TYH: What’s Swimmer’s Ear and how can you prevent it?

“It can show up in different ways so for many people it just feels like an itch…it can cause a little bit of soreness as it progresses… sometimes there can be a little bit of drainage.”–Shelley Corbett, Audiologist at Prince George Hearing Centre

While the most common way to develop Swimmer’s Ear is in fact by swimming it can develop after a shower or a bath too–anytime there’s excess moisture in your ear and a knick.

Yes, a small cut in your ear and moisture, in a small, warm, and dark environment is the perfect breeding ground for bacteria which inevitably would lead to an infection.

“A common thing can be… Q-tips and we poke around in there and we create those small abrasions, and then we go swimming, and then we sleep and that can just let that bacteria get away on us.”–Shelley Corbett, Audiologist at Prince George Hearing Centre

According to Corbett preventing Swimmer’s Ear comes down to keeping things out of your ear and if you do get water in your ear tilting and patting your head will knock some of the water out. Drying the outside of your ear, and wearing earplugs are also preventative measures. If Swimmer’s Ear is common for you, Corbett says you may want to take a blow dryer–on a low and cool setting while keeping it far from your ear–to try and dry the moisture out.

While taking these measures can prevent an infection, if symptoms progress Corbett suggests visiting your doctor.

by Veronica Beltran

TYH: What’s Swimmer’s Ear and how can you prevent it?

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