Getting water in your ear from swimming is annoying and uncomfortable. Besides your discomfort, letting water stay in your ear can lead to an infection known as swimmer's ear. Removing the water from your ear as soon as possible is important to avoiding this infection. See your doctor if you have symptoms of an ear infection after swimming.
Swimmer's Ear
Swimmer's ear, or otitis externa, is an infection of the outer ear canal. It is usually caused by water that stays in your ear after swimming. Swimmer's ear can also be caused by swimming in polluted water or scratching your outer or internal ear. Trying to clean wax from the ear canal or remove water from your ear with cotton swabs or other small objects can damage the skin in your outer ear, leading to infection. Symptoms of swimmer's ear include yellow, pus-like, or bad smelling drainage from the ear; ear pain; hearing loss and itching in your ear or ear canal.
Diagnosis and Treatment
When you have symptoms of an ear infection, your doctor performs an exam that includes looking at the outside and inside of the ears. A fluid sample from the symptomatic ear may be sent to a lab for bacteria identification. Antibiotics are prescribed as ear drops or oral medication if you have a bacterial infection. Other treatments include corticosteroids to reduce itching and inflammation and acetic acid ear drops. Take tylenol or some type of ibuprofen for pain and place a warm compress against your infected ear.
Prevention
MayoClinic.com offers the following tips for avoiding swimmer's ear. Keep your ears dry by wiping the outer ear thoroughly with a towel after swimming. When you have water trapped in your ear, tilt your head to the side in an effort to remove the water, then dry any fluid that drains with a towel. You can also place 5 mL of a combination rubbing alcohol and vinegar solution in your ear after swimming. This solution prevents the growth of bacteria that results from trapped water. Don't use this solution if you have a punctured eardrum and make sure you let the fluid drain out of each ear after application.
Children and Swimmer's Ear
Adults and children can have water that remains in the ear from swimming. MayoClinic.com indicates that swimmer's ear is more common in children because of a narrow ear canal that can more easily trap water. Swimmer's ear is diagnosed and treated in a child the same way it is for an adult. After a swimming related ear infection, your child usually needs to wait a week to 10 days before going back into the pool.
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