I was just wondering if any of you have ever experienced this before? I went swimming tonight after dinner and my ears started hurting extremely bad. I never had problems when I was younger and haven't up until tonight. The pain was awful. I also got very dizzy feeling. It was strange and I am wondering if I should have my doctor check out my ears. I mean I hate running to the doctor over something like this, but it was painful and I love swimming.

By Texannie on Wednesday, June 9, 2004 - 11:36 pm:

Sounds like you have swimmer's ear. It won't help now if you do, but mix together a solution of white vinegar and alcohol equal parts to squirt in your ears after you swim to help prevent it. There are also some drops call 'swim ear' that do the same thing.

By Children03 on Wednesday, June 9, 2004 - 11:38 pm:

Thanks for telling me. I haven't ever experienced this before, do you know what causes swimmer's ear? I guess I can look it up on the web too. Does it cause dizziness too?

By Emily7 on Wednesday, June 9, 2004 - 11:54 pm:

It sounds kind of like when my dh punctured his eardrum, after jumping off the cliffs into the lake.

By Children03 on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 12:03 am:

I was just reading about it on the internet. I found a couple of things that mentioned being allergic to chlorine and the cold water and get in your ears and make you dizzy. I guess I will keep searching and try to call me doctor tomorrow just to make sure. I am going swimming again tomorrow and I might wear plugs.

By Texannie on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 12:06 am:

http://www.entnet.org/healthinfo/ears/swimmers.cfm

if it is swimmer's ear, you will need antibiotic drops....

Causes

Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the outer ear structures. It typically occurs in swimmers, but the since the cause of the infection is water trapped in the ear canal, bathing or showering may also cause this common infection. When water is trapped in the ear canal, bacteria that normally inhabit the skin and ear canal multiply, causing infection and irritation of the ear canal. If the infection progresses it may involve the outer ear.


Signs and Symptoms


The most common symptoms of swimmer’s ear are mild to moderate pain that is aggravated by tugging on the auricle and an itchy ear. Other symptoms may include any of the following:

Sensation that the ear is blocked or full
Drainage
Fever
Decreased hearing
Intense pain that may radiate to the neck, face, or side of the head
The outer ear may appear to be pushed forward or away from the skull
Swollen lymph nodes


Treatment

Treatment for the early stages of swimmer’s ear includes careful cleaning of the ear canal and eardrops that inhibit bacterial growth. Mild acid solutions such as boric or acetic acid are effective for early infections.

For more severe infections, if you do not have a perforated ear drum, ear cleaning may be helped by antibiotics. If the ear canal is swollen shut, a sponge or wick may be placed in the ear canal so that the antibiotic drops will be effective. Pain medication may also be prescribed.

Follow-up appointments with your physician are very important to monitor progress of the infection, to repeat ear cleaning, and to replace the ear wick as needed. Your otolaryngologist has specialized equipment and expertise to effectively clean the ear canal and treat swimmer’s ear.


Prevention

A dry ear is unlikely to become infected, so it is important to keep the ears free of moisture after swimming or bathing. Q-tips should not be used for this purpose, because they may pack material deeper into the ear canal, remove protective earwax, and irritate the thin skin of the ear canal creating the perfect environment for infection.

The safest way to dry your ears is with a hair dryer. If you do not have a perforated eardrum, rubbing alcohol or a 50:50 mixture of alcohol and vinegar used as eardrops will evaporate excess water and keep your ears dry.

Before using any drops in the ear, it is important to verify that you do not have a perforated eardrum. Check with your otolaryngologist if you have ever had a perforated, punctured, or injured eardrum, or if you have had ear surgery.

People with itchy ears, flaky or scaly ears, or extensive earwax are more likely to develop swimmer’s ear. If so, it may be helpful to have your ears cleaned periodically by an otolaryngologist.

By Texannie on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 12:13 am:

We had one summer that dd kept getting it. (does summer swim team) and she had very bad bouts of dizziness. It seemed to just hit her pretty quickly too.

By Children03 on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 12:14 am:

Hey, thanks for getting that information for me. I haven't had too many of those symptoms, but it might be swimmer's ear because the pain was terrible and it started hurting right after I had been under water. I think I am going to get me some ear plugs anyway because I don't like water to get in my ears. Thanks.

By Texannie on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 12:42 am:

You're welcome! Do get some antibiotic drops from your doc.

By Debbie on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 11:05 am:

I never had problems with swimmer's ear until a few years ago. I started having ear problems every time we went swimming. So, last summer I bought a bottle of swim-ear and I put a few drops in each ear after I got out of the water. I didn't have any problems all summer. I just went last week and got another bottle for this summer. Ear plugs are also a great idea if you go under water a lot.

By Children03 on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 11:09 am:

I went to the store first thing this morning and got ear plugs and drops. I am going to use them when I go out swimming today. Thanks.

By Texannie on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 11:20 am:

Is it still hurting?

By Coopaveryben on Thursday, June 10, 2004 - 03:12 pm:

I was on the swim team in high school and I used to get it every now and then, peroxide and a heating pad always seemed to help. I'm glad you got the plugs they will help.