Summer is in full swing, and many of us are heading to the lake, beach, or pool to beat the heat. It’s the perfect time of year for aquatic family outings—and that means it’s also the most important time to be aware of Swimmer’s Ear.
Everybody’s heard that getting water in your ears can cause Swimmer’s Ear, but what is swimmer’s ear, really? Well, though Swimmer’s Ear is commonly be thought to be caused by water in the ears, in reality this is only half of the truth. According to the CDC (the Department of Health’s Center for Disease Control and Prevention), Swimmer’s ear is actually caused by an infection of a microscopic germ called Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The CDC explains that this germ is present throughout our environment, and is often found in soil and water.
While anyone can get Swimmer’s Ear, children and young adults are the most likely to be affected. Unlike the middle ear infections that are commonly found in young children, an infection of Swimmer’s Ear will result in pain when wiggling or moving the outer ear. Though Swimmer’s Ear can be medically treated with special prescription ear drops, Swimmer’s Ear can be quite painful—as you may already have guessed. Since it can be prevented, it’s best to take steps to keep you and your family from getting Swimmer’s Ear altogether.
So what can be done to prevent Swimmer’s Ear?
Here are three basic tips for safe water fun this summer:
1) Keep your ears clean and safe. For starters, if you use ear plugs for frequent swimming, take care to clean your ear plugs at least once every week or two. Reusable rubber ear plugs can be washed with rubbing alcohol or a little soap and water; moldable ear plugs must simply be replaced after a number of uses. Secondly, be careful with your ears. Avoid sticking swabs (or anything else) in your ears, since that could scratch the ear canal, providing an entry point for germs. And finally, be mindful of where you choose to swim; the CDC highly recommends watching out for posted warnings about polluted lakes and streams. To avoid Swimmer’s Ear and other infections, don’t take your ears (or your kids!) swimming in polluted or dirty water.
2) Dry your ears thoroughly after swimming. It’s important to make sure your ears are dry after aquatic activity. Swabs can actually be more harm than help when it comes to drying your ear canals out, since they can injure the ear canal when improperly used. Instead, doctors usually recommend ear drops for drying the ears. Additionally, small portable devices like the Mack’s Ear Dryer are available to dry your ears quickly without drops or swabs. An extra tip: keep in mind that, especially with young children, it is also important to dry the ears after bathing.
3) Keep your ears as dry as possible to begin with. There are a few things you can do to keep your ears dry while swimming. One is to use ear plugs for water and swimming. These come in basically two flavors: pre-molded rubber and moldable silicone. Both are popular choices for children, and come in a variety of both adult’s and kid’s sizes and colors. While often necessary for kids (and adults) with ear tubes, water ear plugs can be a great way to protect anyone’s ears from Swimmer’s Ear. (Please note that when you’re swimming, you should only ever use ear plugs that were designed for use with water! Foam ear plugs and other non-aquatic plugs won’t keep your ear canals dry—and too, non-aquatic plugs are designed to block sound, which can be a definite safety risk at the pool or beach!)
For more information on choosing the right ear plugs for swimming, stay tuned for the next article in our Summer Swim & Water Series: Part Two: Choosing the Right Ear Plugs for Water Protection.
--The “Got Ears?” Guru
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