Preventing and Treating Swimmer’s Ear During Pool Season
There’s nothing like a dip in a cool pool on a hot summer day. But unfortunately for some, the price of refreshment is a painful ear infection commonly known as “swimmer’s ear.”
Swimmer’s ear is more prevalent in children and young adults, however, anyone can suffer from it. Non-contagious and different than a middle ear infection, swimmer’s ear is caused by a growth of bacteria when water stays in the outer ear canal for a long time. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), symptoms of this infection can include:
- Pain when the outer ear is tugged or when pressure is put on the part of the outer ear that sticks out in front of the ear canal
- Itchiness inside the ear
- Drainage from the ear (often yellow and foul-smelling)
- Redness and swelling in the ear
- Muffled hearing
