The Hearing Care Centers At SouthWestern Ear, Nose & Throat Call Us Now: (505) 819-0617 For Physician Appointments or Medical Records Please Call (505) 982-4848 M-Th 8:00am – 5:00pm F 8:00am – 4:00pm

Tips to Avoid Swimmer’s Ear From the

Doctors at SWENT

Swim season is here! Avoid Swimmer’s Ear

with these Tips from Southwestern Ear,

Nose & Throat Associates

As the days get hotter and the air gets

dryer, nothing sounds better than a long

swim in a pool or a lake. Unfortunately, for

many people, swim season becomes very

painful due to a condition called Swimmer’s Ear. Swimmer’s ear

occurs after water gets trapped in your ear and a bacterial or

fungal infection spreads, often affecting young swimmers, ruining

summer vacations. Swimmer’s ear can also be caused from bathing or showering.

What are the signs and symptoms?

According to the American Academy of Otolarygnology, the most

common symptoms of swimmer’s ear are itching inside the ear and pain that gets worse when you tug on the outer ear. Other

signs and symptoms may include any of the following:

• Sensation that the ear is blocked or full

• Drainage

• Decreased hearing

• Intense pain that may spread to the neck, face, or side of the head

The Hearing Care Centers At SouthWestern Ear, Nose & Throat Call Us Now: (505) 819-0617 For Physician Appointments or Medical Records Please Call (505) 982-4848 M-Th 8:00am – 5:00pm F 8:00am – 4:00pm

• Redness and swelling of the skin around the ear

Why should it be checked by a doctor?

To determine whether you have swimmer’s ear, a simple

examination of the ear is performed.

First line treatment for swimmer’s ear includes antibiotic drops

applied directly to the ear canal and keeping water out of the ear.

“Unfortunately many people have wax or swelling from the

infection that blocks the canal and will need to be seen by an Ear,

Nose & Throat doctor (ENT), said Dr. Shepard of Southwestern

Ear, Nose & Throat Associates. “If left untreated you could

experience hearing loss, bone or cartilage damage, or recurrent

ear infections.”

“Treatment is actually very simple,” Dr. Shepard continued. “We

do a careful cleaning of your ear canal and apply antibiotic drops

in your ear.” For larger infections of the ear, the doctors may

also use oral antibiotics.

How can swimmer’s ear be prevented in the future?

Prevent moisture in the ear. Cotton swabs or Q-tips should not be

used for this purpose and can actually make swimmer’s ear

worse. Cotton swabs pack material deeper into the ear canal and

remove protective earwax, irritating the thin skin of the ear canal which creates the perfect environment for an infection.

“One safe way to dry your ears after swimming or bathing, is

actually with a hair dryer,” Dr. Shepard said.

Other options are rubbing alcohol or a 50:50 mixture alcohol and

vinegar used as eardrops. It is, however, important to verify that

you do not have a perforated eardrum before doing these drops.

Check with your otolaryngologist (ENT) if you have ever had a

The Hearing Care Centers At SouthWestern Ear, Nose & Throat Call Us Now: (505) 819-0617 For Physician Appointments or Medical Records Please Call (505) 982-4848 M-Th 8:00am – 5:00pm F 8:00am – 4:00pm

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 you are one of those

people, it may be helpful to have your ears cleaned periodically

by an otolaryngologist. And don’t forget to avoid the Q-tips!

How can Southwestern Ear, Nose & Throat Associates

Help?

SWENT offers custom-fit swim plugs to help prevent swimmer's

ear in the future. Just call and make an appointment and the

audiology department at SWENT will take a mold of your ear. You

will have a custom set of swim plugs to get you through swim season in no time.

Located in Santa Fe, Southwestern Ear, Nose & Throat Associates

was founded in 1986 and has satellite locations in Los Alamos,

Espanola, and Las Vegas, NM. Known for comprehensive ear,

nose and throat care, SWENT features centers in audiology and

hearing aids, sleep disorders, allergies, and same day surgeries – the only all-inclusive office of its kind in New Mexico.

For More Information Call Us Today at (505) 819-0617

Or Visit Our Website at http://hearing-aids-santa-fe-nm.com and

also at YouTube