What Are the Treatments for Swimmer’s Ear?

Written by R. Morgan Griffin

• At the Doctor’s Office
• Eardrops
• What to Do at Home During Treatment
• Treatments for Severe Swimmer’s Ear
• Next Steps

If you come back from a day at the water park with a case of swimmer’s ear, don’t plan on just trying to shake it off. See your doctor to get treatment that fights the infection and eases your pain.

For swimmer’s ear treatments to work well, your doctor will first need to gently clean out any gunk that’s blocking your ear canal, like fluid, dead skin, and extra wax. She may use hydrogen peroxide, a suction device, or a special tool called an ear curette.

Your doctor will also want to check to make sure that your eardrum is healthy. If it’s torn (perforated), regular swimmer’s ear treatments may not work. You may need to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist for treatment.

You’ll probably leave your doctor’s office with a prescription for eardrops to use at home. It’s the most common treatment. The eardrops fight the infection and help your ear heal.

Depending on your situation, these drops might have:

• Antibiotics to kill bacteria
• Steroids to help with swelling
• Antifungal medicines, if your symptoms are caused by a fungus
• Chemicals that restore a healthy balance to your ear canal, so it’s harder for germs to grow

Follow the bottle’s instructions for putting in the eardrops. Usually, you need to:

• Tilt your head or lie on your side when you put the drops into your ear
• Stay in that position for 3 to 5 minutes to let the drops soak in
• Put a cotton ball into your ear, and leave it there for 20 minutes to keep the drops in
• Repeat three to four times a day, or as your doctor recommends

You may find it easier to have somebody in your family put in the drops for you. They’ll probably have better aim. If the drops hurt because they’re cold, warm the bottle first by holding it in your hands.

Once you start treatment, it will probably take about a week before your symptoms go away. In the meantime, you can take steps to feel better and help your treatment work.

Use painkillers if you need them. Over-the-counter acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen can help with pain. If they’re not enough, your doctor may give you a prescription painkiller.

Use the eardrops for as long as it says on the bottle. That’s usually 7 to 14 days. You may start feeling better after just a few days, but don’t stop early. If you do, the infection could come back.

Keep your ears dry. When you shower, gently put cotton balls coated with petroleum jelly into your ears to keep out water. And don’t swim until your doctor says it’s OK — probably for 7 to 10 days.

Don’t use headphones or a hearing aid. Wait until you feel better before you put anything into your ear.

Protect your ears from chemicals in cosmetics. For some people, hairsprays, hair dyes, and other products can irritate the skin and cause swimmer’s ear. Stop using anything that you think could be causing a problem — or at least put cotton balls into your ears first.

Call your doctor if you’re not feeling somewhat better in 36 to 48 hours. You may need a different approach to get rid of the infection.

Most folks find they can get their swimmer’s ear under control with eardrops. But if the infection is more serious or has spread, you may need other types of treatment.

Ear wicks. If your ear canal is very swollen, it can block eardrops from getting far enough into your ear. If this happens, your doctor might put a wick into your ear. It’s just a piece of cotton that helps the drops get to where they need to go. Your doctor may need to replace the wick a few times.

Oral or IV antibiotics. If your infection is hard to treat or severe — or it has spread to nearby tissue, cartilage, or bone — you may need more powerful antibiotics. One serious infection is called malignant (necrotizing) external otitis, which is more common in older people with diabetes and immune problems like HIV.

Once you start treatment, you’ll probably start feeling better within a few days. If your symptoms last longer than 10 days — or if they get worse — call your doctor.

When you’re better, take steps so you won’t get it again. Wear earplugs when you’re swimming, and dry your ears carefully after they get wet. And don’t pick or scratch inside your ears, since that can cause swimmer’s ear.

Above all, follow the advice your mom might have told you: Never stick anything in your ear that’s smaller than your elbow.

Top Picks

What Are the Treatments for Swimmer’s Ear?

Written by R. Morgan Griffin

• At the Doctor’s Office
• Eardrops
• What to Do at Home During Treatment
• Treatments for Severe Swimmer’s Ear
• Next Steps

If you come back from a day at the water park with a case of swimmer’s ear, don’t plan on just trying to shake it off. See your doctor to get treatment that fights the infection and eases your pain.

For swimmer’s ear treatments to work well, your doctor will first need to gently clean out any gunk that’s blocking your ear canal, like fluid, dead skin, and extra wax. She may use hydrogen peroxide, a suction device, or a special tool called an ear curette.

