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DrSugar,
I have a friend who was banned from swimming as a child. She grew up with a pool in her backyard and developed a serious ear infection that landed her in the hospital. Her doctor told her that if she ever swam again she could die. Is this lifelong ban from swimming warranted? Is there such an ear infection that could kill you? I cannot imagine not swimming.
Missing Mermaid
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When you dive into the matter, swimming pools can be a mine field of dangers for adults and children alike, ranging from sunburns to dreaded cramps if you swim less than 30 minutes after eating, from skin infections or ear infections. The list of hazards also includes drowning and thermal shock. But swimming is a common form of recreation and with it come some side effects.
Outer ear infections, called otitis externa, are relatively common among aquatic athletes and those who spend a lot of time in the water. The infection is caused by bacteria or fungi, and symptoms include ear pain, a feeling of fullness in the ear and itching. It is generally a mild condition easily treatable with antibiotic ear drops. Common risk factors for developing an outer ear infection include swimming and diving in polluted or infected waters, such as a lake populated with waterfowl, hot and humid weather, eczema of the ears, and any trauma to the ear canal such as aggressive cleaning with cotton swabs.
While outer ear infections are usually relatively benign, there is a very small risk of developing a more serious condition known as malignant or necrotizing otitis externa. Essentially a more severe infection, it can spread to the skull or even the brain. This infection is more common in untreated outer ear infections and people with severe immunosuppresion such as diabetes. Having an outer ear infection also puts you at higher risk for developing another outer ear infection again in the future. To answer your question, it’s unclear why the doctor in this situation banned the girl from swimming forever, but she should definitely consult with an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist before jumping into the pool with you.
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Ikks
Wow, eczema of the ear sounds terrible.
1just when i was going to start using the apartment pool again . . . now i wont be, i was hesitant anyways because of the things i see the kids do in there, like eat their bags of cheetos in the middle of the pool with their sodas too. maybe i will try the gym pool, its always full of older people they have to be better than kids right? I LOVE SWIMMING I AM GOING THROUGH WITHDRAWLS!!
2cool i didnt know there was a doctor sugar..i wonder if this will be a new site soon..:^) great info
3I don't know if an ear infection can kill someone, but it can cause hearing loss. My husband had too many ear infections from swimming as a child and the doctor told him if he even got ONE more he could lose up to 30% of his hearing. And they can't reverse hearing loss, there's no fixing it. So now he doesn't swim. Ever. Even on our honeymoon in Jamaica, I went in the ocean & he stayed on the beach.
4Ugh, necrotizing (ie, flesh-eating) infections sound bad enough to keep me out of the pool, lol. Just one more reason to keep on top of your pool cleaning schedule and not to swim in gross lakes or ponds. Another thing you have to worry about if you swim in lakes/rivers/streams is Giardia. It's a parasite that becomes active when you ingest it and it's a nasty, nasty illness. There's a vaccine for it, so if you are going to a place where you might pick it up, go for the vaccine so you don't end up miserable.
5the best thing against Ear infection or swimmers ear is the eardoc. with the Eardoc there relay inst any problem. as it noninvasive treats the problem and not the symptoms
6www.eardoc.info
I had chronic ear infections as a child and I my hearing is maybe a little too sensitive. I hear everything! I still have a yearly earache.
I do not swim in "fresh" water, the ocean, or in public pools, despite growing up on the coast, living near a "fresh" body of water, and having been a competitive swimmer in school. There are germs and creepy things (and people) galore and I hate having my ears less than immaculate.
I want a salt water pool for myself though. I really do love the water, but I cannot get over how nasty some water is!
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