What are the main causes of swimmer’s ear. How can you distinguish swimmer’s ear from other ear infections. Is swimmer’s ear contagious and how long does it typically last. What are the most effective treatments for swimmer’s ear. Can swimmer’s ear lead to long-term complications. How can you prevent swimmer’s ear while enjoying water activities.

Understanding Swimmer’s Ear: Causes and Risk Factors

Swimmer’s ear, medically known as otitis externa, is a common infection of the outer ear canal. Despite its name, you don’t have to be a swimmer to get this condition. The primary cause is moisture in the ear, which creates an ideal environment for bacterial growth.

What causes swimmer’s ear? The most common culprits include:

• Prolonged exposure to water (swimming, bathing, or humid environments)
• Use of hearing aids or earbuds
• Aggressive cleaning with cotton swabs
• Skin conditions affecting the ear canal
• Damage to the protective layer of the ear canal

The bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa is often responsible for swimmer’s ear, but other bacteria and fungi can also cause the infection. Understanding these risk factors can help you take preventive measures to protect your ears.

Recognizing Swimmer’s Ear: Symptoms and Diagnosis

Identifying swimmer’s ear early can lead to faster treatment and relief. The symptoms of swimmer’s ear can range from mild to severe and may include:

• Pain in the ear, especially when touching or moving it
• Redness and swelling of the ear canal
• Itching inside the ear
• Drainage of clear, odorless fluid
• Feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear
• Decreased hearing

How can you differentiate swimmer’s ear from other ear infections? A key indicator is pain that worsens when pulling on the outer ear or pressing on the tragus (the small piece of cartilage in front of the ear canal). This is typically not present in middle ear infections.

In severe cases, swimmer’s ear may cause:

• Fever
• Swollen lymph nodes in the neck
• Pain spreading to the face or neck

If you experience these symptoms, it’s crucial to seek medical attention for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Swimmer’s Ear vs. Middle Ear Infections: Key Differences

While swimmer’s ear and middle ear infections may share some symptoms, they are distinct conditions affecting different parts of the ear. Understanding these differences can help in seeking appropriate treatment.

Swimmer’s Ear (Otitis Externa)

• Affects the outer ear canal
• Pain worsens when touching or moving the outer ear
• Often associated with recent water exposure
• May cause visible redness or swelling of the outer ear

Middle Ear Infection (Otitis Media)

• Affects the space behind the eardrum
• Pain doesn’t typically worsen with ear movement
• Often follows a cold or respiratory infection
• May cause more significant hearing loss

A healthcare provider can distinguish between these conditions through a physical examination and by considering the patient’s history. This differentiation is crucial as the treatments for these conditions can vary significantly.

Treatment Options for Swimmer’s Ear

Effective treatment of swimmer’s ear typically involves a combination of cleaning, medication, and pain management. The approach may vary depending on the severity of the infection.

Medical Cleaning

A healthcare provider may clean the ear canal to remove debris and drainage, which can improve the effectiveness of topical medications. This process, known as aural toilet, can provide immediate relief and accelerate healing.

Topical Medications

Antibiotic ear drops are the primary treatment for swimmer’s ear. These may be combined with steroid drops to reduce inflammation and discomfort. Common options include:

• Ciprofloxacin and dexamethasone
• Neomycin, polymyxin B, and hydrocortisone
• Ofloxacin

These drops are typically used for 7-10 days, depending on the severity of the infection.

Pain Management

Over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help manage discomfort associated with swimmer’s ear. In severe cases, prescription pain medication may be necessary.

Home Care

Keeping the ear dry during treatment is crucial. Avoid swimming and use a shower cap or waterproof ear covers when bathing. A warm compress applied to the ear can also help alleviate pain.

How long does swimmer’s ear treatment take to work? Most people experience significant improvement within 2-3 days of starting treatment, but it’s important to complete the full course of medication as prescribed.

