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Swimmer's ear, which is also called otitis externa or an outer ear infection, commonly occurs in children who have been swimming a lot or who have put their head under water when they take a bath. Water that gets trapped in the ear canal can cause irritation of the skin, which can then get infected. Cerumen, or ear wax, normally protects the skin in the ear canal from irritation by moisture, so swimmer's ear is more common in children without a lot of ear wax.
Children with swimmer's ear will usually complain of itching and then severe pain in the affected ear, which may become swollen. The pain is usually made worse if you pull on the ear lobe.
Mild cases may just cause fullness and itching with a clear discharge. More moderate or severe cases can cause intense pain, which is often worse with chewing and pulling on the ear lobe, swelling, hearing loss and a purulent discharge.
Treating Swimmer's Ear
Treatment is with topical antibiotics ear drops that your physician can prescribe.
These medications help to decrease inflammation, kill bacteria and make the ear canal more acidic (which also helps to inhibit the growth of bacteria). Because they are acidic, ear drops that are used to treat swimmer's ear can cause burning. If this is the case, you can ask your doctor to choose a medicine that is less acidic or use a suspension, rather than a solution form of the medication.
Commonly used ear drops that are used to treat swimmer's ear include Floxin, Ciprodex, and Cipro HC, all of which can be used twice a day, Cortane-B, Cortisporin suspension and solution, and many others.
In addition, you will likely have to gently cleanse the outer ear, especially if there is a lot of drainage. More severe cases, especially if the infections has spread to the skin around the ear, may require an oral antibiotic.
If there is significant swelling, then an ear wick may need to be placed so that the ear drops can reach the infection.
Persistent or chronic episodes of swimmer's ear may be caused by an underlying skin disorder, such as ezcema or seborrheic dermatitis, or a fungal infection.
Very mild cases of swimmer's ear can sometimes be treated using a homemade remedy with equal parts of water and white vinegar, which is placed in the affected ear twice a day.
Preventing Swimmer's Ear
Swimmer's ear can often be prevented by using OTC swim ear preparations with rubbing alcohol (Swim Ear), 2% acetic acid (Star-Otic), or a homemade solution with equal parts of rubbing alcohol and white vinegar, all of which are placed in the ear after swimming.
Ear plugs may also prevent water from getting into the ear canal and are very helpful for children that get recurrent episodes of swimmer's ear. Keep in mind that some experts feel that earplugs can cause swimmer's ear though.
You may also be able to prevent swimmer's ear by not irritating the ear canal or using cotton ear swabs on a routine basis.
Another condition that can cause ear pain and drainage occurs in children with a middle ear infection (otitis media) and a ruptured ear drum. Since this condition requires oral antibiotics, a visit to your Pediatrician when your suspect that your child has swimmer's ear is a good idea. By looking at the ear drum, your Pediatrician will be able to tell the difference between these two types of ear infections.
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