Swimming is a great way to cool off on a hot summer day because it can be both refreshing and fun! In the blazing sun, most people instinctively apply sunscreen to protect their skin, but they don’t often think to protect their ears as well.
Sometimes after jumping in the pool, it may feel like some water is “stuck” in your ear. It is important to try to drain the water by turning your head to the side and slowly shaking it. If water remains in your ear after swimming, it can cause an ear infection in the outer ear canal. This kind of infection is called otitis externa, which is commonly known as swimmer’s ear. Swimmer’s ear is one of the two kinds of ear infections – the other being otitis media or a middle ear infection.
Swimmer’s ear can be prevented by wearing earplugs while swimming, as the ear plugs can stop the water from entering your ear canals. A middle ear infection, however, can be harder to prevent. Middle ear infections occur behind the eardrum and are very common in children.
It is recommended that parents and their children frequently wash their hands to prevent the spread of germs and thus limit the amount of middle ear infections. Over time, children’s immune systems will strengthen and they will be less susceptible to this kind of ear infection. In the case one does acquire an ear infection, oftentimes these infections will go away on their own. Both swimmer’s ear and middle ear infections can be treated with ear drops or, in more severe cases, antibiotics. So, the next time you go swimming, you should protect your ears just as you would protect your skin!