Prevention Strategies for Swimmer’s Ear

While swimmer’s ear can be effectively treated, prevention is always preferable. Here are some strategies to reduce your risk of developing this infection:

1. Keep ears dry: Use a towel to dry your ears after swimming or bathing. Tilt your head to each side to help water drain out.
2. Use earplugs: Wear water-resistant earplugs when swimming to keep water out of your ears.
3. Avoid cotton swabs: These can damage the ear canal’s protective layer and push wax deeper into the ear.
4. Use preventive drops: A solution of equal parts white vinegar and rubbing alcohol can help prevent bacterial growth. (Note: Only use if you have no history of ear problems or perforated eardrums.)
5. Maintain proper pool hygiene: Ensure pools are properly chlorinated to reduce bacterial levels.

Can you swim with swimmer’s ear? It’s best to avoid swimming until the infection has cleared to prevent re-infection and allow for proper healing.

Potential Complications and Long-Term Effects of Swimmer’s Ear

While swimmer’s ear is typically a minor condition that resolves with proper treatment, in rare cases, it can lead to more serious complications. Understanding these potential risks emphasizes the importance of prompt and appropriate treatment.

Temporary Hearing Loss

Swelling and inflammation in the ear canal can cause temporary hearing loss. This usually resolves as the infection clears.

Chronic Otitis Externa

In some cases, swimmer’s ear can become a chronic condition, lasting for months or even years. This is more common in people with underlying skin conditions or those exposed to persistent moisture.

Necrotizing Otitis Externa

This rare but serious complication occurs when the infection spreads to the surrounding bone. It’s more common in older adults, people with diabetes, or those with weakened immune systems.

Facial Nerve Complications

In extremely rare cases, severe infections can affect the facial nerve that runs through the ear, potentially causing facial paralysis.

Can swimmer’s ear cause permanent damage? While long-term damage is unusual, chronic or severe cases can potentially lead to lasting effects, underscoring the importance of proper treatment and prevention.

Swimmer’s Ear in Children: Special Considerations

Children are particularly susceptible to swimmer’s ear due to their narrower ear canals and frequent water exposure during play. Recognizing and managing this condition in children requires some special considerations.

Recognizing Symptoms in Children

Children may not always be able to articulate their discomfort clearly. Look for these signs:

• Tugging or pulling at the ear
• Irritability or fussiness
• Difficulty sleeping
• Reduced appetite
• Fever

Treatment Adjustments for Children

While treatment principles remain similar to adults, there are some considerations:

• Age-appropriate pain relief dosages
• Ear drops may need to be warmed to body temperature to prevent dizziness
• Assistance may be needed in applying ear drops correctly

Prevention Strategies for Children

Preventing swimmer’s ear in children involves some additional steps:

• Teaching proper ear-drying techniques after swimming
• Using well-fitting swim caps or earplugs
• Avoiding excessive ear cleaning, which can remove protective earwax

How can you tell if a child has swimmer’s ear? Watch for signs of ear discomfort, especially after water activities, and consult a healthcare provider if symptoms persist or worsen.

Swimmer’s Ear and Water Quality: Understanding the Connection

The risk of developing swimmer’s ear can vary depending on the type of water you’re exposed to. Understanding this relationship can help you take appropriate precautions.

Swimming Pools

Properly maintained pools with adequate chlorine levels generally pose a lower risk for swimmer’s ear. However, poorly maintained pools can harbor harmful bacteria. Key factors include:

• Regular pH testing and adjustment
• Adequate chlorine levels
• Proper filtration systems

Natural Bodies of Water

Lakes, rivers, and oceans can carry a higher risk of swimmer’s ear due to:

• Higher bacterial loads
• Presence of various microorganisms
• Lack of chemical treatment

Hot Tubs and Spas

The warm, moist environment of hot tubs can be particularly conducive to bacterial growth. Regular maintenance and hygiene practices are crucial in these settings.

Does it matter whether you’re swimming in a pool or natural body of water when it comes to swimmer’s ear risk? While both can potentially lead to infection, natural bodies of water generally carry a higher risk due to their uncontrolled environments and higher bacterial loads.

Regardless of the water source, taking preventive measures such as using earplugs and thoroughly drying your ears after water exposure can significantly reduce your risk of developing swimmer’s ear.

