Surfers Ear vs Swimmers Ear Cont'd
After growing up hearing (pun intended) about things like surfers ear, ear aches, ear infections or swimmers ear...it wasn't until I first had ear problems that I decided to delve a little deeper in order to figure out what was going on for me.
Swimmers Ear Key Points:
- Very different to Surfers Ear, it is an infection of the outer ear canal that runs from the eardrum to the outside of the head.
- Usually self-diagnosable where the main symptoms are redness in the outer ear accompanied by warmth and pain.
- People may experience: feeling of fullness in the ear, hearing loss, itching, redness, or tenderness in ear and mucus/discharge from the ear.
- Just like any infection it may spread deeper...
- water remaining in the ear after swimming OR surfing
- this creates a moist environment that helps bacteria or fungi grow (especially in warm tropical places where there are MORE bacteria/fungi)
- Individuals that wear ear plugs (tradies), ear buds, or hearing aids may be at an increased risk.
- something getting stuck inside the ear, excessive ear cleaning, or contact with chemicals like hair dye or hairspray.
- Extra water removes ear wax (and sometimes so do you if you use cotton swabs!), ear wax is critical for stopping foreign bodies get into your ear.
- Use a towel to dry off your ears as soon as you’re done swimming or bathing.
-If symptoms start to get worse, keep your ears dry!!
- Avoid dirty smelly rivermouths that carry pollution and bacteria to the ocean.
- Avoid pools