Ear Fungus

Posted by imallears @imallears, Jan 29, 2020

Hello,

I am profoundly hard of hearing in both ears. I had many ear infections as a child and have been wearing hearing aids for 40 years. This past year I
had 2 episodes of fungus in the ears and several ear infections. Medications for
the fungus have not worked too well. My ENT Doctor recently cleaned out my right ear today (
Wednesday the 29th) which has fungus and which caused a severe ear ache ....haven’t had ear aches since I was a child.
I am to see him again this Friday and bring with me Iodine and a dropper. He will clean out more of the fungus and paint my ear with the iodine and give me instructions on how to administer iodine drops and for how long.
I have read how iodine is effective in killing fungus and bacteria in general and how it may be effective in treating fungus in the ears. I have little ear wax and know that ear wax has anti microbial properties. No hearing aid in that ear until I see him again.

My question is...has anyone ever been diagnosed with ear fungus and what did you use beside RX medications to treat the fungus or ear infections in general. I think the fungus may be resistant to any medications at this point so the iodine would be a preventative measure. I was using apple cider Vinegar and water on occasion to ward off ear infections but it is very drying to my ear canals. I also use mineral oil on a semi regular basis.
I am happy that the Dr is not going to prescribe anti fungal medications again and I believe he realizes it is ineffective to do so.

Thanks for any info
FL Mary
,

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Ear, Nose & Throat (ENT) Support Group.

@imallears Just read your post I never had any ear trouble till now my ear feels like there is something in it and is itchy then aches like on that side down neck have any ideas?

REPLY

@lioness
Hi
Could be impacted ear wax which can cause itching and sometimes slight pain. If you have mineral oil you could put a few drops in your ear...lay on the other side for a couple minutes. It will eventually soften up the wax with repeated applications (morning and night) it will relieve itching because it’s like a moisturizer and doesn’t build up. Heating pad to the ear (gently) works for pain. Don’t cover the ear with cotton balls. Don’t attempt to clean out with Qtips (but you know that ). Baby oil in a pinch or even coconut oil will do. Eat aches usually cause radiating pain down the neck and sides. When I had the ear ache I had some leftover antibiotic drops and put them in my ear. In 20 minutes the pain subsided. Only used them once. No time for the antibiotic to work....probably the drops soothed the ear and released some of the pressure.

Can’t hurt ...and I still remember those childhood earaches.....not fun.

LMK
FL Mary

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@imallears Thanks Mary I did put drops in overnight and flushed it out next day only a few flakes I never had a ear infection so that's why I asked you If it is impacted I hate to get it removed had that done once hurt I'm a baby when it comes to myself hate needles but was good at getting blood for testing lol 😆 I,LL do drops again

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@llioness
Hi
Don’t do any flushing out...just do the drops as a moisturizer...anything will comes out naturally and you don’t want to get rid of all the ear wax as it’s a protective barrier.. I hope you don’t have to go to the ENT....you big baby....lol .....but don’t ignore the ache if it doesn’t get any better or gets worse.

FL Maru

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@imallers Thanks I will do as you say MAMA lol My poor husband was the brave one when I was practicing blood draws he let me do them on him can you imagine IVe been watching these impeachment hearings all day quite interesting but did have to take meal breaks . I have already had to go to my ENT and he sent me to have vestibular testing done . That was grueling . But everything was fine he said the ear exercises would do the trick in putting those crystals back in place and it did work took awhile but did work.

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Hi, @imallears - dealing with episodes of fungus in the ears and several ear infections sounds difficult. The last ear infection I had - a double ear infection I got through scuba diving training in a lake - was beyond painful.

Though @kimpossible @morgellonsintx2 and @addie11111 were talking about fungus in a thread on Lyme Disease, they may be able to speak to ear fungus and and treatment beside RX medications. @parus and @gingerw also may have some ideas on this.

What did your doctor say about this at your Friday appointment, imallears?

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@lisalucier

Hi, @imallears - dealing with episodes of fungus in the ears and several ear infections sounds difficult. The last ear infection I had - a double ear infection I got through scuba diving training in a lake - was beyond painful.

Though @kimpossible @morgellonsintx2 and @addie11111 were talking about fungus in a thread on Lyme Disease, they may be able to speak to ear fungus and and treatment beside RX medications. @parus and @gingerw also may have some ideas on this.

What did your doctor say about this at your Friday appointment, imallears?

Jump to this post

@lisalucier The best advice I ever got was from a doctor who told me to use a mixture of half alcohol/half vinegar as ear drops in my ears once a week or so. Lay on your side, ear canal pointing up. Three or four drops into ear canal, massage just below ear to help the liquid move down into canal. Let sit there for three or four minutes, then roll to your other side and repeat. I place a towel on the pillow to absorb any liquid that escapes. The process helps dry out any liquids in the ear, and changes the pH balance to healthy. Never have had an infection since!
Ginger

REPLY
@lisalucier

Hi, @imallears - dealing with episodes of fungus in the ears and several ear infections sounds difficult. The last ear infection I had - a double ear infection I got through scuba diving training in a lake - was beyond painful.

