Otitis Externa (swimmer's ear) Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment

Otitis externa, or swimmer's ear, is an infection of the lining the ear canal, which carries sound from outside the ear to the middle ear. Repeated ear infections is one of the causes of hearing impairment.

Causes of Otitis Externa:

Water that does not drain from the ear canal washes away the wax that protects the ear canal, leading to conditions for bacterial or a fungal infections to occur. Swimmers ear is usually found in people who swim frequently, particularly in water that is not clean.

People who live in very damp, tropical places are especially at risk for this ear condition. Otitis externa can also happen due to injury of the ear canal lining, such as scratching it with a fingernail, Q-tip, or paper clip.

Signs and Symptoms:

• Pain


• itching


• Swelling


• Ear discharge


• Blockage

Infection has the potential to spread to the skin and bone in the ear area.

Treatment For Otitis Externa:

• Cleaning of the ear canal


• Antibiotics


• Pain medication


• Heat pack

When showering or bathing, it is important to keep water out of the ears. You may need to avoid swimming for a while until any infection has been eliminated.

Prevention:

• Keep the ear canals dry as possible at all times


• Use earplugs or shower cap when showering or bathing


• Drying the outer ear with a towel after swimming, bathing, or showering.


• Tilting the head left or right letting gravity pull the water out of the ear is helpful. You will feel the water trickling out when head tilting is successful. This may take a few minutes. Lying down on the affected side is an easy way to accomplish this.

Do not dry the ear canals with Q-tip swabs, and do not insert foreign objects into the ear canals. Using a hair dryer to blow cool air into the ear canal is a tried and true way of drying the ears. Do not use the heat setting to dry the ears.

Your doctor may be able to recommend ear drops containing alcohol, which can help dry the ears. Used only if the skin and eardrum are healthy, as alcohol on an infected area will sting and cause severe pain.

This condition is also seen in young children who spend a good deal of time swimming, especially during the hot summer months. There are commercially available earplugs that will prevent water from getting into the ears and causing infection. Remember, repeated ear infections can cause hearing impairment that may not be easily recognizable for months. Your child will show the classic symptoms of pain, such as tugging at the ear, and of course, crying due to the pain. Be on the look out for behavior indicating an ear problem, such as an ear ache or draining of fluid from the ear.

by Barb Hicks, RN/LMT