The audiologist’s warning about ‘swimmer’s ear’ infection this summer

As summer begins, you may want to spend your sunny days relaxing by the pool or doing water activities such as snorkelling or visiting a water park. However, when swimming, it is vital to protect yourself and your children from infections such as swimmer’s ear.

Swimmer’s ear is an infection that affects the external ear canal and can be caused by swimming in unclean water, being in hot and humid places, and even having excessive wax. People who have eczema or hay fever, wear earplugs or a swimming helmet are more at risk of developing swimmer’s ear.

Ashish Shah, audiologist at The Hearing Care Partnership, shared his top five tips for preventing swimmer’s ear during your summer escape to the pool or beach.

Use ear drops to prevent infection

Ashish said: “Ear drops can be used to prevent swimmer’s ear, including special ones that can dry out the inside of your ear to prevent infection from forming. If you don’t have that handy, here are some homemade ingredients you can use as ear drops to help:

Spirit – dissolves water trapped in the ear

White Vinegar – balances the pH level in the inner ear to prevent infection

Olive oil – prevent water from entering your ear.”

Keep your ears dry

Ashish said, “To effectively prevent infection, it is essential to keep your ears dry while swimming. You can accomplish this by using a swim helmet, regular foam earplugs, or custom earplugs designed for use in the water. After swimming, be sure to tilt your head to either side to remove any excess water and gently dry your ears with a towel.

Consider getting custom earplugs

Ashish said: “Our ears are incredibly sensitive to water, so it’s very important to protect them while swimming. Repeated swimming can lead to outer ear infections. Using custom earplugs can prevent bacteria and water from entering your inner ear, making water activities more enjoyable and safer.”

Avoid using cotton balls or your hands to clean your ear canal

Ashish said: “Our ears are delicate and contain many parts to help us hear and will need cleaning from time to time, when necessary avoid cleaning your ears with cotton buds or other foreign objects to remove wax from your ears as this can damage you. the inner ear. If you have excess wax, you should clean your outer ear with a damp cloth, or alternatively have your ears professionally cleaned if this is an ongoing problem.”

Check the water before entering

Ashish said, “Swimmer’s ear is mainly caused by bacteria entering the ears. And this can occur in open bodies of water such as lakes and the sea, as well as untreated swimming pools and hot tubs. Public pools and hot tubs should contain a safe amount of chlorine that is maintained daily to keep germs and bacteria at bay. If you’re not sure, try asking the facility about how they maintain their pool.