Swimmer's Ear infection still not retreating, what comes next?

What home remedies are you using?

Which prescription drops? I was prescribed one thing (which didn’t work) so they gave me a much more powerful one which was highly effective.

You may need to go to an ENT doctor instead of a regular internist. That’s who fixed me :-)

Vinegar solution, medical spirits. Anti-fungal drops did not work.

The ENTs I work for have patients use a boric acid and alcohol solution. I don’t know their exact recipe, but there seem to be many posted online. It burns, but it’s a good burn. You have to use it consistently for a while – even after you feel better – to ensure that all the microbials are dead.

Custom silicone earplugs are the best to keep the ear dry by ensuring a tight seal. They’ll cost $100 give or take, but will last for years. The waxy ones can work, if you apply them properly.

There are also ear dryers that run ~$100, and they feel good too. I have a patient that runs it twice in each ear every day and it’s really helped. Hearing aid wearers are prone to moisture issues in their ear canals.

Have you cleaned out the waxy build up?

@Dan_Lyons yes, there is no build up.

How do they test for that? Did they do a culture? I never heard of a yeast infection in the ear, but I don’t doubt it happens.

Are you sure the infection isn’t gone and you just still have some inflammation?

If the prescribed drops aren’t working I wonder if pills might work? I’m sure @hearkat would know. Diflucan or Sporonox maybe? I’m just throwing out names of antifungals, I don’t know if they kill the right strain or even if they are effective for the ear. I know boric acid is often suggested for vaginal yeast infections, so it makes sense that might be effective. Maybe hydrogen peroxide since it is an antiseptic.

I would go to an ENT if you haven’t already and get recommendations from him. Or, call the office if an ENT had prescribed the meds and ask for another suggestion.

It sounds systemic to me. This means that the candida is everywhere in your body. You’re going to need to change your entire diet, and don’t plan to get back to the sugar again. A medical doctor will prescribe anti-candida medication. The side effects of this medication is not fun, and you can feel pretty awful until your body can process the dead yeast.

It’s effective, but also can be pretty hard on liver or kidneys. It’s important to drink LOTS of water during treatment. http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/antifungal-medications

An alternative to prescription medication is herbal treatment (you really need the help of a master herbalist, naturopath, or the like) for this. Don’t try it on your own. It takes far longer to accomplish the same goal, but it isn’t as hard on your system either.

With either treatment, you’ll have to drink lots of water, and follow a strict anti-candida diet. Don’t plan on going back to your sugar loving ways, or it can all come back.

People who kick the candida grip on their lives feel much better. I know. I’ve done it.

If you just went to your GP, then time to up the ante and go to an ear, nose and throat specialist. The consequences of incorrect or inadequate treatment could be devastating.

Just found this link regarding fungal ear infections. It includes the details of treatment, including antifungal therapy (I assume this means medication and diet). http://www.patient.co.uk/doctor/fungal-ear-infection-otomycosis

Yes, it was discovered through a culture test in a lab.

@snowberry that’s it Candida spp but luckily it’s in the outer part, hasn’t eaten away further. I don’t do water sports but there is much hairwashing!

You’re going to want to stop allowing water to get in there. Maybe use an oil soaked cotton swab, or maybe let someone else wash it so you are leaning back and water doesn’t go down the canal.

Oh, neem oil is anti-fungal, and unlikely to burn if you soak your swab in that…although I’ve never tried it. Tea tree oil would work as well, but it would hurt.

@ZEPHYRA I’m just curious, did the doctor treat it as a bacterial infection at first and then later cultured it and found it was fungal?

@JLeslie because it kept coming back over and over and no stuff at the pharmacy would get rid of it, I took it upon myself to have it cultured to see why it was so stubborn.

I see. I just read something that said antibiotics that kill bacteria can make it worse, which is true of most yeast infections. But, you probably were using antiseptics of some sort, I don’t know what is sold OTC for it. I would use the prescription for the antifungal drops again and use it for a longer duration, maybe one more time per day than you were. Check with the doctor though, I’m not a doctor. Keep your ears completely dry for a few days, shower with ear protection. One diflucan might help while using the topical along with it. It’s common for doctors to prescribe diflucan and topical for stubborn vaginal yeast infections.