Swimmers Ear Safeguards Against a Perennial Problem

Safeguards against a Perennial Problem

Your child has taken to his swimming lessons like a duck to water. Now you can hardly get him out of the pool. But a duck's feathers have built-in waterproofing. Your child's ears don't.

All that exposure to moisture can take its toll on the delicate lining of the ear canal, making it angry, red and itchy. Doctors call the problem otitis externa, or swimmer's ear. Left untreated, the irritation can develop into a painful infection.

Full-blown swimmer's ear infection in children isn't hard for a doctor to diagnose, says Jeffrey Fogel, M.D., a pediatrician in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, and staff physician at Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia. To check, a doctor gently jiggles the child's earlobe. ''If the child has extreme pain, there's a good chance it's swimmer's ear,'' he says.

Once infection and pain set in, a visit to the pediatrician or family physician is essential, says Dr. Fogel, because you'll need a prescription for antibiotics and cortisone eardrops. But experts say you can treat the condition before it becomes infected--while it is still just an itchy irritation--or even prevent it with these simple measures.

Try over-the-counter eardrops. Most drugstores carry eardrops labeled specifically for swimmer's ear to ease the pain and itching and head off infection, says Russell Steele, M.D., professor and vice chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans. ''The fluid in the drops is acidic, so it helps prevent bacteria from growing,'' he explains.

Give it a shake. Since swimmer's ear is often caused by the irritation of water still trapped inside the ear canal, getting it out can help head off problems. ''After the child has been swimming, he should shake his head, tip it to each side and pull on each earlobe a couple of times while shaking to try to get all the water out,'' says Dr. Fogel.

Make your own eardrops. If you don't have a commercial preparation handy, your medicine chest may contain the makings of swimmer's eardrops, says Dr. Fogel. ''Put some hydrogen peroxide or rubbing alcohol in a dropper,'' he says. ''After your child swims, place two or three drops in each ear and leave it in. This will help displace any water that might be trapped inside.'' ( The drops combine with the water in the ear and aid rapid evaporation, he explains.)

Another method is to use vinegar in a dropper, says Kevin Ferentz, M.D., assistant professor of family medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a family physician in Baltimore. '' Vinegar contains acetic acid, which is the same ingredient in some over-the-counter eardrops. Just use a couple of drops in each ear.'' Gently jiggle your child's ear to get the vinegar to the bottom of the canal, he advises. Then tilt the child's head to let it drain out.

Ban underwater adventures. ''A child is more likely to get swimmer's ear if he's diving underwater,'' says Dr. Fogel. That's because at greater depths there is more pressure pushing against the ears and water is more likely to get in. So try to have your child stay on the surface as much as possible.

Don't depend on ear plugs. Plugs can help keep water out of the ear, but they're not foolproof. ''One problem with store-bought ear plugs is that they can irritate the ear canal,'' says Dr. Fogel. Instead, he recommends moistening some cotton with petroleum jelly and placing it at the edge of the ear opening. ''Just remember that no plug is 100 percent watertight,'' he cautions.

Use your hair dryer for hair, not ears. Many experts recommend that adults use a hair dryer on low setting to dry out their ears after swimming. But Dr. Fogel doesn't recommend this for kids. ''The appliance is simply too noisy and can potentially impair a child's hearing,'' he says.