Is it normal for white vinegar to sizzle like peroxide when you use it as ear drops?
Is it normal for white vinegar to sizzle like peroxide when you use it as ear drops?
Google is not helpful.
Why are you using vinegar in your ears? That's not typical.
Outer ear infection, I think it is a relatively common treatment?
Are you taking antibiotics? If so and your eay is bothering you, just use peroxid.
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Thank you for your input.
Why are you using it as ear drops? Is that safe?
Fizzing with acids usually means they are reacting with a base. Not sure what base would be in your ear though.
Outer ear infection, I guess most ear drops for this are acetic acid? Dr. recommended it to help improve the ph or something.
If this was a Dr. recommendation and they specifically said it was to balance out the PH, then yes, the fizzling makes sense.
When an acid (vinegar) reacts with a base (I assume somehow related to the infection you mentioned) the chemical reactions tend to produce gasses. Baking soda + vinegar is a classic example. You have the equivalent of baking soda in your ear.
Gotcha. Just making sure this is all Dr. approved. Vinegar can be more hazardous than some people realize. It is an acid after all.
Another user suggested it might be reacting with soap residue in your ear. This seems the most likely explanation to me.
You're generalizing a specific phenomenon, and incorrect. Acid-base reactions only very rarely produce gases. The reactions produce heat and water, only in the case of bicarbonate being a base is a gas produced. This is because carbonic acid forms, which spontaneously decays into carbon dioxide. This is not a universal acid-base phenomenon. Soaps should not cause fizzing with vinegar.
Soap maybe?
This seems likely. Soap is a base and if you don’t rinse it all out there could be residue in there.
Yes! Earwax is slightly acidic (~6.1 pH) while acetic acid is more acidic (5% vinegar is ~2.5 pH) so the earwax acts as a base in this reaction.
ETA: there may be other things it is reacting with as well, like leftover soap, but this is how acid base reactions work. A chemical does not need to be above pH of 7 to act as a base. The more acidic compound will give its extra hydrogen to the less acidic compound.
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Something being less acidic does not mean that it acts like a base
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Bubbling occurs as a result of the production of a gas not as a result of an acid/base reaction in of itself. Baking soda and vinegar react to form CO2 (a gas) water and Sodium Acetate. The CO2 that is produced in that reaction is what causes bubbles NOT the acid/base reaction. eg. if you reacted Sodium Hydroxide and vinegar you will not observe bubbling because there is no gas being produced.
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Ear wax should not contain anything that should bubble as a result of the introduction of an acid.
Either what OP is observing isnt actually bubbling or there is something in their ear that shouldnt be.
“There’s something in the ear that shouldn’t be”
I would suggest that that something is vinegar.
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In an acid base reaction, yes it does. An acid donates a proton, a base accepts a proton. The less acidic compound will accept the proton, making it the base. Acting as a base does not make it alkaline.
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Correct, the acid base reaction itself does not cause bubbling. However, baking soda and vinegar are not the only compounds that react to form CO2 (or another gas) in an acid base reaction.
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Looking at the components of ear wax reveal it’s composed of a wide variety of different compounds. It’s been a while since I took o chem, so I’m not up to the task of determining which of these components are or are not capable of producing CO2 (or any other gas) in an acid base reaction with acetic acid. Do you have a source detailing these possible chemical reactions?
ETA: The people in this thread are so eager to shut down misinformation that they are actively spreading misinformation that would be rapidly disproven in any gen chem college course. I’ve learned my lesson on trying to share cool chemistry facts with internet strangers.
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TIL! Thank you.
Please unlearn this. This is wrong.
As my doc was wont to say, "let's compare who's got more medical degrees."
Listen to a doc until another fucking doc says otherwise.
For sure, I don’t think the Dr. would risk their degree bullshitting, was just curious if the fizzing was normal and didn’t want to pay $15 to ask them!
Is it normal to use white vinegar as ear drops?
My dad used vinegar as ear drops to treat eczema based on doctors orders. It worked very well.
No. No it is not.
Maybe earwax is basic? Why tf you putting vinegar in your ears?
About peroxide: This substance is used only when removing earwax; for this cleaning, rinsing is recommended, in which liquid is poured into the ear (it can also be injected with a clean syringe and slowly dripped into the ear canal). During this procedure, the patient should lie with his head turned on the side of the healthy ear.
The solution reacts until the peroxide begins to bubble. The remaining content flows out and is wiped off. In otitis media, peroxide should not be used without the knowledge of a doctor — if the inflammation is in the outer ear, it can be transmitted deep into it, leading to a more serious infection or even a life-threatening condition such as a brain abscess. Drip 3% hydrogen peroxide into the affected ear. It will painlessly dissolve impurities in the ear canal. When the liquid stops bubbling, the ear canal is wiped with a cotton swab, the patient is placed on the side of the washed ear, and the rest of the contents flows onto the cotton swab.
Don’t do this. If you have earwax build up go see an ENT. You’re just risking your ear health and the possibility of giving your self permanent tinnitus or something worse.
Why are you talking about peroxide?
Probably because it's part of OP's original question.
As an alternative, I would say.
Yes...if you're a vampire.
Yes it's normal, I sometimes use that to disinfect my ears after diving and it sizzles a bit.
Why didn't you stick with 3% peroxide to clean it, out of curiosity? Just none available, or am I the only crazy person who does this from time to time?
You're not the only one. Peroxide works great to clear up a swimmer's ear infection when used early at onset.
I would imagine peroxide is good just for that—from time to time. If you’re treating an ongoing infection, it may be more wise to use something a bit gentler. The acidic vinegar will still do some work, but without the risk of shedding your flesh off if you were to use peroxide many days in a row.