Snippets You Need To Know About The Swimmer’s Ears

The swimmer's ear is a common outer ear infection that an individual gets when water, often from a swimming pool, gets trapped inside the ears. Apart from that water from bathing, swimming, or boating in a pond, lake, or river, or sitting in a hot tub for a longer period of time can also result in the swimmer’s ears. Unlike middle ear infections, the swimmer’s ears can become visible from the outside ear itself. However, note that using random cotton swabs or other methods to remove protective earwax can also increase the risk of developing the swimmer's ear. You also may be at high risk if you have any kind of cuts or scratches in your ears through which bacteria can enter. Do you want to learn more about the swimmer’s ears? Go through our latest article, drafted by the Best ENT Surgeon in Kolkata.

What are the most common symptoms of the swimmer’s ears?

The most common symptoms of the swimmer’s ears may include –

• Itchy ears

• Redness in the ears

• Flaky skin around or inside the ears

• Severe ear pain

• Swelling in the ears

• Recurrent ear infections

• Temporary loss of hearing

• Fluid in the ear canals

• Fever

How to prevent the swimmer’s ears easily?

Swimmer’s ears are a common ear issue that may often turn out to be too much pain. So, to prevent the swimmer’s ears, a person can take the following steps as necessary preventative measures –

• Try to keep your ears dry all the time:

The best way to prevent the swimmer’s ears is to thoroughly dry your ear canals after swimming or taking a bath. For that, first, turn your head to the side until the water runs out of your ear entirely, and repeat on the other side in a similar way to drain out water. If it is necessary, you can even carefully use a hairdryer in order to completely dry your ear canals after undergoing a session of swimming or bathing.

• Do not swim in dirty or polluted water:

A swimming pool that contains dirty or contaminated water is more likely to have high levels of bacteria. Therefore, swimming in a dirty pool may lead a person to develop a swimmer’s ears easily. However, to avoid this problem, always check if your swimming pool or lake is properly disinfected or not! Besides, the pH level of the water is always necessary to avoid having a swimmer’s ears.

• Wear good quality earplugs while swimming:

Wearing a pair of good quality earplugs that help keep water out of the ears while swimming or bathing can help prevent the swimmer's ear easily. However, just make sure that you get the properly fitted earplugs that are mainly intended to keep water out of the ears while swimming or taking a bath.

When to see an ENT specialist in Kolkata?

Swimmer’s ears are typically not an issue that requires urgent medical assistance. Therefore, you can wait for 2-3 days to get it cured. But if the symptoms worsen even after 3 days, and you feel unbearable pain in your ears, you need to see an ENT specialist in Kolkata.