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May 21st, 2009 | by admin | Tags:

So at some point in every swimmers career regardless of age or level will probably contract swimmers ear. After doing some research on the well- known Mayo Clinic website, I was able to find everything about what swimmers ear from: what swimmers ear is, symptoms, treatment, and how it can be prevented.
Definition
By Mayo Clinic staff
Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the ear canal. In most cases, bacteria cause this infection in the thin layer of skin lining the canal.
Your ears’ protective features work best when they are dry. If your ear canals are exposed to excess moisture — for example, if you swim a lot — they’re more likely to become infected. Swimmer’s ear is also known as acute external otitis or otitis externa.
Swimmer’s ear is usually easily treated. Prompt treatment of swimmer’s ear can help prevent the development of more-serious complications and infections.
Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staff
Outer ear infection

Swimmer’s ear symptoms are usually mild at the onset of swimmer’s ear, but they may get worse if the infection isn’t treated or spreads.
First signs and symptoms
 Itching in ear canal
 Slight redness of skin in ear canal
 Mild discomfort
 Some drainage of odorless fluid
Moderate disease progression
 Redness of skin
 Excessive fluid drainage
 Discharge of pus
 Pain that worsens on moving your outer ear (pinna, or auricle) or pushing on the little “bump” (tragus) in front of your ear
 Feeling of fullness in your ear
 Decreased or muffled hearing
Severe disease progression
 Severe pain
 Swelling in your ear or lymph nodes in your neck
 Redness or swelling of outer ear
 Scaly or flaking skin of outer ear
Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staff
The goal of treatment is to stop the infection and allow your ear canal to heal.
Cleaning
Your doctor will use a suction device or ear curette to clean away any discharge, clumps of earwax, flaky skin and any other debris. Cleaning is necessary to help medications get to the infected areas of the skin.
Medications
Your doctor may prescribe eardrops that have some combination of the following ingredients, depending on the type and seriousness of the infection:
 Acidic solution to replicate your ear’s normally acidic, antibacterial environment
 Steroid to reduce inflammation
 Antibiotic to fight the bacterial infection
 Antifungal medication to fight a fungal infection
Ask your doctor about the best method for taking the medication. Some ideas that may help include the following:
 To reduce discomfort of relatively cold drops in your ear, you can warm the eardrop solution by holding the bottle in your hand for a few minutes to bring it closer to your body temperature.
 If possible, have someone else put the drops in your ear.
 Lie down on your side with the infected ear up to help the medication travel to the site of the infection in your ear canal.
 Put a cotton ball in the “pocket” of your outer ear to absorb any excess fluid after you sit or stand up.
 If your ear canal is blocked by inflammation or excess discharge, your doctor may insert a wick that helps transport the medication into the ear canal.
If the infection is more advanced or doesn’t respond to treatment with eardrops, your doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics.
Other treatments
You will need to keep your ear dry and avoid any irritation of the ear while you’re treating swimmer’s ear.
 Don’t swim or scuba dive.
 Avoid flying.
 Don’t wear an earplug or hearing aid before pain or discharge has stopped.
 Avoid getting water in your ear canal when bathing. Use a cotton ball coated with petroleum jelly to protect your ear during baths.
Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staff
Follow these tips to avoid swimmer’s ear:
 Keep your ears dry. Dry your ears thoroughly after exposure to moisture from swimming or bathing. Dry only your outer ear slowly and gently with a soft towel or cloth. Tip your head to the side to help water drain from your ear canal. You can dry your ears with a blow-dryer if you put it on the lowest setting and hold it at least a foot (0.3 meter) away from the ear.
 At-home preventive treatment. If you know you don’t have a punctured eardrum, you can use a homemade preventive eardrop before and after swimming. A mixture of 1 part white vinegar and 1 part rubbing alcohol may help prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi that can cause swimmer’s ear. Pour 1 teaspoon (5 milliliters) of the solution into each ear and let it drain back out. Similar over-the-counter solutions may be available at your drugstore.
 Swim wisely. Avoid swimming in polluted water.
 Avoid putting foreign objects in your ear. Never attempt to dig out excess or hardened earwax with items such as a cotton swab, paper clip or hairpin. Using these items can pack material deeper into your ear canal, irritate the thin skin inside your ear or scratch the skin.
 Protect your ears. Avoid substances that may irritate your ears, such as hair sprays and hair dyes. Or put cotton balls in your ears when applying these products.
 Use caution after ear infection or surgery. If you’ve recently had an ear infection or ear surgery, talk to your doctor before you swim.