Swimmers ear question?
820888
Otitis externa - commonly known as swimmer's ear - is an infection of the ear canal, the tubular opening that carries sounds from the outside of the body to the eardrum. It can be caused by many different types of bacteria or fungi.\n\nThe infection commonly occurs in children who spend a lot of time in the water. Too much moisture in the ear can irritate and break down the skin in the canal, allowing bacteria or fungi to penetrate. In temperate climates, otitis externa occurs more frequently during the summer months, when swimming is more common.\n\nBut you don't have to swim to get swimmer's ear. Anything that causes a break in the skin of the ear canal can lead to an infection. Dry skin or eczema, scratching the ear canal, vigorous ear cleaning with cotton-tipped applicators, or inserting foreign objects like bobby pins or paper clips into the ear can all increase the risk of developing otitis externa. Sometimes, in a child with a middle ear infection, pus collected in the middle ear can drain into the ear canal through a hole in the eardrum and cause otitis externa to develop.\n\nSigns and Symptoms\n\nThe primary symptom of otitis externa is ear pain, which can be severe and gets worse when the earlobe or other exterior part of the ear is pulled or pressed on. It may also be painful for a person with otitis externa to chew. Sometimes the ear canal itches before the pain begins.\n\nSwelling of the ear canal may make your child complain of a full or uncomfortable feeling in the ear. The outer ear may become reddened or swollen, and lymph nodes around the ear may become enlarged and tender. There may be some discharge from the ear canal as well; it may be clear at first but then turn cloudy, yellowish, and pus-like. Hearing may temporarily be affected if pus and debris or swelling of the canal blocks the passage of sound into the ear. Fever is not common in typical cases of otitis externa.\n\nContagiousness\nOtitis externa is not contagious.\n\nPrevention\nUsing over-the-counter drops of a dilute solution of acetic acid or alcohol in the ears after getting them wet can help prevent otitis externa, especially if your child is prone to the infection. These drops are available at pharmacies and should only be used in children who do not have ear tubes or a hole in the eardrum. After spending time in the water, it is also a good idea for children to gently dry their ears with a towel and help water run out of their ears by turning their heads to the side. Speak with your child's doctor before using earplugs.\n\nTo avoid trauma to the ear, children should not clean their ears themselves and should never put objects into their ears, including cotton-tipped applicators.\n\nIncubation\nThere is no set incubation period for otitis externa, but the ear pain often follows an episode of swimming or immersion in water.\n\nDuration\nOtitis externa is usually cured within 7 to 10 days of starting treatment.\n\nProfessional Treatment\nTreatment of otitis externa depends on the severity of the infection and how much pain the child feels. For milder cases, your child's doctor may prescribe eardrops that contain antibiotics to fight the infection and a steroid to reduce swelling of the ear canal. Eardrops are usually given several times a day for 7 to 10 days.\n\nIf swelling of the ear canal makes it difficult to give the drops, your child's doctor may insert a cotton wick into the canal to help carry the medicine inside the ear. In some cases, the doctor may need to remove pus and debris from the ear with gentle cleaning or suction. This will allow the eardrops to work more effectively. For more severe infections, oral antibiotics may be given as well, and the doctor may order a culture of some of the discharge from the ear to help identify which bacteria or fungi are causing the infection.\n\nOver-the-counter pain relievers can be used to manage any pain your child may feel. Once treatment has begun, your child will st
79745
Definitely! Now if your exercise is swimming you have to think of a few things. Drops and wax! If you absolutely have to have to have to go to swim practice............well then put wax in the infected ear. When you get out of the pool, apply your drops and it should dry up any water that might have gotten in. But land exercise while having swimmers ear? Have at it!!
1079645
A couple drops of alcohol, or alcohol and vinegar, you can also use a hair dryer to dry out the ears, but you must use it on low, and not too close to the ear.\nThey have a medicine at the drugstore for swimmers ears, and its contents are mostly alcohol based.If you want more information, just type in swimmers ear into your search engine, there is a lot of info .
629418
i dont remember what its called...maybe swimmers ear or something like that, but there are ear drops available that dry up any excess water in your ears after you swim. I used it so i wouldnt get an ear infection from the pool water. works great...try asking a pharmacist to see if they still make it.
