It’s the time of year when you and your kids may head to the pool to beat the heat. But for some people, swimmer’s ear may ruin the fun. Aldo Londino, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatric Otolaryngology at the Mount Sinai Health System and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital, explains the pesky condition, its treatment, and how parents can best guard against it.
What is swimmer’s ear and how would my child contract it?
Swimmer’s ear is the name commonly given to an infection of the ear canal, also known as acute otitis externa. This infection can happen at any time of the year but tends to peak in the summer months as people spend more time in the water. Lingering moisture in the ear canal after swimming can create an environment in which bacteria love to grow. Swimming can also wash away healthy ear wax that protects the ear canal from infections.
How is swimmer’s ear different than a ‘regular’ ear infection?
When people mention an ear infection, they are often speaking of a middle ear infection. Also known as acute otitis media, this is an infection behind the eardrum. It is often treated with antibiotics by mouth unless the child has ear tubes, is most common in very young children, and is often associated with an upper-respiratory-tract infection. A middle ear infection is not caused by bath water or pool water getting into the ears because the eardrum keeps the water from getting inside the body.
How do I know if my child has swimmer’s ear or a middle ear infection?
Children may have swimmer’s ear if they complain of pain and the ear canal has drainage or appears swollen. Often a light tug backwards and upwards on the outer ear will produce pain in the ear canal. Swimmer’s ear infections usually do not cause a fever.
Your child may have a middle ear infection if there is pain with a bulging ear drum on your pediatrician’s exam. There can sometimes also be drainage if the build-up of pus has leaked through the eardrum; however, the ear canal should not be swollen. Children with a middle ear infection also often have a fever or a cold associated with the infection.
Is the treatment for swimmer’s ear different?
Yes. Swimmer’s ear should be treated with ear drops alone. In fact, the ear drops often help faster and do a much better job at treating the infection than antibiotics taken by mouth. From time to time, the ear canal may be too swollen or have too much drainage for the ear drops to enter. A trip to the ear, nose, and throat doctor may be necessary in these instances to help remove excess drainage or place a small sponge in the ear to allow the ear drops to enter and work effectively. If your child is in pain, you can give them acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
What can I do to prevent my child from contracting swimmer’s ear?
If your child suffers from frequent swimmer’s ear, you may want to consider using earplugs to limit the amount of water getting into the ear canal. A hairdryer on a low cool setting after swimming can also help dry up excess water and reduce the frequency of swimmer’s ear infections.
Aldo Londino, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Otolaryngology at the Mount Sinai Health System and is Chief of the Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology at the Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital.
