Are you worried about your kid complaining of ear pain two days after you get back home from a family vacation, or the very next day after attending as swimming session you notice your kid suffering from severe ear pain? Does it starts mildly and becomes quite severe after few hours and extremely painful later? This may be due to severe bacterial ear infection called otitis externa.
About Otitis externa
Otitis externa is an infection of the ear canal, which is a tubular opening that carries sound from our surroundings to the eardrum. Otitis externa is also called as swimmer’s ear as it infects kids and teenagers who spent most of their time in water. Too much of moisture trapped in the ear canal ruptures the skin of the ear canal and allow bacteria and fungi to grow in the more favorable dark and moist environment of the ear canal. This is different from the infection that occurs in the middle ear (behind the ear drum) called otitis media, which is a very common condition and occurs during cold.
Causes
Swimmer’s ear is caused most commonly due to excess exposure to water that gets trapped in the ear canal after a swim. Too much of moisture removes the protective ear wax, irritates the skin and ruptures it, causing bacteria and fungi to flourish there. It is caused mostly during summer season when swimming is common, especially when swimming in polluted water. Eczema or dry skin may also be one reason.
Other reasons for otitis externa include cleaning of ear vigorously with cotton tipped buds, vigorous scratching of the ear canal, injury to ear canal by cleaning or scratching ear using hair-pin, paper clips, pen, or pencil, and pus formation due to middle ear infection that drains into the ear canal resulting in otitis externa. In addition, bacteria found in hair spray or hair dye sometimes get trapped in your ear causing infection
Identifying swimmer’s ear
The symptoms of swimmer’s ear disease vary according to the severity of the disease. Initially the symptoms are milder and they get worse if not treated early.
You may have pain in the ear, redness of the skin in the ear canal and itching. Swelling may cause discomfort or stuffy or blocked feeling in the affected ear. There could be drainage of odorless fluid. Otitis externa can also cause swollen and tender lymph node in the neck region and temporary loss or reduced hearing capability if the fluid blocks the ear canal
Visit your doctor if you are experiencing any of the above said symptoms even in milder conditions.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of swimmer’s ear is done by physical examination of your ear. Your doctor will examine the inner ear using a lighted instrument called otoscope that shows the inner part of your ear. Your ear canal may look red, swollen with scaly or shedding surfaces. Touching or moving the external ear will result in severe pain. Viewing the ear drum is important to differentiate it from middle ear infection (otitis media). But in most cases, ear drums may not be visible due to swollen ear canal. In such cases your doctor may first clean up the ear blocks with a small suction device and then examine the ear drum for any damage. If he finds that your ear drum is torn or damaged then he might suggest you to an otolaryngologist – a specialist in ear, nose and throat treatment. If the infection is not responding well to the treatment than your doctor may collect sample of the fluid from your ear and send it to lab test for identifying the growing bacteria or fungi or to find out the exact cause of the infection.
Treatment
Treatment procedures depend on how severe your infection is and it mainly focuses on stopping the spread of infection, and healing the infection. Your treatment begins with cleaning of the ear. Your doctor will clean your blocked ear canal using a suction device or ear curette. This will clean up scaly skin, ear-wax, debris, and the discharge. Cleaning is essential so that the medicine reaches the infected area in the ear canal.
Ear drops may be prescribed depending on the severity of the infection. Your doctor may prescribe medicines in the following combinations
- Steroids – To reduce inflammation
- Antibiotics – To cure bacterial infection
- Anti-fungal – To fight fungal infection
- Acidic solutions – To bring back your ears normal acidic and anti-bacterial environment
- Corticosteroids – To reduce itching and inflammation
If the ear is swollen preventing the medications to reach the infected area than your doctor might use a wick. Relax! He is not going to light it. This wick is made up of sponge, which helps the medicine to reach the infected area and heal quickly. Continue the full course of the medication as stopping it too early may cause the infection to relapse again. If you have severe pain than use a pain-reliever.
Few general tips that your doctor will advice your to follow are – avoid swimming until cured, avoid flying, avoid wearing ear plugs or hearing aid machine until the discharge is stopped and the infection is completely cured, and importantly be careful while taking bath and take steps to prevent water entering your ears by wearing cotton ear plugs that are coated with petroleum jelly.
Prevention
Few simple, basic but important steps that, if followed can help you stay away from swimmer’s ear are
- After swimming use over-the-counter dilute acetic acid or alcohol in the ears to avoid infection
- After swimming dry your ear properly by gently wiping it with towel and draining out the water by turning head to the sides
- Do not swim in polluted water
- Never put any object into your ears, not even cotton-tipped applicator
- Do not scratch your ear with fingers or with any other objects
- Leave your ear-wax, if you find that it is troubling your hearing capability then consult your doctor immediately
- Use bathing or shower caps or ear plugs during bathing or swimming to avoid water entering your ears
- Use home-made mixture of 1 drop of alcohol with 1 drop of vinegar and use it after ears get wet, they prevent bacterial growth
Give an ear to this!
Swimmer’s ear or otitis externa is a treatable condition. Contact your doctor immediately if your notice any of these symptoms in your child or yourself. The first thing everyone wants to know is that ‘When can I go back to swimming again?’ The answer to this depends on the severity of your condition. But you have to wait for some time until your doctor confirms that you are perfectly all right and ready to dive into waters again. But do not forget to follow the preventive steps, use prescribed drops to keep your ears dry after swimming. This is a simple preventive step that will help your ears to be in perfect condition all summer.
