Don't Let Swimmer's Ear Ruin Your Summer Fun

During those hot summertime days, it's fun to spend time in the water to cool down. However, the more time in the water increases your risk of developing otitis externa, more commonly known as swimmer's ear.

Swimmer's ear is a condition where the outer ear canal becomes infected, resulting in swelling, irritation and discomfort.

Causes and Risk Factors

Swimmer's ear is most common in kids who spend a lot of time in the water, but it can happen to anyone. Other causes of swimmer's ear include:

• Water: too much moisture in the ear can irritate the skin in the canal, allowing bacteria to get in. Swimming is the most common summertime activity, which makes swimmer's ear most common in the summertime
• Humidity: bacteria thrive in warmer temperatures, which further explains why swimmer's ear is more common during the summer months.
• Injury: an injury to the ear canal from a scratch or cut increases your risk of swimmer's ear.
• Skin conditions: eczema or psoriasis in the ear can also increase your risk

What Are the Symptoms of Swimmer's Ear?

The symptoms of swimmer's ear can range from mild to severe. The signs that you may have swimmer's ear include:

• Redness
• Itchiness or pain when touching or wiggling your earlobe
• Pus that is yellow tinted or smelly
• Swollen ear canal or glands in your neck
• Muffled hearing or hearing loss
• Fever

The symptoms of swimmer's ear are similar to those of other health conditions, which is why you should always see your healthcare provider for proper diagnosis and treatment.

How to Prevent Swimmer's Ear

These steps can help protect your ears from developing swimmer's ear:

• You should never use cotton swabs, fingers or other objects to clean your ears
• Keep your ears dry, and if you do get water in your ear canal, make sure you dry them completely
• Avoid swimming in dirty or polluted water
• Consider using ear plugs when swimming and showering

Treatment

Over the counter medications, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, can help ease the pain caused by swimmer's ear but ear infections should be treated by your primary care provider.

Make an appointment with your doctor if you're experiencing any pain in the ear with or without fever, decreased hearing in one or both ears or you have abnormal discharge coming from the ear.

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