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If you already have an ear infection, or if you have
ever had a perforated or otherwise injured eardrum, or ear surgery,
you should consult an ear, nose, and throat specialist before
you go swimming and before you use any type of ear drops. If
you do not know if you have or ever had a perforated, punctured,
ruptured, or otherwise injured eardrum, ask your ear doctor.
 Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the outer ear structures.
It typically occurs in swimmers, but the since the cause of the
infection is water trapped in the ear canal, bathing or showering
may also cause this common infection. When water is trapped in
the ear canal, bacteria that normally inhabit the skin and ear
canal multiply, causing infection and irritation of the ear canal.
If the infection progresses it may involve the outer ear.
The most common symptoms of swimmer’s ear are mild to
moderate pain that is aggravated by tugging on the auricle and
an itchy ear. Other symptoms may include any of the following:
- Sensation that the ear is blocked or full
- Drainage
- Fever
- Decreased hearing
- Intense pain that may
radiate to the neck, face, or side of the head
- The outer ear may appear to be pushed forward or away from
the skull
- Swollen lymph nodes
Treatment for the early stages of swimmer’s ear includes
careful cleaning of the ear canal and eardrops that inhibit bacterial
growth. Mild acid solutions such as boric or acetic acid are
effective for early infections.
For more severe infections, if you do not have a perforated
ear drum, ear cleaning may be helped by antibiotics. If the ear
canal is swollen shut, a sponge or wick may be placed in the
ear canal so that the antibiotic drops will be effective. Pain
medication may also be prescribed.
Follow-up appointments with your physician are very important
to monitor progress of the infection, to repeat ear cleaning,
and to replace the ear wick as needed. Your otolaryngologist
has specialized equipment and expertise to effectively clean
the ear canal and treat swimmer’s ear.
A dry ear is unlikely to become infected, so it is important
to keep the ears free of moisture after swimming or bathing.
Q-tips should not be used for this purpose, because they may
pack material deeper into the ear canal, remove protective earwax,
and irritate the thin skin of the ear canal creating the perfect
environment for infection.
The safest way to dry your ears is with a hair dryer. If you
do not have a perforated eardrum, rubbing alcohol or a 50:50
mixture of alcohol and vinegar used as eardrops will evaporate
excess water and keep your ears dry.
People with itchy ears, flaky or scaly ears, or extensive earwax
are more likely to develop swimmer’s ear. If so, it may
be helpful to have your ears cleaned periodically by an otolaryngologist.
An itchy ear is a maddening symptom. Sometimes it is
caused by a fungus or allergy, but more often it is a
chronic dermatitis (skin inflammation) of the ear canal.
One type is seborrheia dermatitis, a condition similar
to dandruff in the scalp; the wax is dry, flaky, and
abundant. Some patients with this problem will do well
to decrease their intake of foods that aggravate it,
such as greasy foods, carbohydrates (sugar and starches),
and chocolate.
Doctors often prescribe a cortisone eardrop at bedtime
when the ears itch. There is no long-term cure, but it
can be kept controlled.
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© 2004 AAO-HNS/AAO-HNSF
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