{"id":6374,"date":"2019-05-03T06:06:52","date_gmt":"2019-05-03T06:06:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/?p=6374"},"modified":"2021-04-05T15:39:45","modified_gmt":"2021-04-05T15:39:45","slug":"14-symptoms-of-swimmers-ear","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/simplyhealth.today\/14-symptoms-of-swimmers-ear\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Symptoms of Swimmers Ear"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Swimmers ear occurs when water enters the ear canal through swimming, bathing, or washing the hair. It can also occur when you put cotton swabs, fingers, or any object into the ear. This causes the thin layer of skin that lines the ear canal to become damaged. Swimmers ear can be healed with eardrops that can be purchased at any pharmacy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If it becomes severe, there are other measures you have to take in order to heal swimmers ear, such as going to an ear specialist. If you believe you have swimmers ear, there are eight symptoms you\u2019ll need to consider. When it comes to the symptoms, you might not get every single one of them, but once you know the symptoms, you can hurry and treat it before it gets any worse. If you don\u2019t treat it immediately it can cause permanent hearing loss. Swimmers ear can also be prevented by wearing earplugs anytime you\u2019re near water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Itching<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Itching <\/a>in the ear canal is a mild symptom you may experience with the swimmer’s ear. It may feel as if you have a bug in your ear. You will place your finger in your ear canal and start digging at it, but it won\u2019t do any good because you\u2019re just irritating the condition more. Putting your fingers in your ear, it\u2019ll just make the swimmer’s ear worse. It\u2019s even worse to put dirty fingers in your ears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You\u2019re putting bacteria in your ear canal, which can make swimmers ear worse than it already is. It is a good idea to not scratch your ear at all. Once the itching begins, just get a solution of rubbing alcohol and water and put the drops in your ears. Avoid putting your fingers in your ears. Make sure your hands are clean before messing with your ears. The itching will go away once you start treating the swimmer’s ear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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2. Redness in ear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Some redness <\/a>in the ear is a symptom you might notice when you have swimmers ear. If you inspect your ears on a regular basis, you\u2019ll notice they\u2019re red. You may not pay attention to it because you may think it\u2019s just irritation from a hair product you used. You may just put hydrocortisone cream on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The redness won\u2019t go away with the cream because it\u2019s from the swimmer’s ear. There may not be any itching with the redness. Since it\u2019s a mild case, it may go away on its own once the ear is drained of water. You may not even know you\u2019ve drained your ear out. Sometimes the water will drain out on its own when you tilt your head a certain way. If you do have any itching, don\u2019t scratch it because it\u2019ll irritate it even more and make it difficult to treat the swimmer’s ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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3. Pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Pain <\/a>is increased when you have a moderate case of swimmers ear. To alleviate the pain, take some Tylenol and use a hot compress. In a pan, pour hot water, rubbing alcohol, and Epsom salt. Dip a clean washcloth into the pan and wring excess water out of the cloth. Let it sit on the ear for about five to 10 minutes. Once it cools, put the pan back on the stove to get it hot again and repeat a second time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do this twice a day. This will help with the pain and swimmers ear. Every time you mess with your ear, make sure your hands are clean. You don\u2019t want any bacteria creeping into your ear canal. The swimmer’s ear is already at a stage where it\u2019s causing you trouble. Swimmers ear can still be healed even at this stage, but it can get worse as well if you don\u2019t take care of it properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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4. Hearing is muffled<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Hearing is muffled at the moderate stage. This is a common symptom to have when you have swimmers ear<\/a> because when you have mild symptoms, you won\u2019t do anything about it. Mild symptoms sometimes are not obvious. It\u2019ll be difficult to hear what people are saying. Once it becomes difficult to hear, then you\u2019ll take steps to heal it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When your hearing is muffled, most of the time, people will dig their fingers in their ears to try to clear it up. It\u2019ll get worse when you do this because there is so much water in the ear canal. It continues to accumulate water in the ear canal because when it was mild nothing was done. If your hearing gets worse, you\u2019ll need to visit a hearing specialist who will clean your ear canal. This may heal the swimmer’s ear, but if it\u2019s caused any damage, then you may have developed permanent hearing loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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5. Discharge of pus<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Discharge of pus <\/a>is a moderate symptom you will have when you