Ear Dryer to Reduce Ear Canal Infection for Swimmer's Ear

I bought this after suffering an ear infection. I knew there were times when I wasn't getting all the water out of my ears but didn't realize that could lead to an infection. I looked at some electronic devices that claimed to get rid of water in the ear, but they were pricey and required batteries. How nice to stumble on a simple mechanical device that is hand-powered and does the job nicely for a tenth of the price and never needs new batteries. It comes in a little drawstring bag where I also keep the ear plugs that I use for added safety. No new ear infections for me since buying this device.

I had surgery in one of my ears some time ago, and as a result the space inside my ear canal is bigger than it used to be, so I found that my ear would sometimes remain humid, which led to ocassional bouts of infection. My doctor insisted that I use a heat lamp close to my ear to dry out my ear canal, but that didn't work. Then I found the Ear Dryer, and this solved my problems. This product basically blows air into your ear canal (you control the intensity and frequency as you pump the air), and the air causes the water and humidity to dry out. Every time you pump some air into your ear you feel coolness as the moisture evaporates. The number of pumps depends on each individual, but I don't find it too inconvenient. Sometimes I pump 10 times, then do it again a couple of minutes later. One of my kids used it after a swimming lesson, and he found it worked immediately to start the drying process.

I bought this because I've been getting recurring ear infections (swimmer's ear) for almost 5 years now. I do not even go swimming. Water from the shower somehow gets trapped in my ears and these infections just keep coming back. I looked at a lot of solutions. I tried earplugs, but they just made my ears hurt almost as much as the infections do. I tried using a blow dryer to gently dry out my ears, but even on the low setting it hurt around the edges of my ear. I tried a mix of vinegar and alcohol as some suggested, but even with the evaporative property, it just felt like putting more gunk into my ear was not going to help. So I tried this.I think it works really well. Unfortunately, I'm still getting infections. At this point I'm not sure what to try next, but this tool at least helps by evaporating all of the water that got into my ears from the shower. I feel like the infections must be caused by some other environmental problem.There is no suction on this thing because of the way it is designed, so you don't have to worry about any pressure of sucking stuff out of your ear. And if your ears get clogged up and you have to rinse them out really well, this will help dry them out afterwards so that you don't get water trapped in there.I recommend this for anybody who gets ear infections a lot. It may help reduce the frequency, especially if there is no other environmental issue at play.

For years, I avoided swimming in order to avoid swimmers' ear. Then a nurse turned me on to 2 things that very much helped. One was to put drops in my ears after swimming, made of 1/3 white vinegar, 1/3 rubbing alcohol, and 1/3 hydrogen peroxide. The other was to then tear paper towel or a paper napkin into wide strips (with a raw edge--very important), twist it into wicks, and stick the wicks in my ears to draw out moisture.I got the Dryears ear dryer in hopes of no longer walking around with tufts of paper towel sticking out of my ears (and, more importantly, not having to carry around a ziploc bag with dry paper toweling in it for after swimming!) But so far, using it (11+ times in each ear) hasn't dried my ears to the point that I'm willing to risk foregoing the paper wicks. It certainly doesn't *hurt* to use, and gives the hand good exercise. But even after multiple puffs, a pinkie in my ear still feels moisture. I'll probably stop using it, perhaps give it to a friend with kids and see if it helps them. And maybe it's not supposed to dry out one's ears, but just "start the drying process," and that makes enough difference? But it's not a purchase I'll repeat.

I wish that I found this product many years sooner! There are 3 things I hate in life: waxy ears, wet ears, and a dirty nose. This product solves a 1/3 of my life's problems. After a bath or shower, I use Q-Tips to scrub my ears clean, and then I use this tool to safely blow a lot of air deep into my ears because 1 squeeze of the tool will exchange the air in your ears over 7 times which will quickly dry your ears! The special nozzle allows the air currently in your ears to flow out as new air is pumped in due to the short and skinny tip along with the escaping air holes on the round guard. This great design prevents a seal from forming in your ear because that would hurt as you pressurize your ear drum. The guard also keeps you from inserting it too far. All you have to do is insert the tip into your ear and then keep squeezing and releasing the bulb until you no longer feel the extra coolness in your ear from the evaporating water. The bulb has a valve on the back that prevents this product from sucking in any water or moisture like older models. Just so you know, this is not like the similar looking common bulbs that are designed for sucking snot out of toddlers' noses. This product has saved me from using so many Q-Tips over the years, because I used to keep using Q-Tips until my ears were no longer damp. Over a long period of time, this product has paid for itself with the Q-Tip money I have saved. I love how a nylon or polyster storage bag was included because it keeps it clean and ready to use. Thanks for reading and I hope it helps you.