Got the ocean into your ear? (swimmers ear revision)

Getting into the water is one of the main causes of swimmers ear, but it’s almost inevitable to come to Sayulita and not enjoying either surfing or swimming, don’t you agree?

A very useful tip we have found to prevent swimmers ear infection is to mix white vinegar and alcohol in equal proportions and flood the ears with this mixture leaving it just for a couple of seconds. The recommendation is to apply it always before and after swimming.

The idea is to dry the ears and preventing the growth of bacteria in the process. I’ve applied this vinegar/alcohol myself and it feels very warm but not painful, if at some point using this mixture you experience pain, stop it immediately and seek medical attention, you might already have and active infection.

Swimmers ear (aka acute external ear infection or otitis externa) might be the third cause of visit to our office and it is most commonly caused by bacteria, but may also be caused by a fungus, or sometimes a combination of the two.

The medical treatment involves antibiotic eardrops, oral antibiotic, painkillers, and sometimes an steroid injection (in the buttock not in the ear :p) to reduce the swelling of the ear canal and to protect the ear drum.

Avoiding swimming and diving and actually any water into the ear is very important in order to achieve a full recovery. The use of water proof ear plugs is also recommended and the cheapest way to get one is making a good-size cotton ball massaged with Vaseline.

If you think you are having a swimmers ear (pain, sudden deafness, plugged feeling, or simply discomfort of the ear), don’t wait till the last day of your vacation to get medical treatment, permanent damage can occur to the ear drum because of the changes of pressure if you are flying.

So don’t forget the vinegar and enjoy the ocean!

More Information:

• Doctor Hoffman’s website
• Seattle Children’s Hospital
• Wikipedia