Why is it so easy to get swimmers ear?

Question

Why is it so easy to get swimmers ear?

Answer 1

What's happening is the water is getting stuck inside your ear when you swim and you're not removing it so it stays and causes an infection.  Ear infections are very contagious, in that, if someone with an ear infection swims with their head in the water, the infection will spread in the water to the other swimmers.  One way to help remove some water after you swim is to tilt your head to one side, pull down and back on your earlobe to help the water drain out, then repeat for the other ear.

Answer 2

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. Even the normal bacteria that is always on our skin.

The infection commonly occurs in kids 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 the tissue.

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.

There are store brand remedies and homemade ones for this condition.  The key is to use them consistently when you get out of the water.

As with any medical condition, should your symptoms become more pronounced, or painful or any fluid (particularly purulent or foul smelling) GO SEE YOUR DOCTOR

Best of luck

Answer 3

Why is a whirling mouse?

answer: 'Cause of one the feet are both the same...

EDIT: Ok sorry -- couldn't resist...

Seriously though, swimmer's ear IS caused by water that remains in the ear, allowing bacteria to grow and causing the infection. I got a raging ear infection as a kid when we lived near a pool with a high-dive, and the doc said that the pressure from my constant diving had forced water deep into my ears. (Never heard anything about it being contagious though!!)

The rest of that summer was miserable; it was extremely painful, I could hardly HEAR and had to heat a little blue bottle of glycerin on the stove & put drops in several times a day for weeks. BUT the worst thing was that after that, it tended to re-occur for a couple years after - even without me going swimming!

The reason: because of the scar tissue that had formed from that terrible infection! The doc says that he can SEE the scar tissue when he just looks in there, and that is what now tends to trap ANY moisture which can cause another infection. That was many years ago, and to this day I cannot swim underwater, and of course no more diving... I  even have to dry them (carefully) with a Q-tip after showering.

The best solution to this is Prevention--don't let water remain ever! If you can't shake it out, try tipping your head to that side, pressing the palm of your hand firmly against your ear (to create a suction pressure) and then pulling it away quickly.

If that still doesn't remove the water, you can try ear drops to help dry it.

TIP: Commercial ear-drying drops are basically just isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol in disguise. It works by helping to evaporate the water. For a fraction of the cost you can accomplish the same thing with an eyedropper of isopropyl, which is cheap and available over-the-counter anywhere. Place a few drops into each ear every time you are done swimming. Hope this helps you :)