Swimmers Ear Can Be a Source of Summer Ear Pain

Summer vacation can be great fun for a kid.  The days are long, and the sun is hot.  There is no better way to keep cool during the summer than to spend time at the neighborhood swimming pool.  Spend too much time, however, and you could end up with a nasty case of swimmers ear.

Swimmers ear is an infection of the external ear canal.  In medical terms, it is called otitis externa.  This is in contrast to the middle ear infection that kids get with colds called otitis media.  The ear canal serves to protect the middle and inner ear from infection and foreign objects.  It does this by producing ear wax to trap foreign material and bacteria.  The skin of the ear canal also produces and acidic environment that helps to prevent bacterial and fungal growth.

Anything that causes inflammation of the ear canal can lead to swimmers ear.  This would include:

• Damage to the skin from attempts at cleaning the ear canal.
• Excessive moisture as might occur following lots of swimming.  This alters the acidic environment of the ear canal and can lead to bacterial growth.
• Headphones, hearing aids, or ear plugs can damage the ear canal and increase the risk for swimmers ear.
• Chemicals from hair products can enter the ear canal and alter the environment predisposing to infection.

The most common symptom of swimmers ear is pain.  While on vacation in Orlando, my son spent several hours every day in the pool.  After about 3 or 4 days, he started complaining of pain in one ear.  I thought it might be the beginning of swimmers ear so I had him stay out of the pool for a few days, and the pain went away.  Other symptoms might include drainage or pus from the affected ear, itching of the ear canal, redness of the ear, and possibly dizziness.

Simple steps that can be taken at home would include what I alluded to above.  Start by eliminating the likely offending cause.  If you need to stay out of the pool for a few days, that may be all that is required.  If you suspect a hair care product is irritating the ear canal, you should stop using that product.  Over the counter pain medications can be used for the discomfort associated with swimmers ear.  If these simple steps do not work or you have more severe symptoms like fever, dizziness, facial weakness, double vision, or a medical condition that would impair your immune system, you should seek medical care.

A physician will try to examine the ear and will likely clean out the ear canal.  The doctor may take a culture of any drainage to determine the bacterial or fungal agent causing the infection.  Oral pain medications and oral antibiotics may be prescribed.  There are also several ear drops that may serve different functions such as decreasing inflammation, fighting infection, or relieving pain.

Of course the best option is to prevent the occurrence of infection in the first place.  Avoid causing injury to the ear canal by not using any sharp or hard objects in the ear.  Use shower caps if necessary.  Use ear plugs when swimming.  The best ear plugs are made of soft wax that can be molded to fit your ear canal.  You can also find over-the-counter ear drops for drying the ear canal after swimming at most drug stores.  You could also make your own ear drops at home using a 50-50 mix of rubbing alcohol and white vinegar.  The alcohol evaporates quickly helping to dry the ear canal, and the vinegar helps to maintain the acidity of the ear canal.

Swimming can be a very fun summer activity for kids of all ages.  With a little bit of knowledge and preparation, you can keep ear pain and swimmers ear away allowing you many hours of fun in the sun.  And don’t forget to wear your sunscreen—but that’s another topic.