What to know about Swimmer’s Ear

Few things are more refreshing than a dip in a lake on a hot day. But as you or your children enjoy your swimming this summer, keep an eye on your ears. A condition called swimmer’s ear can lead to a lot of misery.

Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to prevent and treat this common infection of the external — or outer — ear canal known both as swimmer’s ear and “otitis externa.”

It commonly results from water in the ear after swimming, but it can be from other causes, such as hearing aids, cotton swabs, certain skin conditions or anything that damages the skin of the ear canal. Water creates a moist environment that allows bacteria to grow and infect the ear canal. It’s frequently caused by the bacteria pseudomonas aeruginosa, but other bacteria and fungus can also cause swimmer’s ear.

How do you know you have swimmer’s ear? What’s the difference between swimmer’s ear and an ear infection?

Swimmer’s ear symptoms can vary from mild to severe. These include pain, redness of the ear and ear canal, and drainage. A classic sign of swimmer’s ear is the pain becoming worse by pulling the outer ear or pushing the piece of cartilage at the front of the ear. Other symptoms include itching, ear fullness or pressure and decreased hearing. In rare cases, this can become more severe and cause pain throughout the face and neck, fever or swollen lymph nodes in the neck.

A middle ear infection is very common, especially in children. Most middle ear infections will cause pain, hearing loss and possibly drainage, similar to swimmer’s ear. However, a middle ear infection doesn’t cause pain when pulling the outer ear or pushing the piece of cartilage at the front of the ear. Those with middle ear infections may also have a history of these infections and may have ear tubes or other prior surgeries, and usually have more hearing loss. Middle ear infections usually don’t cause redness of the outer ear canal or ear. It’s important for a physician to differentiate these two, especially because the treatment can be quite different.

Is swimmer’s ear contagious?

Fortunately, it’s not contagious.

How can you tell if a child has swimmer’s ear?

Pain is the most common symptom, especially if it’s made worse by pulling the outer ear or pushing the piece of cartilage at the front of the ear. Drainage of fluid from the ear may also occur. In advanced cases, the outer ear may also become red and painful.

How long does swimmer’s ear last?

It generally lasts up to seven to 10 days, but this can vary, especially in chronic cases that can continue for weeks and months. Treatment usually decreases the duration of symptoms.

How do you get rid of swimmer’s ear?

Having a physician clean the ear of drainage and debris can be very helpful in treating the infection. Additionally, antibiotic ear drops, many times combined with a steroid drop, are very effective at quickly treating swimmer’s ear. There are multiple types of these ear drops that are effective. Pain medications such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen are very helpful with the discomfort.

In mild cases, swimmer’s ear can resolve on its own. But because of the discomfort, most patients will seek care, as the treatments are very effective at decreasing the symptoms.

Can swimmer’s ear cause long-term damage?

Long-term damage is unusual in most cases. However, the infection can become chronic due to resistant bacteria, skin conditions (dermatitis, psoriasis) and other reasons. Other long-term issues can occur if the infection spreads into the deep layers of skin, cartilage and bone. This can cause increasingly severe pain, damage to cranial nerves and more widespread infection. Thankfully, these cases are unusual and most of these patients have underlying medical conditions that helped the infection become more severe.

Does it matter whether you’re swimming in a pool or natural body of water?

Water with higher bacteria loads can increase the risk of swimmer’s ear. This includes both pools and lakes, especially depending on how well the pool is maintained.

Can you still swim with swimmer’s ear?

Ideally, we recommend you avoid swimming or getting any other moisture in the ear until the symptoms have subsided. In routine cases, this is likely not an issue, but it can possibly lead to reinfection or more difficulty with the treatment.

Is swimmer’s ear preventable?

Keeping the ears dry is the best way to prevent swimmer’s ear, but this can obviously be difficult with swimming. Using ear plugs can help prevent moisture in the outer ear canal. If the ear drum is intact and there’s not any history of ear issues in the past, 1:1 white vinegar and rubbing alcohol used after swimming can help prevent swimmer’s ear. The ear also creates natural barriers to infection, such as ear wax, and you should avoid removing this with cotton swabs. Cotton swabs can also cause damage to the skin in the ear canal that can potentially cause or increase the risk of developing swimmer’s ear.

