|
Wondering if all that time spent in the water is giving you symptoms of an ear infection? Swimmer’s ear symptoms can be uncomfortable and are important to understand from the symptoms of an inner ear infection or middle ear infection.
The Ear
There are three parts of the ear: the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear is what we see with naked eye. The middle ear is where the eardrum is located and where pressure is equalized with the Eustachian tube. The inner ear is where sound vibrations reach the auditory nerve and travel to the brain.
From the outer ear we can and feel the beginning part of the ear canal. Swimmer’s ear is when an infection grows in the ear canal. The technical term for swimmer’s ear is otitis externa.
“Normal” ear infections occur in the middle ear and are due to problems with the Eustachian tube. Swimmer’s ear has to due with bacteria or fungi growing in the ear canal, and is not related to the Eustachian tube.
Cause of Swimmer’s Ear
When there is a thick enough layer of wax in the ear canal water can run in and out of the ear easily. After being in the water for a long time though, the layers of ear wax can be worn away leaving the ear canal unprotected. The unprotected skin of the ear canal can become irritated. Bacteria and fungi are ripe to grow in a raw ear canal that stays wet because water does not flow easily out of it.
Lack of ear wax = wet, irritated ear = bacteria or fungi growth = swimmer’s ear!
Symptoms of Swimmer’s Ear
Swimmer’s ear symptoms are fairly easy to identify, but are important to distinguish from a middle ear infection. Typical swimmer’s ear infection symptoms include:
- Itchy ear (in the beginning)
- Pain to the outer ear – especially if you tug on the ear lobe
- Ear canal pain (if you stick your finger in your ear)
- Hearing difficulty (due to swelling)
- Pain when chewing
- Clear, cloudy or yellowish discharge from the ear
The good news is that swimmer’s ear is not contagious and does not usually result in a fever.
Prevention and Treatment of Swimmer’s Ear
Carefully drying ears after swimming or using ear drops to help dry moisture after swimming are ways to prevent this form of ear infection.
Treatment is usually a prescribed antibiotic ear drop from a doctor’s office. Drops may need to be used for 7-10 days. A steroid may also be given to reduce the swelling in the ear canal.
Because the infection can spread and become worse, it is very important that swimmer’s ear be treated by a doctor. Applying a warm wash cloth and taking acetaminophen or ibuprofen may help ease the discomfort until you are able to see a doctor.
|
Outer Ear - Swimmer’s Ear 
