EAR, SWIMMER'S

SYMPTOM DEFINITION


Symptoms

Causes

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WHEN TO CALL YOUR DOCTOR

Call your doctor now (night or day) if:

Call your doctor within 24 hours (between 9am and 4pm) if:

Call your doctor during weekday office hours if:

Parent care at home if:


HOME CARE ADVICE

  1. White Vinegar Rinses:
    • Rinse the ear canals twice a day with ½ strength white vinegar (dilute it with equal parts warm water).
    • Fill the ear canal.
    • After 5 minutes, remove it by turning the head to the side and moving the ear. (Exception: ear tubes or hole in eardrum.)
    • Reason: restores the normal acid pH of the ear canal and reduces swelling.
    • Continue until symptoms resolve.
  2. Pain Medicine: Give acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) or ibuprofen for pain relief.
  3. Local Heat: If pain is moderate to severe, apply a heating pad (set on low) or hot water bottle to outer ear for 20 minutes (caution: avoid burns). This will also increase drainage.
  4. Reduce Swimming Times: Try to avoid swimming until symptoms are gone. If on a swim team, it's OK to continue. Swimming may slow recovery, but causes no serious harm.
  5. Contagiousness: Swimmer's ear is not contagious.
  6. Expected Course: With treatment, symptoms should be improved in 3 days and resolved in 7 days.
  7. Prevention of Recurrences:
    • Try to keep the ear canals dry.
    • After showers, hair washing, and swimming, help the water run out by turning the head.
    • Avoid cotton swabs (Reason: packs in the earwax).
    • If swimmer's ear is a repeated problem, rinse the ear canals after swimming with a white vinegar-rubbing alcohol solution (equal parts of each).
  8. Call Your Doctor If:
    • Ear symptoms last over 7 days on treatment
    • Your child becomes worse

And remember, contact your doctor if your child becomes worse or develops any of the "Call Your Doctor" symptoms.


REFERENCES

  1. Bojrab D, Bruderly T, Abdulrazzak Y. Diseases of the external auditory canal: Otitis externa. Otolaryngol Clin. 1996;29:761-782.
  2. Canto RM. Otitis externa and otitis media: A new look at old problems. Emerg Med Clin North Am. 1995;13:445-455.
  3. Consensus Panel. Use of ototopical antibiotics in treating 3 common ear diseases. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2000;122:934-40.
  4. Hughes E and Lee JH. Otitis externa. Pediatr Rev. 2001;22:191-197.
  5. Marcy SM. Infections of the external ear. Pediatr Infect Dis J. 1985;4:192-201.
  6. Rubin J, et al. Malignant external otitis in children. J Pediatr. 1988;113:965-70.

Disclaimer: This information is not intended be a substitute for professional medical advice. It is provided for educational purposes only. You assume full responsibility for how you choose to use this information.

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