With summer finally here, many people are spending their days relaxing at the beach or nearby pool. Because people will be spending more time in and around the water, it’s important to practice safe swimming. According to the Centers for Disease Control, swimmer’s ear accounts for nearly 2.4 million health care visits a year. Knowing what swimmer’s ear is and how to prevent it will help you and your ears have a smoother summer.
The Signs and Symptoms of Swimmer’s Ear
Swimmer’s ear is the common name for a painful infection, inflammation or irritation of the outer ear that is caused when water gets trapped in the ear after swimming. As a result, bacteria or fungus may grow, causing itching and discomfort. This condition should be treated in its early stages while the impact is still minor. Doing so helps to relieve the pain and lessens the chances of hearing loss or further infection.
Swimmer’s ear is usually very easy to detect. Here are just a few of the more common symptoms:
- Itchiness inside your ear and pain that gets worse when you pull on your outer ear.
- Feeling like your ear is full or blocked; you could experience drainage from the ear.
- Fever, decreased hearing and severe pain that might spread to your face, neck or head.
- Pain with movement of your head, even when you chew.
Swimmer’s ear can lead to temporary hearing loss that usually resolves after the infection has cleared up. If left untreated, you might experience recurring infections and even permanent bone or cartilage damage.
Treatment
Fortunately, treatment for swimmer’s ear is quite simple. Here’s what it involves:
- Ear drops prescribed by your doctor that get rid of the bacteria or fungi and reduce inflammation.
- Oral antibiotics might also be given if the infection goes beyond the outer ear. It is important to follow up with your doctor as directed. In most cases, the infection will be cleared up in a week to 10 days.
Prevention
If you want to reduce the likelihood of getting swimmer’s ear and the potential temporary hearing loss that can accompany it, here’s what you need to keep in mind:
- Keep your ears as dry as possible when you swim, shower or use hot tubs. Custom earplugs can be very helpful in this regard.
- After leaving the water, dry your ears thoroughly with a towel and/or dryer. Be careful not to swim in contaminated water.
- Be sure that any pools where you swim are monitored for proper chlorine content and pH.
- Seek medical treatment from a physician that specializes in ear, nose and throat if you suffer from a history of swimmer’s ear.
Swimming with Hearing Loss
For people with hearing loss, swimmer’s ear isn’t the only complication to worry about when in the pool. Most hearing aids can be damaged by water, so swimmers who usually wear them often have to go without their assistance when doing laps.
Miracle-Ear Aquavi® is a virtually waterproof option for swimmers who want to wear a hearing aid while exercising. Its sealed case also makes it nearly dust and shockproof, which is ideal for people with active lifestyles. In addition to offering free hearing evaluations at more than 1,200 locations nationwide, the experts at Miracle-Ear can help find the hearing aid that’s just right for you.
*References:
http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/rwi/illnesses/swimmers-ear.html
https://www.entnet.org/content/swimmers-ear
Dandi D says
We don’t go swimming very often, but this is good info to know.
Richard Hicks says
Good advice for parents. Little ones swim a lot in the summer