it in. I had no idea where I could find something like that so I just improvised. I used a medication syringe (it's used to administer liquid meds to small children).
Since the dosage numbers have faded, I can't use it for cough syrup, but it was perfect for this. You can request one from your local pharmacist, at no cost. As you can see, the one above came from target.
I just mixed the solution (1 tsp. of each liquid) in a small cup and used the syringe to put a few drops into my ear. Just tilt your head to the side, put enough drops in your ear to fill it, wait 30 seconds and then drain your ear onto a towel. Repeat if necessary, but you'll feel immediate results.
I agree - this is an awesome remedy and I use it after scuba diving or free diving to make sure I'll be ready for the next day's swimming adventure!!
ReplyDeleteHA! This totally beats the hopping on one foot and violently moving head method until it comes out ... although it does work. Going to have to remember this one.
ReplyDelete