What to do when you have ear ache after swimming?

Answer 1

Water clogged ear can cause ears to feel full and gradual hearing loss (temporary). It can also turn into an infection (Swimmer's Ear - increasing pain, redness, itching). If you have an infection, you will have to get antibiotics. There is nothing over the counter that will help with that. For water clogged ear, the objective is to keep it dry. Prevention: after swimming, tilt your ear downward while gently manipulating the auricle. You can also use a blow dryer on a low setting. If your ear has become water clogged, use a 50:50 mixture of white vinegar and 95% isopropyl alcohol (or water) with a dropper. The vinegar will help prevent bacterial infection and the alcohol will draw out the water. If you still experience pain, it will only be "fixed" by going to the doctor. In the meantime, over the counter Advil or Motrin will help with the pain. Applying heat might also help alleviate some of the inflammation. Heat raw rice or salt (they conduct heat well) and put in a thin sock. This should provide some heat without it being too hot for such a sensitive area.

Answer 2

Do not try these home remedies if you have tubes in your ears or if you have a known hole or other defect in your eardrum.

The US National Institutes of Health has the following directions on their website at nih.gov:

"For swimmer's ear (unless the eardrum is perforated):

• Tilt the head sideways, with the water-filled ear up.
• Pull the ear upward and backward. [Do this by grasping and pulling the top of your outer ear up and toward the back. This helps straighten the ear canal so that fluids can more easily be put in or removed.]
• Carefully squeeze a medicine-dropper full of rubbing alcohol or a mixture of half rubbing alcohol and half white vinegar into the ear. This mixture will dry out the ear and kill any bacteria or fungi.
• Wiggle the ear to move the solution all the way down.

• Tilt the head again so that the affected ear is now down, and let the fluids drain out."

Alternative methods from contributors:

You can use a hair dryer set on warm (never hot) and blow across your ear, holding the dryer at least 5 inches from your ear.

Avoid using anything small and stiff like a Q-tip, but you can try to dry it with a towel, washcloth, or tissue on your finger.

You can lie down on your side with the ear with water in it positioned down for 15 or 20 minutes and sometimes it will flow out with gravity.

Another method: When you are in the shower or the pool, take a scoop full of water and tilt your head so that you can pour that water into the same ear with the water already in it. Keep your head tilted until all the water "merges" in your ear (warm water feels best). After a few seconds just tilt your head the other way. You'll feel the exact moment when all the water escapes your ear with relief. If it doesn't work the first time just do it again. Follow this with a rinse using the vinegar/water mixture below.

If you aren't successful with any of the above, you can gently rinse with water mixed half and half with white vinegar. It will not dry your ear directly, but it will make the acid pH in your ear inhospitable to bacteria that might cause an infection in the wet ear before it can dry. Then just wait for the ear to clear without concern of getting an ear infection from the water standing in your ear. Try some of the suggested methods above after using the vinegar rinse if the water does not drain immediately. Some people who have "swimmer's ear" (repeated ear infections from getting the ear wet) are instructed by ENT specialists to routinely use the vinegar and water rinse on an ongoing basis daily or twice a day and anytime water gets in the ear to prevent infection.

Important Note:

Putting a little mineral oil or baby oil in each ear before swimming may help prevent the problem.

Answer 3

Going to get an acupunture treatment can help with an ear ache. There are many points to treat the ears. There are also points below the ears that can release the pressure and inflammation.

Melissa Batten L.Ac

Answer 4

Check with your doctor to see if you have Swimmer's Ear. {No, I'm not kidding}

Swimmer's Ear is a minor ear infection.