Swimmers Ear- Symptoms, Causes, Prevention and Tips

Recently my youngest got Swimmer's Ear. (Insert "uuggghhh" here.) He started complaining that his ear hurt. It looked like wax build up so I put some alcohol on the end of a cotton swab and carefully cleaned along the opening of his ear. With doctor supervision, it eventually cleared up.

In case you find yourself or a loved one this summer experiencing pain in the ear here is a portion of a blog from Pediatrician Deepa Sukumar. She is available for consultations no matter where in the world you are via a secure video link through www.gracemdconnect.com. 

Here's what she says:
         

• Swimmer's ear is infection of the outer canal and it is usually caused by bacteria.
• Your child can get swimmer's ear if they spend a lot of time in water especially swimming. It can also happen if your child has eczema or excess ear wax.
• Never try to remove ear wax by yourself or try cleaning the ear canal. This may injure the ear canal and cause an infection. Allow a pediatrician do it.
• Most common symptom of swimmer's ear is ear pain that gets worse when the ear lobe is pulled or pressed on. Redness and itching of the ears can occur too. Your child may have some discharge from the ears.
• To prevent swimmers ears a) keep ears as dry as possible while swimming using a bathing cap or ear plugs b) use a towel to dry your ears well after swimming c) gently pull ear lobe in different directions, while the ear is faced down to help drain water out.
• Make sure you do not insert any object into the ear canal including cotton tip swabs and fingers.
• Always consult a doctor if the child has ear pain with or without fever. A Pediatrician will prescribe antibiotic and/or steroid ear drops for swimmer's ear.
• Make sure your child is completely symptom free before starting to swim again.

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