233379
Pull on the back of your outer ear while leaning the same way and it should run out.  The ear canal is not perfectly straight.  This will make it more straight.
677464
The best method is to make sure that your ear is dried out after swimming.  The make ear drops specifically for this. The drops evaporate the water out of the ear and keep it dry.
697316
If it bothers you get some specialist ear plugs and you will not get water into your ears. If it is just a minor irritation then use a cotton handkerchief and using your little finger push it int your ear. If it finds water it will soak into the handkerchief. Handkerchief must be clean as you could introduce an infection into your ear. Do not use a tissue as pieces can break off and get lodged in your ear. Cotton buds are not a good idea either as you are likely to poke them down too far and do some damaged. What I do is leave it and it disperses.
467051
You should probably try warning them up by rubbing your hands together on them or wearing something over them... hmm... maybe jumping up and down might help? It's for the times when water gets stuck in your ear after you get out of the pool...
829680
Put some peroxide on a Q-tip and put it in your ear and just kinda let it set there. That should do the trick and clean out any bacteria that may be in there.
392018
swim with thier mouths open
1022206
Try getting these drops called "Swimmer's Ear." You just put them in and they dry up all the excess water in your ears.
162009
I used to have the same problem. Be sure that no water gets into them. (the inside.) So I would consider, possibly, using an eyeglasses case for them. First, straight when you get out of the water, tissue ALL of the water off of them. Then, put them in the case.\n\nWhile swimming, if you, for example, have a 45-min class, don't take the goggles off AT ALL during the whole time. And yes, semi-removing them counts. So keep them on at all times.\n\nWhile putting the goggles on, be sure to make them quite tight. (you should feel it) and make sure they are air-sealed. Be sure to put the goggles on OUTSIDE OF WATER. \n\nTry that, it worked with MY goggles! Good luck! ^^
170891
Human ears are adapted to hearing via air not via water.  Also there are a couple transition boundaries that muffle and distort the sound.  The first being the surface of the water in the pool.  The second being the air bubble that is still in your outer ear.\n\nIf you remove this air bubble by inverting your head and shaking it side to side you can actually hear "better".  But the speakers voice will be very distorted from passing through the first transition boundary.\n\nMake sure that you exercise proper ear care after your swim to ensure that water does not stay in your outer ear and cause an infection.
433131
Lay your head on a pillow, put 2 or 3 drops of alcohol in your ear. Wait for a minute or two, and then repeat the process on the other ear. The alcohol will "break-down" the superficial tension of the water and it will leave it dry as new. You will feel how the water comes out leaving your hears refreshed. Don't worry, alcohol is harmless even if you accidentally pour the whole bottle and it's a great replacement for those expensive tiny bottles sold exclusively for swimmers. DO NOT put a q-tip or ANYTHING inside your ear. DO NOT hit your head with ANYTHING (not even with your hand, it's useless and it'll make you look crazy).
173078
Same thing happened to my guy, but he's a music fanatic with the headphones...ended up going to the ER for it cuz I couldn't get it all. I got a lot too. Dr. pulled out 2x as much as what you said. He told him that some people poduce wax faster than others. But it took like a month or so to get that bad. Maybe 2 months max. It's just that those people have stickier wax than most people. Dr said not to use q-tips cuz it'd shove it in further. But to wash out canal with a bulb syringe with warm water often to reduce build up. It was rock hard too when it came out, and really dark. Ew. He was having a hell of a time hearing. I could hear his music through his headphones when he was across the room! When he was almost deaf is when I said lemme see.
944250
Just a capful of Hydrogen peroxide helps too, or the drops called Swimmer's Ear also helps. Or try ear plugs when you swim.
153672
An easy way to answer your question would be that you take a glide in your breaststroke, in this glide you can rest (and stretch) usually for 1-3 seconds (in a lap-swimmer non-competitive style breaststroke).  You do not get this pause/rest/glide in freestyle, thus it feels like you are working harder in freestyle and can swim for longer with breaststroke. \nBy The Way...Bogeythedog's comments are also valid, take them on board also.