Swimmers ear

[Jennig]

I just started swimming three weeks ago. I am 41 and never did before because I couldn't breathe under water. I would sputter and cough and never had a lesson because I just thought I could never learn to breathe properly. But I was just diagnosed with fibromyalgia and I'm a personal trainer so this was devastating. I am determined to remain physical. Now I love swimming. In three weeks I've gotten to the point I can do twenty laps in Olympic size pool in twenty minutes. Idk if that is is pathetic or not but I don't care, I am thrilled and really proud of myself. Problem: I keep getting really painful swimmers ear. I tried two different Mack's ear plugs, the screw ones and the silicone ones that you form into ball and fit into ear. I have tried after swim drying ear drops
And drying ears with towel and then blow drier. Any other ideas? I can't give up
Swimming but the pain is really bad.

[Joern.pellum]

I have the same problem. Carefully use of a swab after swimming solved the problem, but consult your doctor to be sure you have no earwax, witch can worsen the condition.

[Jennig]

Thank you for your response, but my doctor told me emphatically never to stick a q-tip in my ear under any circumstances. He recommended shaking my ears out and using a towel. Not working. I'm getting swimmers ear back to back. And ironically an inner ear infection in the middle of the swimmers ear brief healing point, which my doc said had nothing to do with swimmers ear or my swimming. He even said I could go swimming with the inner ear infection. So I did. (This was last week) so now while on the antibiotics for the inner ear infection the swimmers ear is back

[Joern.pellum]

I think carefully use of a swab should do no harm. Its all about to get your ear dry as fast as possible.

[Caro]

I use Zoggs ear plugs, they fit well and are really easy to put in and out.

[CoachBobM]

I've never found any ear plugs that work well.

There are a couple of ways of clearing a wax plug out of your ears:

One is to lay on your side and pour some hot oil into the ear (not hot enough to burn you!), let it sit for a minute or so, and then roll onto your other side, allowing the oil and wax plug to drain onto a towel.

The other is to roll the wax plug out using an implement of some kind. An ear doctor once did this by taking a small paper clip and bending it apart at the middle (so the two halves were pointing in opposite directions). He then used the short end to roll the wax out.


Bob

[Penguin]

If it is just a matter of getting water out, I can offer some advice given me by an ENT. I had complained, and he saw, that water was pooling in my ear canal and staying there for days.

Pour alcohol (isopropyl 70%) in the ear to dilute and rinse out the water. Then tip your head over to let it drain. Any remaining alcohol will then dry without leaving a residue.

Carefully done, one capful is enough for both ears.

A Q-tip moistened with mineral oil can be used to soften wax. It may take a few days.

I once had an infected ear scraped out when I was a kid. Two or three return visits to complete the job. Very painful. But that was over 50 years ago. Maybe there are more humane treatments available today.

[Talvi]

First, I don't have a clue, about anything, so that's my CYA statement.

My opinion fwiw is that earwax in there for a purpose: it's the natural way to keep water out and I believe it's also an antibiotic.

Q-tips get bad press. I've used Q-tips all my life but wouldn't advise them to clean out a genuinely blocked ear. You'd just push the blockage deeper and cause perhaps irreparable damage.

My 2c worth would be to suggest working with the grain, i.e to find a way to get your ears back in balance if possible. So, from what I gather, Swimmer's Ear is an infection of the outer ear canal. From what others here and elsewhere write, using oil is a treatment to melt earwax. Beeswax is a natural antibiotic (check you're not allergic to pollen!!!) .... if soft perhaps it could be used as a salve. That would help keep the water off the surface of your outer ear canal and help with the infection. If the infection calms down and the skin heals then maybe your ears would then stop manufacturing too much wax.

I never use soap in my ears as, in the same way as washing your hair too often does, even with soft shampoo, it dries out the skin and causes it to then increase oil secretion. I imagine it would be a similar thing with the ears. I believe that chlorine attacks the skin, so swimming with raw/recovering skin could be expected to trigger a defensive response.

[danm]

your doctor is right to advise against q-tips.
I had the same problem and here's what I did to solve it. First, take care of the current condition. If you currently have pains there's no other way than having an ENT specialist consult you, get a treatment and follow it until it's gone. By gone, I mean confirmed by the ENT doctor that it's really gone; alleviation of symptoms is not enough. You may need to give up swimming for a few days, but it's worth it.
Then, when you're cured, use Penguin's suggestion: alcohool will dry your external ear canal and unless there's other predetermined condition, this is all you need to prevent swimmer's ear. I use boricated alcohool, which is also a mild disinfectant. I put a few drops in my ears after swimming, sometimes in the locker immediately after, sometimes when I get home, but I do it every day after swimming. This solves also all the "water in my head" sensations and I have not suffered of anything ear-related for at least a year now. Before doing this I would always get swimmer's ear. Plugs, oil, swim caps - nothing helped. This works.

Swimmer's ear is inflamation of the external ear canal. It is caused by water acumulation; water will contain bacteria, which grow and take advantage of any small lesions in the delicate skin of the canal to make you suffer. this is why using qtips and even earplugs is not advised; you will damage the skin and favorize the infection. When it gets complicated it extends through the ear-drum in the medium ear, which is more serious.
Wax? don't worry about wax. if you use alcohool, boricated or not, and still have waterlogged head sensation and/or pain, muffled hearing, etc you should see a doctor. You'll only make it worse if you try to solve it by yourself.

[EllieThomos]

I think deliberately utilization of a swab ought to do no damage. Its about to get your ear dry as quick as could be allowed.