Swimmer's Ear

While many have experienced the pain of inhaling a bit of water during a swimming session, earaches, following fullness in the ear, drainage, and fevers also affect swimmers. This uncomfortable experience can be a sign of a condition called "swimmer's ear."

What Is Swimmer's Ear?

Well, what is swimmer's ear? It's an ear infection that kids and adults commonly get by swimming in a pool or lake. Water seeps into the ear canal and erodes its protective lining, making it easier for bacteria and fungi to take hold and multiply.

Any infection of the external ear in or near the ear canal is considered swimmer's ear, while an infection in the middle ear is not.

"Swimmer's ear is fairly common and can occur at any age, but many experience it during the summer," said Lindsay Vanlaere, a nurse practitioner at Franciscan ExpressCare in West Lafayette.

Can You Get Swimmer's Ear If You Don't Swim?

As surprising as it may be due to the condition's name, you can still get swimmer's ear even if you haven't been in a pool or lake.

Water could get into your ears during a bath or shower, or you may have even poked your ear, setting the stage for an infection.

These infections can happen when a child or parent tries to remove earwax with a cotton swab or scratch the inside of their ear. Earwax plays a protective role, so both methods of earwax removal can be the culprit of your swimmer's ear troubles.

Cotton swabs can trap dirt and bacteria in the ear canal, and then tiny hairs in the ear canal sweep out the microbe-carrying wax. Still, if a cotton swab has pushed the wax to the end of the canal, your ear is more likely to bring in bacteria.

A few skin conditions, including psoriasis and dermatitis, can also make people susceptible to swimmer's ear. In addition, toddlers and young children commonly put small objects, such as beads or bits of food, into their ear canals; these can lead to an infection.

How Can I Tell If My Child Has Swimmers Ear Or Another Kind Of Ear Infection?

"Swimmer's ear is inflammation of the external canal, while an ear infection is behind the drum," Vanlaere said. "With swimmer's ear, there is inflammation or fluid within the middle ear space."

An infection of the external ear usually starts with some itchiness. Eventually, that itchiness becomes ear pain and tenderness. If your child's pain worsens when chewing or from gentle tugging on their earlobe, they may have swimmer's ear.

In the case of middle ear infections, moving the outside of the ear shouldn't cause pain. Here are a few symptoms related to an ear infection that can be seen through the entrance of the ear:

• Redness
• Scaling
• Temporary hearing loss
• Ear discharge

What Are The Treatment Options For Swimmer's Ear?

While it's still best to have your healthcare provider take a look at you or your child's ear, swimmer's ear usually goes away on its own and responds well to home treatment:

1. Keep the infected ear dry and put in some antiseptic eardrops from the drugstore (or make your own by mixing 1 part white vinegar and 1 part rubbing alcohol).
2. Leave them in a couple of minutes, with your child lying on their side so that the affected ear is up, then let the ear drain.
3. Hold warm compresses against your child's ear to ease the pain. (You can also give them acetaminophen, but never give aspirin to a child or teenager since it can sometimes lead to Reye's syndrome, a rare but potentially life-threatening illness.)

Your child's doctor may prescribe eardrops containing a combination of medicines to reduce inflammation and kill the bacteria. If the infection is advanced, your child may need to take antibiotics. Depending on their level of discomfort, they may also need another prescription for pain.

When Should I Call The Pediatrician?

Call the doctor if you or your child:

• Have symptoms that linger for more than four or five days
• Already have an ear infection or repeatedly gets swimmer's ear
• Have diabetes or a weakened immune system
• Have ever had a ruptured ear drum or ear surgery
• Notice discharge from the ear or decreased hearing

Get emergency medical help if you or your child suddenly develop a swollen, moon-shaped face, sharp pain in the ear, and fever. In extremely rare cases, this infection spreads to the inner ear, underlying bone, and bloodstream.

Can I Catch Swimmer's Ear From Others?

Don't worry about catching swimmer's ear from others since the infection isn't contagious. Still, it's best not to go back in the water until you're completely healed. On that note, ear plugs don't completely seal out water, so don't depend on them.

Call your pediatrician if your child has earwax problems, but don't try removing it yourself. Remember, the wax is there to protect the ears.