It’s one of the sounds of summer: that last little bit of water left in your ears after swimming. Sometimes you can shake it out but sometimes it gets left behind or forgotten.
Having continued moisture in the ear can lead to a condition called Otitis Externa, better known as Swimmer’s Ear. Unlike a typical middle ear infection (which is common in winter and located behind the eardrum), Swimmer’s Ear is an infection of the outer ear canal. It usually occurs when water—which is often non-sterile and loaded with microscopic bacteria or fungi from pools, lakes, and oceans—gets trapped in the ear canal.
The mechanism of infection is often misunderstood. That trapped water doesn’t just block sound; it breaks down the body’s natural defense mechanism, the protective wax (cerumen) layer. In this damp, warm environment, the acidic barrier of the ear canal is compromised, and the trapped bacteria begin to rapidly multiply, invading the delicate skin. This bacterial “takeover” is what causes the signature inflammation, redness, and tenderness.
The pain from Otitis Externa can be surprisingly intense, often disproportionate to what you can actually see from the outside. While a winter ear infection causes internal pressure, Swimmer’s Ear makes the canal so sensitive that just gently pulling on the earlobe or pressing on the tragus (the small bump in front of the canal opening) can cause significant pain. Some patients also experience itching deep within the ear, temporary muffled hearing, or even discharge.
If left untreated the infection can spread and lead to other complications. Sometimes you just need to have some wax removed from the ear canal- sometimes you need antibiotic treatment.
If you or your child is experiencing pain in the ears this summer, especially if they’ve been in the pool recently you may need evaluation for Swimmers ear. We even have many common prescription antibiotic drops available right here in the office and we can save you an extra trip to the pharmacy so you can get back to summer quickly.
