Living an active lifestyle is a great way to stay healthy, fit, and energetic. Particularly during the summer months, you might find yourself enjoying water sports and swimming as recreational activities. Others of us enjoy swimming for exercise, and indoor pools are a great way to stay in shape through the winter, as well. Although enjoying water sports and activities can be great for your health, they do come with one significant risk: swimmer’s ear. If you have ever experienced this painful infection, you will not forget it. When bacteria grow inside the chambers of the ear canal, they can cause very painful inflammation. In the worst cases, they can even cause hearing damage, so swimmer’s ear is nothing to take lightly. Let’s take a moment to consider how swimmer’s ear occurs and what you can do to prevent it. A few simple steps can help you avoid this condition, while continuing to enjoy the water sports and recreation you love.
Prevention Tips
What can you do to prevent swimmer’s ear? Keeping the ears dry and clean are essential steps to take in any water sports environment. If you know that you are prone to ear infections or swimmer’s ear, you can wear earplugs while swimming. Make sure to get earplugs with a tight fit, so that you are keeping your ears dry rather than trapping fluid inside them. If you wear a swimming cap, you can fit that cap over your ears for extra protection. After you are finished swimming, make sure to dry your ears with a clean, dry cloth or towel. You might want to use tissue to dry your ears, making sure that you are not introducing any bacteria into the ear canal. What should you do if you feel fluid trapped in your ear canal? Tilting the head can help, and you might want to try sleeping on that side of your head to give the fluid a chance to slowly drain from the head. Over-the-counter eardrops are available, as well. These eardrops have a mild antibacterial solution to make sure that bacteria does not have a chance to grow in the ear canal. If you know you are likely to develop swimmer’s ear, you can use a drop or two after swimming as a preventative measure. Swimming in natural bodies of water can pose the greatest risk. Rivers and lakes tend to have bacteria that can become trapped in the ears, so take extra precaution when you are swimming or taking part in recreational activities in these bodies of water.
Treatment for Swimmer’s Ear
If you develop swimmer’s ear, you might be tempted to use a home remedy, but a trip to the doctor is a wiser approach. Although you might be able to use a home remedy in the short term, you will want to make sure the harmful bacteria is fully eradicated from the ear canal. Those who get swimmer’s ear once can be at risk for repeat infections, so most doctors will prescribe antibiotics to fully clear your ears of this infection. When you visit the doctor, the first step might involve removing fluid, blockage, or debris from the ear canal. Hydrogen peroxide or a specialized suction device can be used to clear the pathway for the fluid to dispense. You will most likely leave the doctor’s office with eardrops. These drops can include antibiotics, steroids, antifungals, and other medications to promote a healthy bacterial balance in the ear. In addition to these eardrops, you might need to use painkillers to ease the discomfort of swimmer’s ear. While you are on this regimen of eardrops, make sure to keep your ears as dry as possible. Avoid wearing headphones, earbuds, or hearing aids during this process of recovery. Be sure to keep the eardrops in your ear for the entire prescribed time. Some treatments require you to keep the eardrops in your ear with a cotton ball for a full 20 minutes, 3-4 times a day, and be sure to see this process through to the end. With these preventative and treatment tips in mind, you should be able to engage in your favorite water sports and recreation without worrying!