Your doctor will also want to check to make sure that your eardrum is healthy. If it’s torn (perforated), regular swimmer’s ear treatments may not work. You may need to see an ear, nose, and throat specialist for treatment.

You’ll probably leave your doctor’s office with a prescription for eardrops to use at home. It’s the most common treatment. The eardrops fight the infection and help your ear heal.

Depending on your situation, these drops might have:

• Antibiotics to kill bacteria
• Steroids to help with swelling
• Antifungal medicines, if your symptoms are caused by a fungus
• Chemicals that restore a healthy balance to your ear canal, so it’s harder for germs to grow

Follow the bottle’s instructions for putting in the eardrops. Usually, you need to:

• Tilt your head or lie on your side when you put the drops into your ear
• Stay in that position for 3 to 5 minutes to let the drops soak in
• Put a cotton ball into your ear, and leave it there for 20 minutes to keep the drops in
• Repeat three to four times a day, or as your doctor recommends

You may find it easier to have somebody in your family put in the drops for you. They’ll probably have better aim. If the drops hurt because they’re cold, warm the bottle first by holding it in your hands.

Once you start treatment, it will probably take about a week before your symptoms go away. In the meantime, you can take steps to feel better and help your treatment work.

Use painkillers if you need them. Over-the-counter acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or naproxen can help with pain. If they’re not enough, your doctor may give you a prescription painkiller.

Use the eardrops for as long as it says on the bottle. That’s usually 7 to 14 days. You may start feeling better after just a few days, but don’t stop early. If you do, the infection could come back.

Keep your ears dry. When you shower, gently put cotton balls coated with petroleum jelly into your ears to keep out water. And don’t swim until your doctor says it’s OK — probably for 7 to 10 days.

Don’t use headphones or a hearing aid. Wait until you feel better before you put anything into your ear.

Protect your ears from chemicals in cosmetics. For some people, hairsprays, hair dyes, and other products can irritate the skin and cause swimmer’s ear. Stop using anything that you think could be causing a problem — or at least put cotton balls into your ears first.

Call your doctor if you’re not feeling somewhat better in 36 to 48 hours. You may need a different approach to get rid of the infection.

Most folks find they can get their swimmer’s ear under control with eardrops. But if the infection is more serious or has spread, you may need other types of treatment.

Ear wicks. If your ear canal is very swollen, it can block eardrops from getting far enough into your ear. If this happens, your doctor might put a wick into your ear. It’s just a piece of cotton that helps the drops get to where they need to go. Your doctor may need to replace the wick a few times.

Oral or IV antibiotics. If your infection is hard to treat or severe — or it has spread to nearby tissue, cartilage, or bone — you may need more powerful antibiotics. One serious infection is called malignant (necrotizing) external otitis, which is more common in older people with diabetes and immune problems like HIV.

Once you start treatment, you’ll probably start feeling better within a few days. If your symptoms last longer than 10 days — or if they get worse — call your doctor.

When you’re better, take steps so you won’t get it again. Wear earplugs when you’re swimming, and dry your ears carefully after they get wet. And don’t pick or scratch inside your ears, since that can cause swimmer’s ear.

Above all, follow the advice your mom might have told you: Never stick anything in your ear that’s smaller than your elbow.

Top Picks

Otitis externa – Articles – Clinic “From Scratch” (Healthy family)

Ear pain always causes panic, especially if it appears in a child. One of the causes of ear pain can be otitis externa. Otitis externa is an inflammation of the external auditory canal, which is a curved canal that ends in the ear where the eardrum begins. We will talk about why otitis externa appears, how it is treated and methods of prevention today in our article.

How does otitis externa appear?

The external auditory meatus is a curved canal 2.5 to 3.5 cm long, which ends where the tympanic membrane begins, and then the middle auditory canal begins. The external auditory canal or EAP is covered with skin, hair follicles, and earwax glands. Sulfur is not dirt! Earwax is a protective barrier that, due to its acidic pH, prevents bacteria and fungi from entering and multiplying in the ESP.

What triggers otitis externa? Water. It is not for nothing that otitis externa is called “swimmer’s ear”, because most often it occurs precisely when water enters the ear, since the environment inside the ear is hydrophobic, that is, it does not like water. When water enters the ear for a long period, the environment becomes humid, and a humid environment is ideal for the reproduction of microbes and fungi.

