| The water, the sun, plenty of swimming and | | | | ear, wiggle it, and move it back and forth. If that |
| splashing around to many people, these are the | | | | hurts, it's likely to be an outer-ear infection such as |
| ingredients for a perfect summer day spent by the | | | | swimmer's ear. So that you won't have to suffer |
| pool or at the beach. Add a painful ear infection to | | | | through this. here's what you can do to prevent |
| the picture, and the scenario quickly slides downhill. | | | | swimmer's ear. |
| That's what can happen to you if swimmer's ear | | | | Watch Where You Swim : Avoid jumping in to pools, |
| strikes, unless you know how to prevent the | | | | ponds, lakes, oceans, or any other body of water in |
| problem. | | | | which the water may not be clean. Dirty water |
| Swimmer's ear, an infection of the outer ear canal, | | | | means more bacteria. |
| sometimes can be caused by a fungus, but common | | | | Get The Water Out : A key to preventing swimmer's |
| bacteria is usually the culprit. "It got the name | | | | ear is to not let water sit in the ear. You can usually |
| swimmer's ear because it's quite prone to happen in | | | | feel water swish around in your ear if there's still |
| the summer, when people are in the water a lot and | | | | some in there after a shower or swim. "Shake the |
| they have water lying in the ear for a long period of | | | | water out of your ear if you've been swimming or |
| time," says Donald B. Kamerer, M.D., F.A.C.S., a | | | | diving," says Alexander Schleuning, M.D., professor |
| professor in the Department of Otolaryngology at | | | | and chairman of the Department of Otolaryngology |
| the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and | | | | Head and Neck Surgery a Oregon Health Sciences |
| staff physician at the Pittsburgh Eye and Ear Hospital. | | | | University in Portland. |
| Those are just the right conditions for the | | | | Add a Few Drops : Over the counter antiseptic |
| development of swimmer's ear, because bacteria | | | | eardrops, such as Aqua Ear, Ear Magic, or Swim Ear, |
| thrive in a warm, damp, moist environment. Also, | | | | used after swimming may help to prevent or ease |
| exposure to large amounts of water tends to wash | | | | the problem for those who swim a lot and are |
| away the oily, waxy substance that normally lines | | | | already familiar with the symptoms of swimmer's ear. |
| and protects the ear canal. "Then the antibacterial | | | | According to the Academy of Otolaryngology Head |
| protection is lost, bacteria begins to enter, and it can | | | | & Neck Surgery, you can also whip up an antiseptic |
| get out of hand," says Jay E. Caldwell, M.D., director | | | | mixture of your own using equal amounts of rubbing |
| of the Alaska Sports Medicine Clinic in Anchorage. | | | | alcohol and white vinegar, as long as you have normal |
| External ear infections don't just occur in swimmers | | | | eardrums and your doctor says it's safe. White |
| or in the summertime. "We see them all year round," | | | | vinegar kills bacteria and fungus. The alcohol absorbs |
| says Kamerer. Getting water in the ear from | | | | water and may kill bacteria and fungus as well. You |
| showers may cause them, but sometimes you don't | | | | can buy a dropper bottle at a pharmacy. Along the |
| need to be around water at all. "People who play | | | | same lines, Kamerer recommends that people who |
| inside their ear canals with bobby pins or all sorts of | | | | swim a lot put a couple of drops of rubbing alcohol in |
| implements sometimes get infections started by | | | | their ears following swimming or drop in a mixture of |
| scratching the very delicate skin in the ear canal," | | | | half white vinegar, half water. |
| says Kamerer. Many people also use cotton swabs to | | | | Pull on a Bathing Cap : While this may not afford |
| clean their ears daily, which can actually hinder their | | | | much protection for a competitive swimmer who's |
| efforts to keep their ears healthy. "The ear has a | | | | constantly in the water, says Caldwell, it may keep |
| way of keeping itself clean," says Caldwell. "Q-tips or | | | | water out for the casual swimmer. "If it's a tight |
| bobby pins or whatever you put in there just | | | | bathing cap that fits over the ears, across the |
| scrapes the surface and breaks down the fairly | | | | forehead, and around the back of the neck, it may |
| resilient barrier against bacteria." | | | | help," says Kamerer. |
| Swimmer's ear usually starts with an itching or tingling | | | | Don't Poke Around in Your Ears : "I always tell my |
| in the ear. Resist the urge to scratch, though, which | | | | patients not to put anything in their ear smaller than |
| will only make the problem worse. After that, you | | | | their elbow," says Caldwell. You can exacerbate a |
| may experience mild to severe pain. With more | | | | mild case of swimmer's ear or get an infection |
| serious cases, discharge drains from the ear, and you | | | | started by poking, swabbing, or scratching inside your |
| may have some hearing loss from swelling of the ear | | | | ears. Wax produced in the ear puts up a barrier that |
| canal. You should see your doctor right away if this | | | | is antibacterial and protects against moisture. "If you |
| occurs. One way to help you determine if the | | | | undo nature's system, you set yourself up for |
| infection is in the outer ear is to gently pull on your | | | | trouble," says Kamerer. |