Swimmer’s Ear (Otitis Externa) – MN Dept.

of Health

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Ear infections can be caused by leaving contaminated water in the ear after swimming. This infection, known as “swimmer’s ear” or otitis externa, is not the same as the common childhood middle ear infection. The infection occurs in the outer ear canal and can cause pain and discomfort. All age groups are affected by swimmer’s ear although it is more common in children.

On this page:
Symptoms
Transmission
Prevention
More Information

Symptoms

Symptoms usually appear within a few days of swimming and include:

• Itchiness inside the ear.
• Redness and swelling of the ear.
• Pain when the infected ear is tugged or when pressure is placed on the ear.
• Pus draining from the infected ear.

Symptoms are usually mild at first, but they may get worse if the infection spreads or is not treated. If you think you have swimmer’s ear, consult your healthcare provider. Swimmer’s ear can be treated with antibiotic ear drops.

Transmission

Swimmer’s ear can occur when water stays in the ear canal for long periods of time, providing the perfect environment for germs to grow and infect the skin. Germs found in pools and at other recreational water venues are one of the most common causes of swimmer’s ear.

Swimmer’s ear cannot be spread from one person to another.

Prevention

To reduce the risk of swimmer’s ear:

• Keep your ears as dry as possible.
  • Use a bathingcap, ear plugs, or custom-fitted swim molds when swimming.
• Dry your ears thoroughly after swimming or showering.
  • Use a towel to dry your ears well.
  • Tilt your head to hold each ear facing down to allow water to escape the ear canal.
  • Pull your earlobe in different directions while your ear is faced down to help water drain out.
    • If you still have water left in your ears, consider using a hair dryer to move air within the ear canal.
    • Put the dryer on the lowest heat and speed/fan setting.
    • Hold the dryer several inches from your ear.
• Don’t put objects in your ear canal (including cotton-tip swabs, pencils, paperclips, or fingers).
• Don’t try to remove ear wax. Ear wax helps protect your ear canal from infection.
  • If you think that your ear canal is blocked by ear wax, consult your healthcare provider.
• Consult your healthcare provider about using ear drops after swimming.
  • Drops should not be used by people with ear tubes, damaged ear drums, outer ear infections, or ear drainage (pus or liquid coming from the ear).
• Ask your pool/hot tub operator if disinfectant and pH levels are checked regularly—hot tubs and pools with proper disinfectant and pH levels are less likely to spread germs.

More Information

• CDC: Ear Infection
  Swimmer’s Ear (Otitis Externa) is not the same as the common childhood middle ear infection. Learn more below about two of the three main kinds of ear infections: otitis media with effusion and acute otitis media (AOM).

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Protection from nature

There is such a thing as “swimmer’s ear”. This is the name of the ear, whose normal state is disturbed by constant exposure to a humid environment. By nature, a healthy ear is well protected from water: the structure of the auricle does not allow water to pour into the ear canal in large quantities and stagnate there. And earwax has an acidic pH and kills most bacteria and fungi that get into it with water.

But proper swimming requires exhaling into the water, so swimmers (as well as divers) often get water in their ears. Gradually, earwax erodes and loses its protective properties, and the inner shell of the ear canal loosens and becomes vulnerable to infections.

Sushi ears!

Why do some children go to the pool all their lives, while others get “swimmer’s ear” from one bath? It depends on many factors: the composition of the water (how much chlorine is in it, infections . ..), the individual characteristics of the structure of the ear, the general state of immunity.

There are several ways to prevent this unpleasant condition:

• After swimming, you should wipe your ears inside or even dry them with a hair dryer. It is better to use not cotton buds, but a thin cloth napkin, sticking its soft corner deep into it. If you use a hair dryer, lower the temperature to a comfortable level, hot air also destroys natural protection.
• Put prophylactic ear drops in your ears after swimming. As a rule, they are made on the basis of medical alcohol, which mixes with the water left in the ear and quickly evaporates it.
• Use earplugs for swimming.

