Minimizing Your Risk of Swimmer’s Ear This Summer

Posted on by Goodyear Office

There’s nothing like a long day at the Goodyear Community Pool to help stave off the intense Arizona summer heat. When you spend a lot of time in the water, you need to keep an eye out for your ear health.

How the Water Affects Your Ears

Child Enjoying a Swim Lesson at an Indoor Community Pool

When water gets trapped in your ears, it creates the perfect breeding ground for bacteria or fungi, potentially leading to a condition called swimmer’s ear.

Swimmer’s ear is an infection in the outer ear canal. About 10% of people in the U.S. will develop the infection at some point.[1] Spending lots of time in the water, especially in untreated water like that found in lakes, can increase your risk of developing the condition.

A few symptoms of swimmer’s ear include:

  • A feeling of fullness in the affected ear
  • Ear pain or itchiness
  • Fluid draining from the ear
  • Muffled hearing
  • Redness or swelling in the outer ear
  • Swollen lymph nodes
  • Fever

While swimmer’s ear is uncomfortable, there are a few ways you can lower your risk of developing it without giving up your pool days.

Preventing Swimmer’s Ear This Summer

Take the following protective steps to minimize your risk of swimmer’s ear this summer:

  • After leaving the pool, drain water from your ear canals by tilting your head and gently tugging on the downward-facing earlobe
  • Use a clean towel and a hairdryer on a low, cool setting to remove leftover water
  • Wear earplugs if you’re swimming laps or otherwise dunking your head under the water  
  • Choose clean waters to swim in
  • Don’t attempt to dry your ears with cotton swabs

If you do develop swimmer’s ear, we can help!

How ENT’s Treat Swimmer’s Ear

In most cases, we’ll prescribe antibiotic or antifungal ear drops to eliminate the infection. We may also prescribe steroid drops to reduce inflammation and recommend over-the-counter pain relievers to ease discomfort as the infection resolves.

If you notice signs of swimmer’s ear, contact Goodyear Office. We’ll conduct an ear exam and get you the medication you need to feel better.

[1] Cleveland Clinic. (n.d.). Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa). https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8381-swimmers-ear-otitis-externa