How to relieve ear pain after swimming

If you notice that you develop ear pain after swimming, you may have a condition called otitis externa — swimmer’s ear. This is inflammation of the outer ear canal due to bacteria or fungus growth. It’s more common in swimmers because water left in the ear creates the right environment for these microorganisms to grow.

Treatment typically involves a combination of prescription medications, over-the-counter (OTC) remedies, and self-care strategies. There are also steps you can take to prevent the infection from coming back.

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What is swimmer’s ear?

Swimmer’s ear, a familiar name for otitis externa, is a common cause of ear pain in people who swim a lot. It’s a form of outer ear infection, meaning it affects the ear canal and ear opening. When you swim, a lot of water enters your ear canal. If the water isn’t removed, bacteria or fungus can start to grow inside the ear.

The most common cause of swimmer’s ear is a bacterial infection, although it may rarely be caused by fungus. The infection is known as swimmer’s ear because swimming regularly can increase your risk of getting the infection by five times compared to people who don’t swim.

The symptoms of swimmer’s ear include:

• ear pain
• inflammation of the ear
• itching inside your ear
• discharge from your ear
• muffled hearing
• a sensation of pressure inside your ear

If you notice severe ear pain accompanied by a fever and swollen lymph nodes, this could be a sign that the infection has progressed, so you may need immediate medical attention.

Medications for ear pain

Because otitis externa is so often caused by bacterial infections, antibiotic ear drops are the first treatment of choice. Some common examples include:

• 3 to 4 drops of polymyxin B, neomycin, and hydrocortisone four times per day
• 5 drops of ofloxacin (Floxin) twice per day
• 3 drops of ciprofloxacin (Cetraxal) twice per day

These medications are generally considered to be very effective. Up to 90% of people will recover within 7 to 10 days of starting antibiotic therapy, but you may start to notice improvements within 48 hours. They’re usually very safe, but you may experience some side effects, such as:

• pain
• irritation
• itching
• redness or other color changes

If your ear infection is caused by a fungal infection, doctors might prescribe topical antifungal medications. But this isn’t considered a first-line treatment. Some examples of these include:

• clotrimazole
• fluconazole
• ketoconazole

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Home remedies for ear pain

While most cases of swimmer’s ear will be bacterial and require prescription medications, there are some strategies you can try at home to soothe the pain. These include:

• OTC pain relievers: OTC medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol), can help relieve your pain temporarily.
• Warm compresses: You can try applying a warm compress, like a heating pad or a damp washcloth, to your ear to help relieve pain.
• Keeping the ear clean and dry: Avoid swimming while you recover from an ear infection, as the water may worsen the infection. Make sure you dry your ear thoroughly after bathing.

You may have heard of natural remedies that may help with ear pain, although more research is needed. It’s important to consult with a doctor before trying these. These include:

• Olive oil ear drops: Olive oil has some antibacterial effects, although it hasn’t been studied specifically for use in managing ear infections. But putting some small drops of olive oil in the affected ear may help manage a bacterial infection. Consider speaking with a doctor before trying this method.
• Garlic: Garlic may have some anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects. You can crush up some garlic in oil, then apply the oil to your ear.

How to prevent ear pain after swimming

If you want to avoid swimmer’s ear, there are several prevention strategies you can try:

• Keep your ears as dry as possible: You can use a swimming cap or earplugs while swimming to help prevent water from getting inside your ears.
• Dry your ears thoroughly: Tilt your head back and forth and pull gently on your earlobes to help water drain out of your ears. If water remains inside, you can use a hairdryer on its lowest setting to dry inside your ears.
• Keep objects out of your ears: Avoid using cotton swabs like Q-Tips in your ears.
• Avoid removing earwax unnecessarily: Unless a doctor has advised you to, avoid removing earwax, as this substance helps protect your ear from infection.

Summary

If you notice ear pain after swimming, you may have an infection known as swimmer’s ear. This occurs due to the growth of bacteria, or occasionally fungus, in your ear canal. This can happen when your ears aren’t thoroughly dried after swimming or bathing.

If you have this ear infection, doctors will often treat it with antibiotic ear drops. These are antibiotics that you put directly into your ears to fight the bacteria. If it’s caused by a fungus, you might try antifungal ear drops. You can also use OTC pain relievers to manage the pain.

You can prevent ear pain after swimming by keeping your ears as dry as possible. Avoid swimming while you have the infection.

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