You do not need to call an ambulance unless: You cannot travel safely either by driving yourself or by having someone else drive you. You are in an area where heavy traffic or other problems may slow you down. Ear Problems and Injuries, Age 12 and Older. Ear Problems and Injuries, Age 11 and Younger. Home Treatment Some home treatment can help swimmer's ear. If your doctor says it's okay, you can try the following: Gently rinse your ear using a bulb syringe and a mixture of equal parts white vinegar and rubbing alcohol.
Make sure the flushing solution is body temperature. Inserting cool or hot fluids in the ear may cause dizziness. If your ear is itchy, try nonprescription swimmer's eardrops, such as Swim-Ear. Use them before and after swimming or getting your ears wet. Read and follow all instructions on the label, and learn how to insert eardrops safely.
To ease ear pain, apply a warm washcloth or a heating pad set on low. There may be some drainage when the heat melts earwax. For more information about earwax removal, see the topic Earwax. Do not use a heating pad when you are in bed. You may fall asleep and burn yourself. Do not use a heating pad on a child. Do not use ear candles. They have no proven benefit in the removal of earwax or other objects in the ear and can cause serious injury.
Medicine you can buy without a prescription Try a nonprescription medicine to help treat your fever or pain: Acetaminophen , such as Tylenol Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs : Ibuprofen, such as Advil or Motrin Naproxen, such as Aleve or Naprosyn Aspirin also a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug , such as Bayer or Bufferin Talk to your child's doctor before switching back and forth between doses of acetaminophen and ibuprofen.
Safety tips Be sure to follow these safety tips when you use a nonprescription medicine: Carefully read and follow all directions on the medicine bottle and box. Do not take more than the recommended dose. Do not take a medicine if you have had an allergic reaction to it in the past. If you have been told to avoid a medicine, call your doctor before you take it.
If you are or could be pregnant, do not take any medicine other than acetaminophen unless your doctor has told you to. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than age 20 unless your doctor tells you to. Symptoms to watch for during home treatment Call your doctor if any of the following occur during home treatment: The ear canal, the opening to the ear canal, the external ear, or the skin around the external ear becomes swollen, red, or very painful. Dizziness or unsteadiness develops.
Bleeding or discharge from the ear develops. Ear symptoms last longer than 1 week. Symptoms become more severe or frequent. Prevention In most cases, it is best to leave your ears alone and let them maintain their own healthy, natural balance. Do not scratch or clean the inside of the ear with cotton swabs, bobby pins, your fingernail, or other objects. Removable earplugs may be used to keep moisture out of the ear canal.
But prolonged use of earplugs can make your ears hurt and itch, and the earplugs can push earwax deeper into the canal. If this happens, your ears are more likely to get infected. Keep soap, bubble bath, and shampoo out of the ear canal. Do not let a child lie down in the bathtub with his or her ears underwater.
These products can cause itching and irritation. Keep your ears dry. After swimming or showering, shake your head to remove water from the ear canal. Gently dry your ears with the corner of a tissue or towel, or use a blow-dryer on its lowest setting.
Hold the dryer several inches centimeters from the ear. Put a few drops of rubbing alcohol or rubbing alcohol mixed with an equal amount of white vinegar into the ear after swimming or showering. Wiggle the outside of the ear to let the liquid enter the ear canal, then tilt your head and let it drain out. You can also use nonprescription drops, such as Swim-Ear, to prevent swimmer's ear. If you use public swimming pools or hot tubs, ask about the chlorine and pH testing of the pool.
You are less likely to get swimmer's ear from facilities that maintain good control of their pool testing and treatment. Do not swim in dirty water or locations that have been closed because of pollution. Follow any instructions your doctor has given you to treat skin problems—such as eczema , psoriasis , or seborrhea —that may cause ear canal irritation. You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions: Have you done anything recently that may have caused your ear canal to become infected, such as cleaning your ears or swimming?
Have you had a history of ear itching, pain, or other symptoms? Describe your symptom: When did it start? Do you have problems with the inside or the outside of your ear?
Are your symptoms constant, or do they come and go? Does anything make your ear feel better or worse? Did you put anything into your ear before the problem started? Do you have drainage from the ear? What does the drainage look and smell like? Have you had a fever? Are you dizzy or do you feel unsteady? Have you had problems like this before? If so, how was it treated? What home treatment measures have you used?
Did they help? What prescription and nonprescription medicine have you tried? Few things are more refreshing than a dip in a lake on a hot day. But as you and your children enjoy your swimming this summer, keep an eye on your ears.
The outer ear canal goes from the opening of the ear to the ear drum. The medical term for this is otitis externa. It commonly results from water in the ear after swimming, but can be from other causes, such as hearing aids, cotton swabs, certain skin conditions or anything that damages the skin of the ear canal.
Water creates a moist environment that allows bacteria to grow and infect the ear canal. The symptoms can vary from mild to severe. These include pain, redness of the ear and ear canal, and drainage. Other symptoms include itching, ear fullness or pressure and decreased hearing.
In rare cases, this can become more severe and cause pain throughout the face and neck, fever or swollen lymph nodes in the neck. This can start out as a vague discomfort and rapidly progress to more intense pain. This is usually made worse by pulling the outer ear or pushing the piece of cartilage at the front of the ear. Drainage of fluid from the ear may also occur.
In advanced cases, the outer ear may also become red and painful. It generally lasts up to seven to 10 days but this can vary, especially in chronic cases that can continue for weeks and months.
Treatment usually decreases the duration of symptoms. But because of the discomfort, most patients will seek care as the treatments are very effective at decreasing the symptoms. Long-term damage is unusual in most cases. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Outer ear infection Open pop-up dialog box Close. Outer ear infection Redness of the ear canal, ear pain, draining fluids and discharge of pus are signs of swimmer's ear otitis externa. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic.
Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references AskMayoExpert. Acute otitis externa. Rochester, Minn. Goguen LA. External otitis: Pathogenesis, clinical features and diagnosis. Accessed June 4, Swimmer's ear otitis externa. Accessed May 20, Swimming and ear infections.
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