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Shine Magazine

Swimmer's ear

Main Symptoms:

An infection of the skin that lines the ear canal.
Itchy and somewhat painful ear canal.
Currently engaged in swimming.
Discomfort when the ear is moved up and down.
The ear feels plugged.
Discharge is slight in amount and clear.

Cause:

When water repeatedly gets trapped in the ear canal, the lining becomes wet and swollen. This makes it prone to superficial infection (swimmer's ear). Ear canals are meant to be dry. If it doesn't look like swimmer's ear, read more on EARACHE or EAR CONGESTION.

Call your doctor now (night or day) if:

Your child looks or acts very sick.
Severe pain.
Fever.
Redness and swelling of outer ear.

Call your doctor within 24 hours (during office hours) if:

You think your child needs to be seen.
Constant ear pain.
Yellow discharge from ear canal.
Blocked ear canal.
Swollen lymph node near ear.
Cause is uncertain.

Call your doctor during office hours if:

You have other questions or concerns.

Parent care at home if:

Swimmer's ear with no complications.

Home care advice for mild swimmer's ear:

1. Pain Medicine: Give acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol) or ibuprofen for pain relief.

2. Local Heat: If pain is moderate to severe, apply a warm washcloth to outer ear for 20 minutes (caution: avoid burns). This will also increase drainage.

3. Reduce Swimming Times: Try to avoid swimming until symptoms are gone. If on a swim team, it's OK to continue. Swimming may slow recovery, but causes no serious harm.

4. Contagiousness: Swimmer's ear is not contagious.

5. Expected Course: With treatment, symptoms should be better in 3 days.

6. Prevention of Recurrences: Try to keep the ear canals dry. After showers, hair washing, and swimming, help the water run out by turning the head. Avoid cotton swabs (reason: packs in the earwax).

Call your doctor if:

Ear symptoms last for more than 3 days after treatment.
Your child becomes worse or develops any of the "Call Your Doctor" symptoms.