Another factor in the occurrence of otitis externa is damage to the skin-sulfur barrier of the skin, which is very easy to damage, for example, constant cleaning of the ears with cotton swabs. This is absolutely impossible to do! If you are used to this method of cleaning your ears, then use children’s sticks with a special limiter. This way you are less likely to damage the barrier. In addition, there are now a large number of different ear drops aimed at safely cleansing the ear canal.

Damaged ESP + water = excellent breeding ground for bacteria and fungi = otitis externa. That’s why it’s so important to keep your ears dry. Use swimming caps or special earplugs. If these items are not available, then after bathing, dry your ears with a hair dryer with a cool stream and at minimum speed.

Symptoms of otitis externa

The most important symptom of otitis externa is acute pain, as an inflammatory process occurs in the ear. The severity of pain depends on the severity of the course of the disease. It becomes especially painful if you pull the earlobe or put pressure on the cartilaginous protrusion at the ear canal.

Other symptoms of otitis externa are:

• ear redness;
• itching;
• clear liquid may flow;
• sensation of stuffy ear

It should be understood that otitis externa is symptomatically similar to a number of other conditions, such as otomycosis, contact dermatitis, psoriasis, a foreign body in the ear, and otitis media. This tells us that it is impossible to self-diagnose. At the first symptoms, you should immediately contact an otolaryngologist who will prescribe the correct treatment.

Nothing should be dripped into the ear until the doctor has examined it, because if there is a hole in the eardrum, any drops can lead to complications up to hearing loss.

An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a doctor when examining the eardrum using otoscopy. Self-diagnosis by pressure on the ear, twitching of the lobe, and so on, can only suggest the presence of otitis externa, but do not confirm it.

Changes in the tympanic membrane, the presence of fluid may persist for a long time after recovery. This does not indicate ineffective treatment, it is not necessary to repeat the course of antibiotic therapy.

Otitis externa is capable of a severe form of the course and even turn into tissue necrosis, and otitis externa can also damage the nerves of the face.

By the way, otitis externa can be in one ear and cannot be transmitted to the other.

How is otitis externa treated?

As a rule, the treatment of otitis externa in all countries of the world is almost identical. Treatment includes:

• ear drops with antibiotics or corticosteroids. The combination of these drugs gives the best effect. Such drops are sold by prescription, which must be obtained from the doctor at the appointment.
• Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in tablets – for the relief of acute pain.

But various physiotherapy, candles in the ears and Miramistin are not effective and have no evidence base. These methods are not used for the treatment of otitis externa abroad.

By the way, the improvement from the treatment occurs, as a rule, on the 2-3rd day of treatment. Pain completely disappears within a week, and hearing will be restored 14 days after the start of therapy. It should be understood that while you are being treated, you need to stay away from water for 7-10 days.

If left untreated, otitis externa can progress deeper and infect the skin and subcutaneous tissue.

Prevention of otitis externa

Everything is banal here: keep your ears dry!

When swimming and diving, don’t forget the special ear plugs and wear a swimming cap. If you still wet your ears, then after bathing, dry them with a hairdryer and wipe them with a towel, alternately tilting your head to the left and right so that water flows out of your ears.

A few words about antibiotics

You don’t always need an antibiotic. Even with acute catarrhal otitis media, exudative otitis media, an antibiotic is not needed, and even with purulent otitis media, antibiotics are not always indicated.

When do you need antibiotics?

1. If the child is less than 6 months old and has been diagnosed with acute suppurative otitis media.
2. Children from 6 months to 2 years of age with acute purulent otitis media in both ears are prescribed an antibiotic immediately. The doctor has the right to choose expectant tactics if one ear is affected and the child is not in a serious condition.
3. If within 48-72 hours the child’s condition worsens or does not change, then an antibiotic is prescribed.
4. If in children older than 2 years there is intoxication, persistent pain in the ear for more than 48 hours, while there is a bilateral lesion, or fluid flows from the ear as a result of damage to the eardrum, then an antibiotic is prescribed immediately.
5. Topical antibiotics are not used in acute otitis media.

Otitis externa is not as scary as it might seem if you see a doctor in time. And of course, the best treatment is prevention. Keep your ears dry, try not to use cotton swabs or pick at your ears. If you experience severe sharp pain in your ear, contact your doctor immediately. Take care of yourself and your loved ones and be healthy!

