Swimmer’s ear, an infection of the outer ear and ear canal, leads to more than 2 million doctor visits every year in America — and nearly $500 million in annual health care costs. Pediatrician Dr. Jim Sears shares an easy, at-home solution to treat the condition.
I have a ten-year-old daughter named ariel she has been a competitive swimmer for about two years she recently came down with swimmers here and it’s never happened to her before she’s been complaining about pain tenderness in her lower ear right here it’s a difficult situation for us because she still has to swim just in six days a week we’ve been trying to figure
Out how to cure it prevent it and make sure that it doesn’t happen again well fiona joins us with her daughter ariel welcome to both of you still hurting a little bit yeah let’s talk about what swimmers ear is in the first place it’s something called otitis externa which basically means an external ear infection and that’s different than your typical ear infection
Was usually called the middle ear infection your middle ear when you know a child has your typical ear infection it’s in here it’s inside the ear drum and a swimmers ear has to do with the the skin of the ear canal this external ear canal here what happens is that skin like any other skin on your body if it gets wet and stays wet it gets really kind of soft and
Pliable right and then bacteria can get in there and can get very irritated and red and swollen and it hurts it’s caused an infection and when you come see the doctor usually the first thing we ask is have you been q-tipping your gear or putting something else in that ear canal because typically as doctors your said that skin already is softened up from from being
Moist and then if you break the skin yeah it allows that the bacteria and the fungus to get seated a very first treatment before anything else is the water it’s not going to get better yeah that’s just the sad reality that’s why they call it same with shampooing your hair and look for it if if it hurts to wiggle your ear or wiggle that little piece right there
The tragus that’s a big clue that it’s swimmers here and not your typical middle ear infection treatments for this if you’re in my office and it looks pretty bad i’ll often use a prescription drop that’s a combination of an antibiotic and a steroid that kind of quickly get rid of that irritation and inner ear infection at home treatments a little dropper bottle
Of half vinegar and half rubbing alcohol is great for both treatment and prevention and as a competitive swimmer i would just make a little bottle and take that with you on your way home just drops in there and that will dry out all the water in there okay and and her coach also said blow-dryer you know be careful with that if you’re gonna use a blow dryer make
Sure you stay at least a foot away they do make a little yellow setting and do make actual very low pressure your dryers if you really want to go that route but usually just kind of a good shake and some of the vinegar or alcohol drops but for anyone watching out there i just have to add this word of caution i’m not saying you’re at risk but there’s such a thing
As malignant otitis externa and that is most common in folks who are immunocompromised have diabetes but once that ear canal gets irritated you have to give it a chance to heal because if it doesn’t ever heal it’s almost like pouring salt into a wound each and every day so until that area heals once it’s healed up then you can move to the preventative measures the
Last thing you want is for it to just become a chronic long-term infection and your advice on the vinegar rubbing alcohol solutions thank yourself
Transcribed from video
Swimmer's Ear – The D0CT0RS TV SH0W – 2014 – By sixesfullofnines
