FitSugar

A Simple Solution For Swimmer's Ear

FitSugar — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:00:00 PDT

It seems that even simple Summer fun comes with risks, and if you're cooling off in the pool this season, you're at risk for swimmer's ear. When your ear is exposed to excess moisture, whether from swimming or bathing, water can become trapped in your ear canal.

The delicate skin inside your ear can then become soggy and begin to break down. When this happens, water dilutes the acidity of the ear canal, allowing bacteria or fungi to penetrate the skin, causing a painful infection. And according to otolaryngologist Dr. Barbara Schultz, it can happen to anyone. Fortunately, swimmer's ear is easy to prevent.

Learn how to make your own preventive ear drops when you

The infection that causes pain, tenderness, ringing, and itchiness in your ear is often treated with antibiotics, but you can take an inexpensive preventive measure. Schultz recommends putting drops in your ears at the end of your day in the water to restore the healthy pH balance of your ear canal. There are over-the-counter ear drops, costing around $3, or you can make your own simple solution. Mix equal parts white vinegar with rubbing alcohol to use as drops. Don't be tempted to stick a Q-tip in your ear to remove the water, as that can irritate and puncture the skin lining your ear canal and set the stage for an infection.

Into Swimming? Avoid Swimmer's Ear

FitSugar — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:00:00 PDT

If Michael Phelps and Dara Torres have inspired you to hit the pool, let me warn you about an unwanted side effect of spending lots of time in the water - swimmer's ear. When your ear is exposed to excess moisture, (whether you're swimming or bathing), water can stay trapped in your ear canal. Then the skin inside your ear can become soggy and begin to break down. When this happens, water dilutes the acidity of the ear canal allowing bacteria or fungi to penetrate the skin, causing a painful swimmer's ear infection. Actually, you don't even have to be near water in order to contract swimmer's ear since anything that causes a break in the skin of your ear canal can lead to this infection. That's why cleaning your ear with a cotton swab (or sticking anything else in your ear for that matter) is not recommended. Once there's damage to the skin, you're at risk for an infection.

To find out how you can prevent swimmer's ear

Swimmer's ear can cause pain, tenderness, ringing, and itchiness in your ear, so you want to avoid it at all costs. As soon as you're finished with a swim or shower, shake your head to one side and then the other to get excess water out of your ear. Over the counter drops that contain a dilute solution of acetic acid or alcohol can also help dry up your ear canal. Wearing ear plugs while swimming is also a good way to prevent water from entering your ear in the first place. Of course, whether you swim or not, you also want to stop cleaning your ear with cotton swabs.

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Prevent Swimmer's Ear

FitSugar — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 17:15:00 PDT

Your ears are pretty remarkable. Their unique design helps to tip water out of your ear canal, so you can usually bathe, shower, swim, and even walk in the rain with no problems. The ear canal is also acidic which prevents against bacterial and fungal infections.

However, if your ear is exposed to excess moisture (like if you're swimming a lot), the water can stay trapped in your ear canal. This skin can then get soggy and break down, diluting the acidity and allowing bacteria or fungi to penetrate through the skin, causing an infection called swimmer's ear.

The weird thing is that you don't have to swim to get swimmer's ear. Anything that causes a break in the skin of your ear canal will cause this infection - that's why cleaning your ear with a cotton swab is NOT recommended - if you damage the skin, you could risk getting swimmer's ear.

What are the symptoms? PAIN! The ear may also feel itchy or full. The outer ear may turn red or get swollen, and the lymph nodes around the ear may become enlarged and tender. There may be discharge - clear at first, but then turn cloudy, yellowish, and pus-like. Hearing, understandably, is affected as well.

Fun stuff, huh? So what do you do if you have swimmer's ear? To find out,

If your infection is severe, your doctor will prescribe drops that contain antibiotics for 7-10 days to fight the infection, and steroids to reduce swelling. Oral meds like ibuprofen or aspirin may also be suggested to help reduce the pain.

Fit's Tips: To prevent this painful infection during the summer, as soon as you're done swimming, shake your head to one side and then the other to get excess water out of your ear. OTC drops that contain a dilute solution of acetic acid or alcohol can also help dry up your ear canal. If you or your child is prone to swimmer's ear, wearing ear plugs may also be a good option.

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Is it an Ear Infection? Find Out With EarCheck

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 11:00:00 PDT

If you have young kids, you already know ear infections are a part of childhood. Children are susceptible to them because when they're sick, kids have a hard time getting the mucus out of their body. They're just beginning to learn the vital skill of blowing their nose. The mucus ends up draining into their ears, causing severely painful infections.

You can make many a trip to your pediatrician to have your kid's ears examined. Wouldn't it be great if you could check your children's ears at home without a doctor?

The EarCheck Middle Ear Monitor might be just the gadget you need. For $49.95, you can check your own child's ear to see if they have an infection. Just like the one at the doctor's office, this one uses sound waves to detect if there is fluid in the middle ear.

Checking your child's ear is quick and painless - if you can get them to hold still (I always find that element a problem). The EarCheck Monitor has an easy to read display and with the information you can decide if a doctor's visit is necessary.

Now that the weather is warming up, we'll be heading swimming. This monitor can also check for Swimmer's Ear. So it could be handy to have one on hand so you can spend more time enjoying the weather outside, and less time sitting in a doctor's office.