It's summertime! Time to escape the heat by hitting the pool, lake, or beach. Unfortunately, all of this swimming may bring about an unwanted problem...swimmer's ear. Swimmer's ear, or otitis externa, is usually a bacterial infection of the ear canal. It is not a middle ear infection that sometimes occurs with a cold or allergies. Swimmer's ear occurs when bacteria, sometimes fungus, grows in the ear canal. The ear canal is usually protected by skin and at times a thin coating of earwax. But when water stays in the ear canal, the protective covering is compromised. The most common type of swimmer's ear is caused by bacteria, which can grow and cause the ear canal to become painful and swollen. If you or your child has swimmer's ear, and you touch the ear canal..ouch! Ear pain is the most telling sign of bacterial induced swimmer's ear. Even touching or bumping the outside of the ear can hurt. For fungal infections, the ear is usually nonpainful and itchy. Sleeping can be a problem. Your child also may find it harder to hear because of the trapped water or the swelling that occurs with infection. 

If you think your child may have swimmer's ear, it is time to call our office.  Most of the time, a prescription of eardrops that contain an antibiotic or antifungal is necessary. Use the drops as long as Drs. Briggs or Stierman tell you to, even if your child's ear starts feeling better. If you stop too soon, it is possible for the infection to come back. Tylenol or Ibuprofen can help with pain until the antibiotic begins to work. In as little as 7-10 days, you can get back in the water again.  

Here are some useful hints for prevention:

* Don't scratch or put anything inside the ears.

* Dry ears gently with a hair dryer (on the lowest and coolest temperature setting) after swimming.

* Get rid of water in the ears by shaking your head when finished swimming. 

If your child has recurring swimmer's ear, talk to the doctor about other ways to protect him. Special over-the-counter ear drops can be purchased to dry the outer ear and prevent infection after swimming.  Or a do-it-yourself preventive tactic (as long as the ear drum is intact), mix equal parts alcohol and white vinegar, and place a couple of drops in the ears with a dropper after swimming. It works great! The combination of alcohol and vinegar helps prevent bacterial and fungal growth. Swimmer's ear can also be prevented by the use of custom swimplugs, which can be purchased in our offices. Just talk to any of our staff, and we can have your child properly fitted.

We hope you and your family are enjoying your time together this summer.

Drs. Stierman and Briggs