Avoiding swimmer’s ear
Summer is here and my ears are burning. Not because someone may be talking about me or because my ears are sunburnt but because I have swimmer’s ear.
The warm weather and time in the water sees different things impacting on our wellbeing. In my medical career I have treated thousands of cases of swimmer’s ear – otherwise known as otitis externa. It’s an infection in the external ear canal that runs from the ear drum to the earlobe and outside world.
One of the more common causes of otitis externa is water becoming trapped in the ear canal, and bacteria and fungi growing causing inflammation and pain. Having treated many cases it’s interesting to experience it. It’s really sore, hard to sleep and even eating is painful. It certainly impacts on your wellbeing. As with most things, prevention is better than cure – as is early treatment if you get it.
Some people may be more likely to get swimmer’s ear due to chronic dermatitis, a narrow ear canal or what is called surfer’s ear. Having worked in Taranaki as a doctor for many years, I know that surfer’s ear is very common. This is where bony growths called exostoses crowd the ear canal so water gets trapped between the bony lumps and the eardrum. You may see the odd person hopping on one foot to another shaking their head trying to clear the water from their ear canal.
So, if you have surfer’s ear or are prone to swimmer’s ear, keeping water out of the ear canal is an important strategy in staying well. A stylish shower cap may do the trick at home – or earplugs for those of you who have hair to wash. Earplugs while surfing or swimming help as well and are preferable to having to stay out of the water with an ear infection during summer while everyone plunges in. Wearing earplugs may in fact help prevent surfer’s ear as well.
If that fails and pain and inflammation are setting in, it’s important to get onto it quickly. If it’s mild and you don’t have a perforated ear drum or complications there are concoctions available in the form of ear drops which are essentially vinegar (acetic acid) and alcohol that change the pH and dry out the ear.
The next steps are eardrops that contain steroids to reduce inflammation and antibiotics and antifungals to kill the bugs. If it is really bad you may need oral antibiotics and may even need to see an Ear Nose and Throat specialist to get the debris removed. You want to avoid letting it get too far, so you don’t end up getting chronic otitis externa and recurrent ear infections. Infection and inflammation are like fires: avoid starting them but if you have one, put it out quickly before it takes hold and causes more damage.
With the longer summer evenings and people spending more time outside there are also more things that go bump in the evening. I have seen numerous cases of bugs flying into people’s ears at beaches, barbecues and boudoirs. This is really frightening and a small insect can sound like a large military brass 123RF.COM band banging on your tympanic membrane (ear drum).
The simple treatment is to lie on your side and put a few drops of olive oil in your ear. The bug drowns and silence is achieved. Then get the bug removed or it may just float out.
Look after yourself and your loved ones ears this summer – and don’t go poking anything in your ears or theirs. ● Dr Tom Mulholland is an Emergency Department doctor and GP with more than 25 years’ experience in New Zealand. He’s currently on a mission, tackling health missions around the world.