Understanding Swimmer’s Ear

Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa) is an infection of the skin lining the ear canal.  This problem is most common among swimmers or children that spend a lot of time in water.  When water gets trapped in the ear canal, the lining becomes damp, swollen, and prone to infection. Narrow ear canals increase the risk of swimmer’s ear. He or she may have the following symptoms:

• itchy and painful ear canals

• pain when the ear is moved up and down or the tab overlying the ear canal is pushed in

• ear feels plugged up

• slight amount of clear discharge at first (without treatment, the discharge becomes yellowish).

Generally, your child should not swim until the symptoms are gone.

For mild swimmer’s ear, fill the ear canal with half-strength white vinegar eardrops. After 5 minutes, remove it by turning the head to the side.  Do this twice a day.  With treatment, symptoms should be better in 3 days.  Prescription antibiotic-steroid eardrops are required to treat severe swimmer’s ear.  Use acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil) for pain relief.

The key to prevention is keeping the ear canals dry when your child is not swimming. If you can, limit how many hours a day your child spends in the water.    After swimming, get all water out of the ear canals by turning the head to the side and pulling the earlobe in different directions to help the water run out.  Dry the opening to the ear canal carefully.

If recurrences are a big problem, rinse your child’s ear canals with rubbing alcohol after swimming or bathing to help it dry and kill germs. The vinegar restores the normal acid balance to the ear canal. If he/she is on a swim team, he may continue but should use eardrops as a rinse after each swimming session.  Continued swimming may cause a slower recovery but won’t cause any serious problems.

Please, no Q-tips in ear canals.  They increase earwax buildup.  Earwax then traps water behind it and increases the risk of swimmer’s ear.  Rubbing alcohol added to vinegar before and after swimming is also helpful for preventing swimmer’s ear, but not for treating it because it stings an infected ear too much.

Ask your health care provider if your child should or should not use ear plugs. Call the doctor immediately if the ear pain becomes severe or your child starts acting very sick.