Rylee is taking lessons now, so I am afraid of her getting swimmers ear. Are there any drops over the counter that I can buy? My Grandma said to get a bottle and do half vinegar and half rubbing alcohol, and put that in her ear. Has anyone ever done that? TIA

By Jann on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 11:25 am:

That's the best option, but a product called Swim Ear is good too.

By Imamommyx4 on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 12:17 pm:

The half vinegar and half alcohol is fine to get water out of the ear and prevent an infection from starting. But you need to be sure that Rylee does not have any abrasions, tubes, or punctures in the ear/ear canal before you put anything with alcohol in there.

Swim Ear is a good product and there are some others, too. You can find them at the drugstore where the eye and ear products are found.

By Tink on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 12:21 pm:

my pediatrician recommended a few drops of hydrogen peroxide in each ear after each swim session. My kids haven't had swimmers' ear since we started doing that. HTH

By Rayanne on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 12:34 pm:

You know Cori, it's funny that you mentioned that because Chris told me to do that, and I kept saying no. Maybe I should listen to him more often. LOL.

By Mrsheidi on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 04:01 pm:

HHmmm...didn't know that they could get swimmers ear if they didn't swim frequently.

By Rayanne on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 04:30 pm:

I just don't want her to get it.
I don't know how often they need to be in the water to get it, but she takes a bath anywhere from everyday to every other day, depending on what we do that day.
She will most likely be in the pool 3 to 4 days a week.

By Tink on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 04:34 pm:

Note of warning...the hydrogen peroxide might bubble a bit and it comes out kind of foamy so keep a tissue handy. My kids squirm quite a bit and when I tried it to see how it felt, it tickles a lot!

Heidi, I think it just depends on the child. My understanding is that as the water evaporates, it dries out any earwax and causes it to harden, which can be uncomfortable. My kids have a LOT of earwax and have trouble with that blocking the ear canal without swimming. An ounce of prevention...

By Kaye on Tuesday, May 10, 2005 - 08:10 pm:

My kids swim daily during swim season, from mid april till july (then we usually only swim 4-5 days a week). None of them have had any issues with swimmers ear. Personally I would just watch her and see how she does. You will know if she is having an issue.

By Trina~moderator on Wednesday, May 11, 2005 - 06:42 am:

FWIW, neither of my kids (6 & 8) have ever had swimmers ear. They are in the water almost daily all summer long. I never had it at a child. My brother had it, but he was captain of the swim team and swam A LOT.

By Jann on Wednesday, May 11, 2005 - 07:23 am:

It's really kind of hit and miss. My kids swim all summer too, never had any problems for years, then one summer dd had 3 bouts of it, never happened again. My ds has been getting it lately just from having long hair and taking long baths. Seems to be no rhyme or reason to it. My doc is a huge fan of preventative measures regarding swimmer's ear and suggest the drops after swimming.

By Imamommyx4 on Wednesday, May 11, 2005 - 09:45 am:

Best I can remember the only time my kids got it was after swimming in lake or ocean water. I don't think it was ever the pool.
But it only takes a minute to prevent an earache. I usually do it if I think about it.

By Kay on Thursday, May 12, 2005 - 07:26 pm:

We've always used the Swim Ear, because my kids were always so susceptible to ear infections.

By Katherine on Thursday, May 12, 2005 - 11:13 pm:

We have a pool and my kids have never gotten it from our pool, but they went to a summer camp where they didn't keep the chemicals regulated correctly and they got swimmers ear then.

You can use a little alcohol in the ear because it helps the water evaporate. I even do this with my doggies ears when he gets his bath. The peroxide bubbling is sometimes bothersome to kids. It depends on if she can tolerate it. I prefer the alcohol myself.