have swimmers ear. This is a sign that you need to seek medical attention right away. Pus shouldn\u2019t be coming out of your ear. The hearing specialist will examine your ear to see what is going on and give you some antibiotics to help with the swimmer’s ear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will need to take the antibiotics as prescribed by the doctor. If you stop taking them too soon, the symptom will come. It may come back worse. There may be some damage from allowing the swimmer’s ear to go on for so long. If there is any damage, you may have hearing loss. When you see pus coming out of your ear canal, don\u2019t mess with it. The more you mess with the ear canal, the more damage you will do. Home remedies are not going to work in this case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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6. Fever<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Fever <\/a>is a symptom you will experience once swimmers’ ear is in its advanced stage. When you have a fever, you will need to stay home from work or school. Take Tylenol to help with your fever. Don\u2019t take aspirin because it\u2019ll make the fever worse and increase your hearing loss. Once the fever goes down, go visit your doctor. The fever may come back since you have swimmers ear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The doctor will give you antibiotics to get rid of the infection and fever. It\u2019s important to not let swimmer’s ears go on for too long because if you\u2019re already having mild to moderate symptoms, you need to see a doctor immediately. By not seeking medical attention, the swimmer’s ear will cause permanent hearing loss, especially if your hearing is already muffled. Home remedies don\u2019t work too well when it\u2019s at its advanced stage. In fact, it may make it worse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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7. Swollen and red<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The outer ear will be swollen and red. When this happens, place a hot compress on the outer ear to relieve the swelling<\/a>. To make your own hot compress, in a pan of hot water place Epsom salt and rubbing alcohol in it. Dip the washcloth in the pan, wring out any excess water, and place it against the outer ear. Let it sit there for five minutes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The redness may slightly go away as well. If that doesn\u2019t work, go to the emergency room or to your primary care physician to get treated for it. There is more going on inside of the ear than it just being swollen and red. Sometimes the outer ear will become swollen and it goes away in a few days, but with a swimmer’s ear, it won\u2019t go away that quickly. You\u2019ll need to have advanced treatment in order to get rid of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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8. Severe pain<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Severe pain that radiates to the neck, side of the head, or face is an advanced symptom of swimmers’ ear. You\u2019ll need to go to the emergency room immediately because this is serious. By allowing the symptoms of swimmer’s ear to go on for this long means there could be other damage that has been done. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The symptom is so bad that it\u2019ll cause you to be unable to complete daily tasks. You may end up having more than a swimmer’s ear if the symptoms are this bad. With this symptom, you may have to take antibiotics <\/a>and stay in the hospital for a few days to see if any other damage has been done elsewhere in your body. Even at this stage, there is still a good chance that there has not been any other damage done. The medical professional may be able to clean your ear canal out and the symptoms will go away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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9.    Chills<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Swimmers ear involves infection with a virus or bacteria that causes inflammation and the development of pus. As a result, the intensity of symptoms and duration of the disease relies on the source of the pathogen<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, people who contract the infection through swimming in severely contaminated water, such as a stagnant pond, may experience harsher symptoms than those people that pick up an infection swimming in the open sea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are thousands of strains of bacteria wandering around the waters of the world, and some are highly aggressive, while others present mild symptoms of infection. If the patient experiences a disease with an aggressive pathogen, their symptoms may be acute, and they may include the development of a fever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with a high fever comes chills., Where the patient feels cold and shivers, even though their body temperature is at an abnormally high level. The chills subside after the fever breaks, and the patient starts to recover from the condition.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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10.    Fullness in the Ear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

