How to Prevent Swimmer's Ear

Pediatricians love the summer. Overall, our offices are much less chaotic as we are not dealing with the flu and other illnesses that winter brings. There are some illnesses, though, that are linked with warmer weather: sunburn, heat stroke, and certain bug bites, to name a few. A very common summer related illness is swimmer’s ear, and right now we are seeing at least three a day in my office.

What is Swimmer's Ear?

Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the skin lining the ear canal, usually caused by a bacteria. Normally, ear canals have features that protect it from infection. There are glands in the canal that secrete a waxy substance (cerumen) that acts like a water repelling film. Also, the wax is acidic, making it hard for bacteria to grow. Lastly, the wax has some proteins in it that are anti-bacterial. When the ear canal is exposed to a lot of water (swimming!) the wax can become thin and less acidic, creating an environment that bacteria can grow easily. Be aware that lake water in the summer can have a high bacterial count and thus causes swimmer’s ear more easily.

Symptoms

Symptoms usually start with mild itching, but can progress to severe pain when the ear is touched. Children might also describe a “plugged up “ feeling and there might also be discharge from the ear.

Prevention

There are some ways to prevent swimmer’s ear. The most effective is to keep your child’s ear canals as dry as possible. After swimming, turn his/her head to each side and pull the earlobe in different directions to help the water run out. Also, as long as you know your child doesn’t have a perforated ear drum or ear tube in place, you can put ½ teaspoon of a mixture of one part white vinegar and one part rubbing alcohol in each ear after swimming. This will not only help the ear dry, but will help keep the normal acid balance of the canal intact.

See Your Doctor

Luckily, swimmer’s ear is easily treated with ear drops. The drops have an antibiotic to kill the bacteria and might contain a mild steroid to decrease the inflammation. Overall, swimmer’s ear is very common and easily treated. A child with ear pain, though, should be evaluated by his/her doctor so a correct diagnosis and treatment plan can be made.