Tuesday, 3 January 2012
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Swimmer’s ear, as the name implies, will definitely bring to mind the uncomfortable feeling of having water left in your ear after leaving the pool. After all, as long as you are still in the pool, you have the option of splashing more water into your ear to get out whatever fluids that are stuck there, but after you hit the showers, you can tap and shake all you want but it still stays there. You may opt to just leave it be, and hope it comes out sooner or later.
However, swimmer’s ear does not only refer to the water that is retained in your ear following a swimming session. Instead, it is another name given to an infection in the outer ear canal. This canal runs from outside of your head into your eardrum. The infection is only so named because it is typically caused by water that is kept in your ear, as it creates a moist environment that encourages growth of bacteria. It can also come about when you put your fingers or cotton swabs into your ears, as these can damage the thin skin lining in the ear canal.
The medical term for swimmer’s ear is acute otitis externa, or external otitis. The main cause for this infection is the presence of bacteria attacking the skin inside a person’s ear canal. Eardrops are the most common treatment for this case. Prompt treatment is usually recommended, as it helps to prevent complications or a progressively serious infection.
What are the usual symptoms of swimmer’s ear? Generally, the symptoms would start off mildly, to the point that the patient may not even think much of them. However, if the infection is not treated or somehow spreads, the symptoms tend to get worse. Experts typically classify symptoms for swimmer’s ear as mild, moderate and advanced.
Mild symptoms include itching in the ear canal, a slight redness in the ear, mild discomfort that feels worse when the outer ear is pulled o the little bump in front of the ear is pushed. There may also be some drainage of an odourless, clear fluid. When the infection is untreated, the symptoms may progress to more intense itchiness and increasing pain. The redness in the ear may also become more pronounced, and fluid drainage may increase. Sometimes there may also be a discharge of pus. During moderate progression, the person may also feel some fullness inside the ear, as well as a partial blockage to hearing caused by swelling, debris, or fluids. This results in muffled or decreased auditory senses. If the infection still remains untreated, the advanced state of swimmer’s ear may include severe pain that can even radiate to the neck, face, or side of the head. This is also characterized by a complete blockage in the ear canal, as well as swelling or redness of the outer ear. The lymph nodes in the neck may also swell, and the patient may develop fever.
From these, it is therefore recommended that anyone suffering even from mild symptoms of swimmer’s ear should set an appointment with his ear doctor. If fever or severe pain comes on, it would be best to call the doctor right away or head right on to the emergency room.
What causes swimmer’s ear? Some people are actually more prone to it than others. The ears actually have protective mechanisms, among which is cerumen, or waxy substance secreted by the glands to protect the ears. Cerumen is highly acidic, and this helps discourage growth of bacteria. The ear canal also naturally slopes downward to help drain out excess fluid. Infection typically comes about when there is excess moisture in the ear, perhaps due to heavy perspiration, water kept in the ear or prolonged humid weather. Using cotton swabs or other objects to clean the ear also results in small breaks in the skin, and these are breeding grounds for bacteria.
With these in mind, the best way to prevent swimmer’s ear is to stay away from the above causes. That means making sure there is no excess water in the ears after swimming, as well as staying away from using anything that may cause breaks in the skin in your ear canal. If ever these do not work, just be sure to visit the doctor as soon as you experience symptoms in order to prevent worsening of the infection.
Things to Know about Swimmer’s Ear
However, swimmer’s ear does not only refer to the water that is retained in your ear following a swimming session. Instead, it is another name given to an infection in the outer ear canal. This canal runs from outside of your head into your eardrum. The infection is only so named because it is typically caused by water that is kept in your ear, as it creates a moist environment that encourages growth of bacteria. It can also come about when you put your fingers or cotton swabs into your ears, as these can damage the thin skin lining in the ear canal.
The medical term for swimmer’s ear is acute otitis externa, or external otitis. The main cause for this infection is the presence of bacteria attacking the skin inside a person’s ear canal. Eardrops are the most common treatment for this case. Prompt treatment is usually recommended, as it helps to prevent complications or a progressively serious infection.
What are the usual symptoms of swimmer’s ear? Generally, the symptoms would start off mildly, to the point that the patient may not even think much of them. However, if the infection is not treated or somehow spreads, the symptoms tend to get worse. Experts typically classify symptoms for swimmer’s ear as mild, moderate and advanced.
Mild symptoms include itching in the ear canal, a slight redness in the ear, mild discomfort that feels worse when the outer ear is pulled o the little bump in front of the ear is pushed. There may also be some drainage of an odourless, clear fluid. When the infection is untreated, the symptoms may progress to more intense itchiness and increasing pain. The redness in the ear may also become more pronounced, and fluid drainage may increase. Sometimes there may also be a discharge of pus. During moderate progression, the person may also feel some fullness inside the ear, as well as a partial blockage to hearing caused by swelling, debris, or fluids. This results in muffled or decreased auditory senses. If the infection still remains untreated, the advanced state of swimmer’s ear may include severe pain that can even radiate to the neck, face, or side of the head. This is also characterized by a complete blockage in the ear canal, as well as swelling or redness of the outer ear. The lymph nodes in the neck may also swell, and the patient may develop fever.
From these, it is therefore recommended that anyone suffering even from mild symptoms of swimmer’s ear should set an appointment with his ear doctor. If fever or severe pain comes on, it would be best to call the doctor right away or head right on to the emergency room.
What causes swimmer’s ear? Some people are actually more prone to it than others. The ears actually have protective mechanisms, among which is cerumen, or waxy substance secreted by the glands to protect the ears. Cerumen is highly acidic, and this helps discourage growth of bacteria. The ear canal also naturally slopes downward to help drain out excess fluid. Infection typically comes about when there is excess moisture in the ear, perhaps due to heavy perspiration, water kept in the ear or prolonged humid weather. Using cotton swabs or other objects to clean the ear also results in small breaks in the skin, and these are breeding grounds for bacteria.
With these in mind, the best way to prevent swimmer’s ear is to stay away from the above causes. That means making sure there is no excess water in the ears after swimming, as well as staying away from using anything that may cause breaks in the skin in your ear canal. If ever these do not work, just be sure to visit the doctor as soon as you experience symptoms in order to prevent worsening of the infection.
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