Water in the ear – first aid for adults and children – clinic “Dobrobut”

Main

Medical Library Dobrobut

Publication date: 2019-12-14

What to do if water gets into the ear

Water getting into the ear is an unpleasant situation that needs to be corrected. With untimely assistance, water in the ear can cause serious inflammatory and infectious (with damage to the eardrum) diseases. In any case, everyone needs to know what to do if water gets into the ear.

First Aid

The recommendations below can be used to get rid of water in the ear in both adults and children. And it doesn’t matter at all where exactly the trouble occurred – at home after swimming in the bathroom or on the beach near the reservoir. What can be done as first aid:

1. Jump on one or two legs, tilting the head to the side corresponding to the plugged ear. Usually one minute of active jumping is enough to get rid of the problem.
2. How to remove water from a child’s ear if he still does not know how to jump or does not understand how to do it? The parent should place their hand on the stuffed ear of the child, press it with force and then sharply remove it. Under the influence of the air flow, the existing water plug is destroyed.
3. You can use the method of professional divers and swimmers. To get rid of the unpleasant sensation, you need to draw more air into your lungs, then, holding your nose with your fingers, blow with force, simulating a deep and powerful exhalation. So the water plug comes out of the ears.

What to do if the ear is stuffed up with water and hurts

It often happens that the sensation of water in the ear is painful, and the above first aid methods do not help. The best option in this case is to seek qualified medical help. But if the ear is blocked from water and hurts, and there is no opportunity to visit a doctor, then the following can be done:

1. Make a flagellum out of cotton and clean the ear with it. A cotton (ear) bud is not suitable for this procedure, since it cannot absorb water, which is a priority.
2. You can simply lie down on a flat surface (no pillow) on the side where the ear is blocked. Under the weight of the head, the water will come out on its own and relief will come.
3. If sea water gets into the ear and does not come out, then you can drip 1-2 drops of alcohol and wait 3-5 minutes. Alcohol mixes with water and evaporates. This method can be used to solve the problem not only in adults, but also in children.
4. If water gets into the ear after swimming, hydrogen peroxide may be used. This solution is injected into the problem area in the amount of 1-2 drops, then the earlobe is pulled slightly down and back to the back of the head. In this case, water will penetrate a little further along the ear canal (usually it is felt), but you should not worry, because in a mixture with hydrogen peroxide it will evaporate quickly enough.

If water gets into the baby’s ear while bathing, it can only be removed with a cotton swab! It is not worth taking the above methods, it is more advisable to seek help from a doctor. Many parents simply cannot understand which ear the water got into and whether there is a problem at all. To get rid of doubts after bathing the baby, you must first put it on one side, then (after a few seconds) on the other – the water should flow out on its own.

What to do if your ear hurts after removing the water

Quite often, ENT patients complain that after getting water in the ear, there is an obsessive aching pain. The reason for its appearance is swollen sulfur, which has turned into a dense cork and pressing on the nerve endings. It is unlikely that it will be possible to remove the sulfur plug on your own, but it is quite easy to push it deeper or damage the eardrum. In this case, a specialist will help.

If there is pain, but there is no feeling of stuffiness in the ear, then you can do the following:

1. Apply dry heat to the ear. This refers to heated salt or sand, poured into a sock or any textile napkin.
2. Put a drop of propolis tincture into the ear. Be sure to make sure that you are not allergic to this product.
3. At night, apply a vodka compress to the pain site. Vodka is preliminarily diluted with water in a ratio of 1:1. Otherwise, a burn may occur.

For more information on how to get rid of the sensation of water in the ear, please visit the Dobrobut.com website.

Related services:

Sun and heat stroke

Do you want to get an online explanation from the doctor of the Dobrobut MS?

Download our Google Play App and App Store

Our Doctors

See all doctors 771

Our certificates

Certificate no. QIZ 804 468 C1

Certificate No. QIZ 804 469 C1

Certificate No. QIZ 804 470 C1

Certificate no. QIZ 804 471 C1

View all certificates

Request a call back

Enter your phone number

Other articles

Children’s dermatologist – what he treats. The most common skin diseases in children

Brief description of the most common skin diseases in children. The importance of seeking help from a pediatric dermatologist. Treatment of skin diseases in children

Colic in newborns

Intestinal colic in infants: what causes them, how they manifest themselves. Diagnostic methods. Medicamentous and folk remedies in the treatment of colic in newborns

Endocarditis of the mitral and aortic valves: what is it

The main causes of rheumatic endocarditis in adults.