Though @kimpossible @morgellonsintx2 and @addie11111 were talking about fungus in a thread on Lyme Disease, they may be able to speak to ear fungus and and treatment beside RX medications. @parus and @gingerw also may have some ideas on this.

What did your doctor say about this at your Friday appointment, imallears?

Jump to this post

@lisalucier
Hi,

I brought the iodine with me as instructed but he did not need to use it. He cleaned out some more debris and I believe used boric acid powder and declared the ear squeaky clean. I’m seeing him in 2 1/2 weeks for a follow up. If my ear gets wonky (I can tell by how things sound) he told me to go ahead and put some iodine drops in that ear. I have been reading up on Iodine and it’s effectiveness for fungus in general. His colleagues and other patients have used that particular treatment and gotten good results.

I’m so germaphobic about my ears and hearing aids which are pristine. At the beauty parlor I used Vaseline coated cotton balls when it’s time to wash. We’ll see how things go. I commend my Doctor for not resorting to prescriptions this time as it is obvious the fungus was resistant to any medications.

FL Mary

REPLY
@gingerw

@lisalucier The best advice I ever got was from a doctor who told me to use a mixture of half alcohol/half vinegar as ear drops in my ears once a week or so. Lay on your side, ear canal pointing up. Three or four drops into ear canal, massage just below ear to help the liquid move down into canal. Let sit there for three or four minutes, then roll to your other side and repeat. I place a towel on the pillow to absorb any liquid that escapes. The process helps dry out any liquids in the ear, and changes the pH balance to healthy. Never have had an infection since!
Ginger

Jump to this post

@gingerw

Hi,
I have very dry ears but have used a water and apple cider vinegar solution on occasion when they start to get too itchy . I fared best with occasional mineral oil drops and was infection free for such a long time. It just seems this was an unusually “active”
time for my ears and was the second fungus episode in a year. At this point I know what kind of sound I should be hearing when I pop the aids in every day. If the sound is not right or the ear canals don’t feel right or are congested...then I start to treat them with the water vinegar solution. I’m all for natural remedies as much as possible.

By the way....anyone who suffered from an occasional zit or pimple....I gave my granddaughter Abreva for cold sores and the potential pimple never happened....also pretty much cleared up a couple she had very fast. Seems like a good hack. Have used it on my face when I though I detected a potential bump and the bump or whatever it was never happened.

It’s magic!

FL Mary....enjoy the Super Bowl Weekend everybody

REPLY
@imallears

@lisalucier
Hi,

I brought the iodine with me as instructed but he did not need to use it. He cleaned out some more debris and I believe used boric acid powder and declared the ear squeaky clean. I’m seeing him in 2 1/2 weeks for a follow up. If my ear gets wonky (I can tell by how things sound) he told me to go ahead and put some iodine drops in that ear. I have been reading up on Iodine and it’s effectiveness for fungus in general. His colleagues and other patients have used that particular treatment and gotten good results.

I’m so germaphobic about my ears and hearing aids which are pristine. At the beauty parlor I used Vaseline coated cotton balls when it’s time to wash. We’ll see how things go. I commend my Doctor for not resorting to prescriptions this time as it is obvious the fungus was resistant to any medications.

FL Mary

Jump to this post

Mary, Thanks for all your helpful info on your experience with ear fungus. Unfortunately, I was misdiagnosed and was given antibiotic drops and steroid ointment to place in my right ear, which has kept the issue re appearing for dare I say it, over 8 years!

Just recently, by the grace of God, I noticed that the fingernail of my right index was starting to develop what appeared to be fungus, which I NEVER had before, making me curious. Looking up natural cures, I found essential oils and vinegar and alcohol in equal parts are what is recommended. Some even recommend a quick dose of UVC light with eyes protected because it kills everything!

So, as I was settling to the task of caring for this one rogue nail, my right ear began to do its usual tingling, and I unconsciously used my right index finder nail to scoop the debris out of my ear canal - talk about a "LIGHT BULB" moment!

Looking at my index finger covered in my right ear's usual itchy debris, the detective in me decided to smell it, and sure enough, the smell reminded me of my veterinarian days because it had a slight telltale odor that dog's ears get when they get a fungal infection in their ears.
EUREKA! I had solved two mysteries: The index finger fungal infection was contracted from my ear. Hence, what is going on in my ear must be a fungal infection as well, and what I was prescribed was, in fact, exacerbating it.

Looking to see if there has been any medical papers written on this subject, I was further blessed - thank you, GOD - with finding this Microbiology research "Otitis externa Fungal isolates and their sensitivity to essential oils of selected herbals" at ijcmas.com/vol-3-9/P.Sivamani2.pdf

I have decided to take its (and your) advice on the treatment of both the right index finder nail and my right ear. Wish me luck, and take care! Mrs Taylor

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