How to Treat a Fungal Ear Infection

Known as otomycosis or Swimmer's Ear, fungal ear infections primarily affect the ear canal. Otomycosis accounts for 7% of those diagnosed with otitis externa or inflammation and infection of the ear canal. The most common causes of otomycosis are the fungal species Candida and Aspergillus. Fungal ear infections are commonly confused with bacterial ear infections. Most often, doctors will treat your ear infection as if it is bacterial. Oftentimes, doctors prescribe antibiotics, but since they don't fight fungal infections, no change occurs. Afterwards, your doctor will give you a variety of at-home and prescription fungal treatments.^[1]

Steps

Recognizing Symptoms of a Fungal Ear Infection

1. Recognize abnormal ear itching (pruritis). It is fairly normal for one’s ears to itch. The hundreds of little hairs on and in your ear can be tickled easily. If your ear itches constantly and scratching/rubbing doesn’t satiate your problem, you might have a fungal infection. This is the primary way that fungal ear infections present themselves.^[2]
2. Recognize ear pain (otalgia). You’ll almost always experience ear pain in one ear - not both, because the fungal infection is local. Sometimes, sufferers describe this as “pressure” or “fullness”. The pain can be mild or severe. Pain usually intensifies the more you touch your ear.^[3]
3. Check for ear discharge (otorrhea). Fungal ear discharge is usually thick and can be clear, white, yellow, and sometimes bloody/foul-smelling. Do not confuse this with normal waxy build up. Take a Q-Tip and swab your ear. There will be a normal level of waxy buildup, but if either the amount or color seems off, you may have a fungal infection in your ear.^[4]
4. Check for hearing loss. A fungal ear infection may present itself in the form of muffled speech/sounds, difficulty understanding words, and trouble hearing consonants. Sometimes, people recognize their hearing loss more by their change in behavior. Frustration brews as a result of one’s inability to hear, so said person withdraws from conversations and social settings.^[5]

Using Medications

1. Know when to consult your doctor. When you have ear infection, it is best to visit your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis and to find out the best course of treatment. If you are experiencing intense pain, losing your hearing ability, or experiencing any other unusual symptoms, you should seek professional help.^[6]
   
2. Use clotrimazole to treat fungal infections in the ear. Clotrimazole 1% solution is the most popular antifungal medicine that doctors prescribe for the treatment of fungal ear infections. It kills both Candida and Aspergillus. This drug works by inhibiting the enzyme used to convert ergosterol. Ergosterol is needed by the fungus to maintain the integrity of its membrane. With clotrimazole, the fungal growth is inhibited by depleting levels of ergosterol.^[7]
   
   • Keep clotrimazole’s side-effects in mind. These may be ear irritation, burning, or discomfort.^[8]
   • To use clotrimazole, wash your hands with running water and mild soap. Clean the ear with warm water until any visible secretions are gone. Softly pat the ear dry with a clean cloth. Do not vigorously wipe the remaining liquid off. Doing so can exacerbate the condition.^[9]
   • Lie down or tilt your head sideways to expose the ear canal. Straighten your ear canal by pulling your earlobe downward, then backward. Apply 2 to 3 drops of clotrimazole into your ear. Keep your ear tilted for 2 to 3 minutes to allow the solution to reach the infected area. And then tip your head, pouring out the medicine into a napkin.^[10]
   • Replace the cap to the bottle and store the medication out of sight and reach of children. Store it in a dry and cool place. Avoid direct sunlight or heat.^[11]
3. Get a prescription for fluconazole (Diflucan). If you have a more severe fungal ear infection, fluconazole may be prescribed by your doctor. It works just like clotrimazole. The most common side effects are headache, nausea, abdominal pain, skin rash, and elevation of liver enzymes.^[12]
   
   • Fluconazole is taken in tablet form. Doctors normally prescribe one dose of 200mg for one day and then 100mg daily for 3 to 5 days.^[13]
4. Avoid antibiotics. Antibiotics are only effective in the treatment of bacterial infections, so they will not combat fungal infections.
   
   • Antibiotics can even worsen fungal infections since they can potentially kill good bacteria residing in the ear or other parts of the body — the bacteria that is fighting your fungal infection.^[14]

Using Home Remedies

1. Use hydrogen peroxide. Add 2-3 drops to the infected ear with a medicine dropper. Let the drops sit in the ear canal for 5-10 minutes and tilt your head to let them drain. This measure will help soften any crusted or hardened debris in the ear canal, which will, in turn, help wash any fungal colonies out of your ear.^[15]
2. Use a hair dryer. Turn it on to the lowest setting possible and place its end at least 10 inches from the infected ear. This method will dry any moisture present in the ear canal, which will hinder the growth of fungus.^[16]
3. Apply a warm compress to the affected ear. Get a clean towel and soak it in warm water. Ensure that the towel is not too hot. Place the warm towel over the infected ear and wait until it cools down. The measure helps relieve pain, without having to take pain-relieving drugs. It also increases blood flow to the infected area, which leads to faster recovery.^[17]
   
4. Use rubbing alcohol and apple cider vinegar. Mix both in a 1:1 ratio. With a medicine dropper, add a few drops to the infected ear. Let the drops sit in the ear for 10 minutes and tilt your head to let them drain. The mixture can be utilized every 4 hours for up to 2 weeks.
   
   • The rubbing alcohol is a drying agent, which will get rid of moisture in the ear canal causing the fungal infection. It also disinfects the skin of the ear canal. The acidity of vinegar slows the growth of the fungus, as Candida and Aspergillus prefer a "basic" environment for optimal growth.^[18]
   • This mixture will disinfect and dry out the ear, lessening the duration of the infection.^[19]
5. Eat foods rich in vitamin C. Vitamin C is needed for the growth and repair of tissues damaged by a fungal ear infection. It helps the body produce collagen, a protein instrumental in making tissues like skin, cartilage, and blood vessels. Doctors recommend supplements of 500 to 1,000 mg of vitamin C per day with food.
   
   • Excellent dietary sources of vitamin include citrus fruit (oranges, limes, lemons), berries (blueberries, cranberries, strawberries, raspberries), pineapples, watermelon, papaya, broccoli, spinach, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, and cauliflower.^[20]
6. Use garlic oil. Take a capsule of garlic oil, puncture it, and pour it into the infected ear. Let it sit for 10 minutes and tilt your head to drain the oil. It can be repeated daily for up to 2 weeks. In studies, garlic oil has been found to have antifungal effects on Aspergillus (one of two main causes of fungal ear infections).
   • Furthermore, garlic oil has been found to have similar or better rates of cure when compared to prescription medications used to treat fungal ear infection.^[21]
7. Use olive oil to clean the ear. If you have a fungal infection, there will be whitish or yellowish secretions from the ear. In addition to this, there will also be overproduction of wax. All these can cause blockage in the eustachian tube. Olive oil is a perfect wax softener.
   
   • With a medicine dropper, add 3 drops to the infected ear. Let the drops sit in the ear canal for 5-10 minutes and tilt your head to let them drain. It will soften earwax (cerumen) and any other hardened secretions in the ear canal and facilitate its removal (much like hydrogen peroxide). Olive oil also has properties to decrease the inflammation associated with fungal ear infections. The anti-inflammatory properties of olive oil are mediated by high levels of polyphenols present in the oil.^[22]

Sources and Citations

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