Otitis Externa

Don’t stick anything in your ear. The only thing you should stick in your ear is your elbow, so if you live by that rule, you’ll do pretty well - Matthew Kashima

Otitis Externa

image by: USA Swimming

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Best Swimmer's Ear Fixes

Swimmer's ear, or acute otitis externa... not surprisingly, spikes during summer months...

The Slosh Factor

Symptoms like an echoing, itching or clogged feeling in the ear—and lots of discomfort—often signal a bout of swimmer's ear, an inflammation of the skin within the ear canal that occurs when water gets trapped there. While less serious than middle- and inner-ear infections, it can often be more painful, says Dr. Rosenfeld: "About 20% of sufferers require narcotics just to get through the night."

The condition usually occurs after a person's head has been submerged, but it can also result from showering or even profuse sweating. People with excessive…

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 Best Swimmer's Ear Fixes

The condition usually occurs after a person's head has been submerged, but it can also result from showering or even profuse sweating. People with excessive ear wax or eczema are more prone to the condition, as are users of hearing aids.

5 Childhood Conditions That Don’t Require a Trip to the E.R.

“Pediatricians see a lot of kids with swimmer’s ear during summer and it’s really painful,” said Dr. Rosen. “But it’s not really an ear infection as much as skin inflammation, so you can initially try to treat it without antibiotics.”

ENT Health

Bone and cartilage damage (malignant otitis externa) are also possible due to untreated swimmer’s ear. If left untreated, ear infections can spread to the base of your skull, brain, or cranial nerves. Diabetics, older adults, and those with conditions that weaken the immune system are at higher risk for such dangerous complications.

CDC

DON’T put objects in the ear canal (including cotton-tip swabs, pencils, paperclips, or fingers).

MayoClinic

Putting fingers, cotton swabs or other objects in your ears also can lead to swimmer's ear by damaging the thin layer of skin lining your ear canal.

MedicineNet

Acute external otitis (acute swimmer's ear) is a common bacterial infection caused by Streptococcus, Staphylococcus, or Pseudomonas bacteria.

Michigan Medicine

Swimmer's ear is more likely if you have a very narrow or hairy ear canal; live in a warm, humid climate; have little or no earwax; have lots of ear infections; or have eczema or dry skin. If you have had swimmer's ear in the past, you are more likely to get it again.

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