Minimizing Your Risk for Swimmer's Ear

Preventing this common ear infection doesn’t mean you or your kids have to stay out of the water this summer. Learn how simple measures can help keep your ears healthy.

You’ve probably seen it in your kids or remember it from your own childhood: a painful, itchy sensation in your ears, sometimes accompanied by uncomfortable pressure or worse, discharge. All those symptoms point to swimmer’s ear, a common condition that people often get in the summer months, when humidity and lots of time in the water mean that conditions are just right for bacteria to take hold and cause an outer ear infection.¹

But swimmer’s ear doesn’t just affect kids — teenagers and adults can get this type of infection, too — and it’s not limited to swimmers or people who spend time in the water. About 10% of people will get this infection, also known as otitis externa, in their lifetime, from several causes.² But minimizing your risk, and your kids’ risk, for swimmer’s ear this summer is relatively simple. Here’s information that can help if you suspect an otitis externa infection.

What causes swimmer’s ear?

This type of outer ear infection is most often caused by bacteria that infect the skin of the ear canal and that thrive in humid environments.³ “Moisture and humidity are one of the keys,” explains Hung-Fu Charlie Lin, NP-C, RNFA, a family nurse practitioner at Stanford Children’s Health in the Division of Pediatric Otolaryngology in Palo Alto, California. “Bacteria really like humid, warm environments that help them grow and proliferate.”

What are the symptoms of swimmer’s ear?

Symptoms of swimmer’s ear may include tenderness of the outer ear or when pressing on the small bump (tragus) in front of your ear; pain; decreased hearing; ear drainage that may or may not have a bad odor; redness around the outer ear; a feeling of pressure or fullness in the ear; ringing and itchiness.⁴

Where do you get swimmer’s ear?

Many places in the United States see high humidity in the summer months, meaning that the bacteria that cause swimmer’s ear already have a fighting chance. Add to that time spent swimming in pools, lakes and oceans — all of which give the bacteria the chance to get into human ears — and you understand why this infection got its nickname. “Anytime you have prolonged water exposure, or you have your head submerged — such as while snorkeling, scuba diving, or in swim lessons — water can freely enter and exit the ear canal,” says Lin. The bacteria can essentially hitch a ride on the wave and end up in your ear canal. If you don’t dry it out, it could thrive there.

But non-swimmers can get these bacteria too, and there are two major culprits. Damaging your ear canal with blunt objects, such as cotton swabs, could introduce the bacteria. “Cotton swabs can scratch the ear canal and create the opportunity for infection,” says Lin. Accordingly, you should never put cotton swabs into your ears, he says, even if you’re trying to get water out.

In addition, Lin has seen many cases of swimmer’s ear in teenagers and college students who haven’t been in the water but use earbuds extensively. “If you have moisture in the ear, and you have earbuds in all the time, the moisture has no way to evaporate,” Lin explains. So, that’s another reminder to take those earbuds out from time to time and give your ears a break, and a chance to dry out.

Further tips on how to prevent swimmer’s ear.

You can minimize your risk of otitis externa by keeping your ear canal free of water or excessive moisture. “Keep your ears clean and dry,” says Lin. After spending time in the water, towel off your ears, soaking up and absorbing as much water from the outer ear as possible with a towel, for example. But again: Do not use cotton swabs—or anything else — in the ear. “Just don’t do it,” Lin says. He also recommends using a hair dryer to gently — use no or low heat — get some dry air circulating in your ears.

Swim caps and ear plugs are good ways to keep water out of your ears when your head is going to be submerged for an extended period of time. But as for applying ear drops after swimming, Lin recommends speaking to your doctor, as there are differences in opinion in the medical community about their usage. “Especially if someone has ear tubes, you need to be careful about what types of drops you use. Talk to your family care doctor, or ear, nose and throat specialist,” he advises.

Should you go to a doctor for swimmer’s ear?

The short answer is yes. If you see any signs of swimmer’s ear, visit a doctor’s office or urgent care. Swimmer’s ear doesn’t resolve on its own, and an advanced infection could cause serious, but avoidable, complications. Your doctor will examine the ear canal with an otoscope (that familiar tool that illuminates and magnifies the ear canal) and will likely prescribe ear drops to clear the bacterial infection. (A doctor can also determine if the infection is the more rare fungal variety.) All of which will have you back to enjoying your summer in no time.

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