Wide choice

Well-known companies in the swimming industry produce not only swimwear and caps, but also various accessories for swimmers. Including earplugs of three types.

See: Ear plugs →

“Fungi” and “Arrows” are pulled out of the ears by a special tail that sticks out slightly outside the ear. Both species are oblong. “Fungi” really look like a plump “leg”, and a “hat” sticks out from the outside.

The “arrows” have a rod that is inserted into the ear, thinner, and there are 3-4 circular membranes on it. They are soft, take the shape of the ear and at the same time additionally protect it from water.

“Bubbles” are fully inserted into the ear, nothing sticks out from the outside. To get them, you need to press your finger on the cavity under the ear, the ball will pop out by itself. It cannot fall inside the ear due to its size.

In addition to the shape, swimming earplugs have a few other differences.

• There are special ear plugs for small ears.
• If desired, you can find silicone-free earplugs – made of a hypoallergenic material containing wax and almond oil.
• There is a model of ear plugs that does not allow water to flow into the ears, while not blocking the hearing of surrounding sounds. Of course, the sound is muffled in it, but, for example, the coach’s commands can be heard quite well. This is achieved due to the void inside the silicone “leg”.

See also: Shoots the ear, what to do at home →

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How to protect yourself from otitis media

The most common cause of otitis media, that is, inflammation of the ear, is water getting into the ear canal. How to swim and not suffer from otitis media?

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Summer

Swimming

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Swimming is one of the most rewarding and rewarding summer pleasures. In the sea, river, lake or even a pool – swim whenever possible, it helps with stress, excess weight, back pain, and even some of the consequences of the coronavirus. And there is only one organ in our body for which water can be truly dangerous – our ears. Otitis externa is even called the “swimmer’s ear” disease – so often it is picked up during swimming. We tell you how to protect yourself from otitis media and what to do if it does happen.

Article content

What is otitis media?

Otitis is the collective name for a group of inflammatory diseases affecting the auricle and external auditory canal. The diagnosis of “otitis externa” is made if inflammation develops on the tissues covering the eardrum; ear canal or auricular structure. There is also otitis media or otitis media and labyrinthitis – inflammation of the inner ear. If the symptoms persist for three weeks, we are talking about acute otitis media, but if they do not go away for a longer time or periodically return, we are talking about a chronic form of the disease.

What causes otitis?

Conventionally, otitis media can be divided into four types: fungal (pathogens are fungi), viral (often the same viruses that cause measles, SARS or influenza can provoke the development of otitis media), bacterial and coccal (staphylococci and other similar pathogens ). Since the clinical picture in all cases is almost the same, it is impossible to independently determine which pathogen caused the development of the disease. For this reason, it is categorically not recommended to self-medicate: antibiotics taken in the case of viral or fungal otitis media, or antifungal agents – in the case of a bacterial one, not only will not help, but will also lead to a more severe course of the disease.

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Is it possible to get otitis media in the pool?

Unfortunately, yes. One of the most common causes of the development of the disease is the ingress of water into the ear, especially unclean water, and hypothermia.

Is it possible to warm up the ears with otitis media?

No way! If otitis media has turned into a purulent form (and in the early stages this can simply not be noticed), under the influence of heat, pus can spread higher, into the meninges – and provoke the development of meningitis.

Why is otitis media dangerous? Can it lead to deafness?

In no case should you take otitis media lightly and wait until it passes by itself, and even more so self-medicate. Launched, it can turn into a purulent form – and provoke the development of brain abscesses, meningitis, disorders of the vestibular apparatus. In addition, due to otitis media, hearing loss and even hearing loss, facial paralysis, and even destruction of the bony structures of the ear can develop.

Is it possible to cure otitis media on my own?

No. At the first symptoms, you need to urgently consult a doctor, since only he can determine which pathogen caused the disease. If this is not done, the treatment will be ineffective, and the disease will progress. At the first sign of illness, immediately make an appointment with a doctor!

How to swim and not be afraid of otitis?

The best way to protect your ears is to keep water out of your ear canal.