Swimming Ear? Or Swimmers Ear?

Either Way, It's An Ear Infection
 

Whether you call it swimming ear or swimmers ear doesn't matter. It still means the same thing: an ear infection.

Swimmers ear is probably the more common usage. It's an umbrella term for a type of ear infection doctors call otitis externa. Many people get this type of ear infection after swimming, which is how it got its popular name. However, you can get swimmers ear (or swimming ear, if you prefer) without going swimming.

Anytime water collects in your ear canal for any reason - swimming, showering, bathing or sitting in a hot tub - swimming ear can result.

The infection builds in the outer ear (thus the Latin word "externa" in the medical name). When water becomes trapped in the ear canal - especially if that water contains certain kinds of germs called Pseudomonas aeruginosa - an ear infection can grow.

Preventing swimmers ear The keys to avoiding a swimmers ear infection are simple enough: you have to keep water from getting in your ears, or you have to dry your ears out when you leave the water.

It's also a good idea to make sure you're swimming where the water is clean. Avoid ponds, lakes and anywhere else those nasty little Pseudomonas aeruginosa germs may be lurking.

Make sure chlorine and pH levels are good where you expect to be swimming. This is especially important with home pools and hot tubs. Proper chlorine and pH control are important in preventing the spread of germs that cause swimming ear.

It's also a good idea to wear some kind of swimming ear plugs, especially if you have a history of ear infections. While you're in the water, occasionally tilt your head gently and slowly from side to side and let the water run out.

When you're done swimming, do whatever you can to make sure your ear canals are dry. There are some readily-available ear drop solutions that promote evaporation. Check with your doctor or pharmacist.

If you're blow drying your hair after a swim, you might want to send some of that fast moving air into your ear canal - but be careful of the heat setting, of course. Keep it on medium and not hot.

Medical professionals generally warn against using cotton swabs (or any foreign objects, for that matter) in your ears. These might actually push water farther into the ear canal. If the water mixes with some existing ear wax and becomes moist and gooey, it will be more difficult to keep dry. It also creates a very germ-friendly environment.

Plus, remember this: anytime you put any foreign object in your ear, you risk damage to your eardrum. That's a lot worse than an earache.

A swimming ear infection, or swimmers ear, is one of those annoying things in life that can usually be avoided by using the simple steps outlined above. If all these precautions don't work however, and you find yourself with a case of swimming ear, you can learn about some helpful remedies by clicking on swimmer's ear remedies.