ROTNROTT
Orange Belt
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- Nov 18, 2006
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I have seen this posted a few times but there has been a lot of misinformation, so I thought I would help out by posting a how-to-guide to cauliflower ear drainage. If your like me you don't have a lot of money laying around so going to the doctor is out of the question. Further a doc often wants to slice into your ear or have you sit out of grappling for an extended period of time which also is out of the question for me. This technique is if you have recently (within the first two weeks) gotten a new pocket of fluid on your cauliflower ear. If your ear has hardened sorry but you are going to often need surgery to clear it up. The following is a step-by-step to removing fluid.
1. Take a shower and make sure your ear is totally clean (use a clean towel as well)
2. Put on some hospital style gloves (utilize non-latex if at all possible in case you have a allergy you don't know about)
3. Use some sort of cleaning agent for you ear and let it dry. (ie- Chlorhexidine, Iodine,etc) rubbing alcohol will also work in a pinch but make sure to let it dry.
4. Get a new (absolutely a must!!!!) needle/syringe. The gauge I personally use is 25G the reason being is that is large enough to get out thick fluid that might not go through an insulin needle. But the needle is not so big that it looks like you put a new percing through your ear. The syringe size you need is atleast 3 cc's, as often what looks like a small amount of fluid can really be much more. The reason I don't like using diabetic insulin needles/syringes is that the syringe can only hold 0.5 cc's of fluid which might require you sticking yourself numerous times if you have a larger amount of fluid.
5. While standing infront of the mirror slowly insert the needle into the plumpiest part of the pocket taking into account that usually the bottom part of the pocket is the best place to put it into as fluid likes to follow gravity.
6. Slowly with draw the plunger on the syringe until all fluid is evacuated, or no more is being excreted.
7. Ice immediately afterwards.
8. This process may need to be repeated a few times within the first week if fluid continues to be building up.
9. As a rule of thumb always use a new needle/syringe each time you are sticking yourself, give your ear a day or so to recover and then you will be good as new.
Supplies needed: non-latex exam gloves, 25G needle, 3cc or bigger syringe, a cleaning agent for insertion site.
Hope this helps and remember I am not a doctor and am only expressing a technique I have personally performed many times. The correct way to take care of your cauliflower ear would be to see a physcian
Cheers,
1. Take a shower and make sure your ear is totally clean (use a clean towel as well)
2. Put on some hospital style gloves (utilize non-latex if at all possible in case you have a allergy you don't know about)
3. Use some sort of cleaning agent for you ear and let it dry. (ie- Chlorhexidine, Iodine,etc) rubbing alcohol will also work in a pinch but make sure to let it dry.
4. Get a new (absolutely a must!!!!) needle/syringe. The gauge I personally use is 25G the reason being is that is large enough to get out thick fluid that might not go through an insulin needle. But the needle is not so big that it looks like you put a new percing through your ear. The syringe size you need is atleast 3 cc's, as often what looks like a small amount of fluid can really be much more. The reason I don't like using diabetic insulin needles/syringes is that the syringe can only hold 0.5 cc's of fluid which might require you sticking yourself numerous times if you have a larger amount of fluid.
5. While standing infront of the mirror slowly insert the needle into the plumpiest part of the pocket taking into account that usually the bottom part of the pocket is the best place to put it into as fluid likes to follow gravity.
6. Slowly with draw the plunger on the syringe until all fluid is evacuated, or no more is being excreted.
7. Ice immediately afterwards.
8. This process may need to be repeated a few times within the first week if fluid continues to be building up.
9. As a rule of thumb always use a new needle/syringe each time you are sticking yourself, give your ear a day or so to recover and then you will be good as new.
Supplies needed: non-latex exam gloves, 25G needle, 3cc or bigger syringe, a cleaning agent for insertion site.
Hope this helps and remember I am not a doctor and am only expressing a technique I have personally performed many times. The correct way to take care of your cauliflower ear would be to see a physcian
Cheers,