How to Handle Swimmer’s Ear
Many people in Thailand love to swim. The hot climate almost demands that people head for a pool or the ocean on their days off. And while most people wear goggles to protect their eyes from chlorine, salt and contaminated water, few of them pay attention to their ears.
If you swim a lot, you’ve probably experienced swimmer’s ear at some point. Swimmer’s ear, clinically known as otitis externa, is an inflammation or infection of the outer ear caused by water that remains in the ear canal and causes bacteria to breed.
If you’ve never had the condition, it generally appears as itching or mild discomfort in your ear, like something’s blocking the ear. The blocking feeling you’re experiencing will be the ear canal starting to swell up. You also might notice some redness around the ear.
Some people like to think that with such mild symptoms, the condition will just clear up on its own. But an infection, unless treated effectively, only gets worse.
You can expect your case to start getting extremely painful. The swelling you’re experiencing will only increase until it affects your hearing resulting in muffled tones and trouble understanding people speaking.
Quick and Effective Treatment
You should never allow a case of swimmer’s ear to get to the painful and swollen stage. The moment you start feeling any itching or blockage in your ear, make an appointment to see a doctor.
But prevention is always the best course of action. After swimming, dry your ears as thoroughly as possible. If you feel any water in your ears, bend over to allow it to drain. You can use a homemade solution of one part rubbing alcohol and one part white vinegar in your ears to help dry them and prevent swimmer’s ear. Taking care of your ears allows you to enjoy swimming without any medical interruptions.