Do You Think You Have Swimmer’s Ear?

Understanding Swimmer’s Ear

A condition that often occurs in the summer months is Swimmer’s Ear (also called: acute otitis externa). It is a painful condition resulting from inflammation, irritation, or infection of the outer ear.

Swimmer’s ear happens when bacteria grows in the ear canal. The ear canal is a passageway to the eardrum, so this can impact you in many ways. In that canal, there is delicate skin that is protected by a thin coating of earwax. Most of the time, water can run in and out of the ear canal without causing a problem. Usually, you don’t get swimmer’s ear from taking baths or showers.

Bacteria can grow when water stays in the ear canal. A lot of swimming can lead to these wet conditions in the ear canal. If bacteria grows, the ear canal gets red and swollen. Sometimes people can get an infection in the ear canal even if they haven’t been swimming. A scratch or other irritation to the ear canal can also lead to swimmer’s ear.

Ear pain is the most common sign of swimmer’s ear. Swimmer’s ear may start with some itching, and then scratching can make the infection worse. Even touching or bumping the outside of the ear can hurt when it is infected. The infection also could make it harder to hear because of the swelling that happens in the ear canal.

It is very important to see an ENT if you think you have swimmer’s ear. The ENT can help you get rid of the infection. The doctor can prescribe ear drops that contain an antibiotic to kill the bacteria.