How to get rid of swimmer's ear

Swimmer's ear (otitis externa) – a form of outer ear infection – is a common infection, especially among kids who spend a lot of time in the water. While it can be quite uncomfortable, the good news is that swimmer’s ear is easily treatable. And getting treatment is an important part of making sure the condition doesn’t lead to a more serious infection or hearing loss.

Felicity Lenes-Voit, M.D., Pediatric Otolaryngologist at Children's Health℠ and Assistant Professor at UT Southwestern, provides tips for how to get rid of swimmer’s ear and helps parents understand how to recognize and prevent it in kids.

Swimmer's ear symptoms

Symptoms of swimmer’s ear include:

• Ear pain, including pain when chewing or touching the outer portion of the ear

• Itchiness inside the ear

• Fluid that drains out of the ear, especially if it is foul smelling

• A feeling of fullness in the ear

• Hearing problems (it may sound like someone is talking through a wall)

• Redness on the outside of the ear

• Swelling around the inner ear canal

"Swimmer's ear can cause severe pain because of significant swelling in an area with many nerves," says Dr. Lenes-Voit. "If the pain worsens when you touch or pull on the ear, it may be a sign of swimmer’s ear or otitis externa"

What causes swimmer's ear?

Swimmer’s ear is caused when water gets trapped in the ear canal, creating a moist environment where bacteria and fungi can grow. This moisture can break down the ear’s natural protective barrier of wax, leading to infection.

Typically, the ear wax in our ears helps to prevent ear infections in three ways:

1. Acting as a physical barrier, keeping bacteria from infecting the skin of the ear canal

2. Creating an unfriendly environment for bacteria that does enter the ear canal because ear wax is acidic (and bacteria prefer a more alkaline environment)

3. Breaking down bacteria with enzymes contained in ear wax

Kids are more at risk for developing swimmer’s ear if they:

• Use Q-tips to clean out wax. A Q-tip can scratch the ear canal and cause an infection.

• Swim a lot in chlorinated pools. The water and chlorine in swimming pools can dry out the skin of the ear canal and lead to infection.

• Have certain immune conditions or skin conditions. Kids with conditions like diabetes or eczema can be at higher risk for ear infections.

How can I prevent swimmer’s ear?

There are a few ways to help prevent swimmer’s ear:

• Keep your ears dry. Use a towel to gently dry ears after getting them wet. And tilt your head to help any trapped water drain out.

• Avoid putting any type of irritant in your ears. Irritants include Q-tips, your fingers, ear candles and ear buds.

"We say never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear," says Dr. Lenes-Voit. "Don't try to remove earwax by putting objects into your child's ear. Without being able to see inside the ear canal, it's easy to cause injury. Using cotton swab Q-tips or bobby pins just pushes ear wax further into the ear canal and makes it harder for your ear to clean itself out, which is what it is designed to do."

Can ear plugs or ear drops help prevent swimmer’s ear?

Earplugs won't necessarily help prevent swimmer’s ear. Children with tubes in their ears may choose to use earplugs when swimming in a lake or pond, but they don't need them in a pool. Protective drops sold in stores also may not help. Research doesn't back their use and they can dry ears out.

If your child has repeated swimmer's ear infections, talk to your doctor about the best way to protect their ears safely before you try anything new.

How to get rid of swimmer's ear: medical treatment vs. home remedies

It might be tempting to try a home remedy when your child has swimmer’s ear, but medical treatment is usually the better – and faster – way to help them feel better. While there are some home remedies out there, they aren’t always safe and often don’t work as quickly as medicine from your doctor. Here's what to know about the pros and cons of each approach.

Medical treatment options

Sometimes, swimmer's ear gets better on its own. But it’s typically treated with antibiotic drops as they are more effective and have fewer risks than antibiotics taken by mouth.

Antibiotic drops are considered safe even when a child has ear tubes. But, in some cases, such as when a child has a ruptured (perforated) eardrum, certain antibiotic drops can cause hearing loss. Your child’s doctor can examine them to make sure ear drops are safe for them.

After starting antibiotic drops, most children will have less pain. But if antibiotic drops do not improve your child’s ear pain, contact your child’s doctor.

In some cases, your child's ear canal may be so swollen that the drops cannot get to the site of the infection. Your child may need to see an ear, nose and throat doctor who can clean out any debris or place a wick. A wick is a small piece of sterile cotton that is placed into the ear. Drops can then be passed through the wick all the way to the eardrum.

Are there home remedies for swimmer's ear?

Yes, there are some home remedies that may help with swimmer's ear. But they are only safe to use if you know for sure that your child's eardrum is intact (and has not ruptured). It’s important to keep in mind that home remedies won't work as quickly as antibiotics.

Home remedies for swimmer’s ear include:

• Mixing vinegar and hydrogen peroxide, in equal parts. Then, use a dropper to place a few drops of the mixture in the ear. The acid in the vinegar may help get rid of bacteria. This mixture may also help to prevent swimmer’s ear from developing.

• Using a warm compress. Try using a warm washcloth near the ear to relieve any pain or pressure.

• Over-the-counter pain medicines. When a child has a lot of ear pain, giving them age-appropriate doses of Tylenol can help.

• Avoiding swimming and baths. Avoiding swimming and baths can help keep the ear dry and prevent the infection from getting worse.

"When your child does need to bathe while they have an outer ear infection or drainage from their ear, we recommend taking a shower and using a big cotton ball covered in Vaseline and then put it on the opening of the ear to keep water from getting in," D. Lenes-Voit says.

When to contact a doctor for swimmer’s ear

Parents should contact their child’s doctor for swimmer’s ear if:

• The infection is not improving or getting worse.

• Your child has facial asymmetry or other symptoms that could mean the infection is affecting their nerves.

• Your child has a change in their voice or hearing.

Learn more

Children's Health offers the largest group of ENT pediatric doctors in North Texas, which gives parents and kids access to expertise, support and services closer to home. Learn more about how we treat everything from common ear infections to profound hearing loss in our Pediatric Ear, Nose and Throat program.