Dear readers, this is Kelly, the intern, hoping you all are having a fantastic July. As we are trudging through these dog days of summer, I find myself reminiscing about my childhood summers spent at the lake (I grew up in Minnesota, dontcha know). I’m sure plenty of you are spending your summer at the pool, waterpark, lake or river, so I would like to talk to you about some common swimming related illnesses and how to prevent them so you and your family can stay happy and healthy all summer long.

First, I wanted to discuss swimmer’s ear, since this is a condition most people have heard of but might not know what it actually is.  Swimmer’s ear is also called ‘tropical ear’ or (just so I sound educated) ‘acute otitis externa.’ Swimmer’s ear happens when the external ear canal becomes inflamed, usually due to bacterial infection.  It most frequently occurs in children age 7-12 years with common risk factors being high humidity, warm temperature, and swimming (Wow, sounds like Central Ohio!).  Usually this condition only affects one ear and about 10% of people will get Swimmer’s ear at some point in their life.

Symptoms: Ear pain, itching and fullness with or without hearing loss, jaw pain, and discharge

Prevention: Wear ear plugs while swimming or dry your ears afterwards. Use a soft towel to dry your outer ear or a blow-dryer set on low and held a foot away from the ear. Do NOT use cotton swabs or insert other objects into your ear canal, as you could damage the thin skin inside your ear and cause an infection. You may also wish to use an over-the-counter ear drop such as Auro-Dri® or Swim-Ear®, which contain drying agents to help remove excess moisture. It is important to note that these agents should only be used to PREVENT swimmer’s ear. Once you have symptoms, OTC drops will not be helpful in curing the infection and you should see your doctor. You might see recommendations for using a homemade mixture of vinegar and isopropyl alcohol to dry your ears, but some clinicians do not recommend this since it is too drying and can make the situation worse. Personally, I’d stick with OTC drops since I wouldn’t want to go around smelling like vinegar all day.

Treatment: If you or your child develop symptoms of swimmer’s ear, you should see a physician as soon as you are able.  Your doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics or steroids or antibiotic ear drops and the infection should go away within 2-3 days. If you can’t make it in to see a doctor right away, you can use a warm washcloth held against the ear or acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help with the pain.

You can find additional information on Swimmer’s ear here: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/swimmers-ear/DS00473/

So to recap: Keep your ears dry after swimming with a towel, blow-dryer or OTC ear drop, and visit your doctor if you develop ear pain.  That’s all I have to say for now.  Watch for part 2 on swimming illnesses to be posted soon.