It’s summer and some children like to stay in the swimming pool for hours at a time! Unfortunately swimmer’s ear may develop, causing pain and discomfort.
Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the outer ear canal when bacteria, or sometimes fungi, grow in the ear canal. This can happen when water gets into and stays in the ear canal, for example when swimming often.
If the water then stays in the ear canal, the skin in the ear canal can become wet and swollen. In some instances swimmer’s ear, in other words an ear canal infection, can also occur without water present, for instance when a scratch or irritation occurs which can cause the skin in the ear canal to become red and swollen.
Symptoms
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- Ear pain, made worse by tugging the outer ear (as opposed to middle ear infection which is not affected by touching the outer ear)
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- A red, swollen ear canal
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- Itchy ear canal
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- The ear can be described by the child as feeling “full”
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- Discharge may be present in worse cases.
Treatment
Effective prescription drops or antibiotics are available to treat swimmer’s ear. Drops for the prevention of swimmer’s ear should not be used as a treatment after infection has occurred, as the alcohol it contains may cause more pain. The prescribed drops should be continued to be used for two to three days, during which time the child should also stay out of the water.
Prevention
Swimmer’s ear can be prevented by avoiding water staying in the ear and ensuring that it dries out as soon as possible. This can be done by using readily available ear drying drops, earplugs or a swimmer’s headband.
Try to prevent your children from swimming in poorly maintained pools, as they are more likely to develop swimmer’s ear in such places.
Ear wax may help to protect a children’s ears against the development of swimmer’s ear, therefore your child’s ears should be cleaned carefully so as not to remove too much wax.
Sources
http://kidshealth.org
www.pediatrics.about.com
www.seattlechildrens.org