When water enters the ear and gets stuck, it may lead to sensations of fullness in the ear. The patient may find that they have diminished hearing capacity, and in some cases, they may find that they lose their sense of balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The patient may complain that they can feel the water moving around in their ear when they get up from the couch or change direction suddenly. In most cases, these symptoms <\/a>of fullness in the ear last for a few hours without any presence of pain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, as the bacteria in the water start to spread and infect tissues in the ear, the patient may begin to notice the onset of related symptoms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The feeling of fullness occurs due to a blockage in the outer ear that occurs due to swelling, as well as the accumulation of debris and fluid in the ear canal. If the patient does not seek medical treatment, then the chances are that the infection will spread further down the ear canal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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11.    Swollen Lymph Nodes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The lymphatic system runs throughout the body and contains \u201clymphatic fluid,\u201d that draws in invading pathogens like viruses and bacteria. The fluid then passes through a network of lymph glands that filter the contaminants from the lymph fluid, expelling them from the body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the body experiences an infection, the lymph glands swell due to the increase in filtering capacity. As a result, you may find that you develop small pea-sized bumps around your throat, under the arms or around your groin. These areas have the highest concentrations of lymph nodes<\/a>, and they are the first places to show signs of inflammation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This occurrence is why doctors press on your throat during an examination. If they detect swollen glands \u2013 it\u2019s a sign of infection. In most cases, the swelling in the lymph nodes goes away after the bacteria starts to subside. Should your lymph nodes begin to turn a dark color or become firm to the touch, then seek immediate medical assistance.
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12.    Sore Throat<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Swimmers ear typically affects the outer ear, resulting in a feeling of discomfort and pain. In most cases, these symptoms subside after a few days, and the patient has no permanent hearing loss or complications related to their infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in some cases, the bacteria responsible for causing the infection may migrate down the ear canal. After reaching the middle ear, the bacteria start to multiply in the space behind the eardrum. The Eustachian tube is a thin tube connecting the middle ear with the throat. When the middle ear experiences an infection, bacteria may migrate down the tubes, causing the symptoms of a sore throat.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you start to feel the onset of a sore throat, it means that the infection is spreading and you require treatment with antibiotics. Visit your local pharmacist for medicated eardrops to kill the bacteria responsible for the problem. In most cases, after starting the ear drops, you should notice relief from your symptoms overnight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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13.    Complications<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most patients that experience the onset of the swimmer’s ear can resolve the pain and discomfort <\/a>using home remedies. As long as the bacteria do not migrate down the ear canal, most patients will make a full recovery in 48 to 72-hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, in some cases, patients may experience complications with the infection. As a result, the bacteria migrate further down the ear canal, causing inflammation and symptoms of pain. The patient may start to develop a sore throat and signs of a loss of balance as the infection hits the inner ear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inner and middle ear infections are far more severe in the intensity of symptoms, and patients may also start to notice the onset of fever and chills as the pathogen spreads in tissues. If left untreated, these types of infections may lead to partial or total hearing loss in the patient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chronic otitis externa occurs when an outer ear infection persists for a period longer than 3-months. In this case, the patient may experience this chronic disorder depending on the type of bacteria responsible or due to delays in treatment.
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14.    Risk Factors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are a set of risk factors<\/a> that make individuals prone to contracting out ear infections like swimmer’s ear. If you find yourself on the list of high-risk groups, then ensure you take the necessary safety precautions when swimming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swimmers are the most high-risk group for developing the condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Swimming in water with elevated bacteria levels increases the risk of infection dramatically. Ensure that you only swim in moving sources of freshwater. Never jump into stagnant ponds or polls, as they are breeding grounds for numerous dangerous pathogens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

People with narrow ear canals are at higher risk of infection with swimmers ear. Water traps in thin canals, allowing for the growth and spread of bacteria and viruses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aggressive cleaning of the ears with earbuds may cause damage that leads to infection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using headphones at loud volume may also damage the ears and make them at risk of contracting a bacterial or viral infection.
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