What Is Swimmers Ear?
It is that time of year, time to pull out your swimsuit and head into the water for some summer fun!
But sometimes what follows is the furthest from summer fun….an ear infection, or more specifically…swimmers ear!
Swimmers ear is a bacterial infection of the skin of the outer ear canal that often flares up from swimming or from the ear being to wet for a prolonged period of time.
Swimmers Ear Facts
According to MedicineNet.com, here are some pretty important swimmers ear facts:
- Swimmer’s ear, or external otitis, is typically a bacterial infection of the skin of the outer ear canal.
- Swimmer’s ear can occur in both acute and chronic forms.
- Excessive water exposure and frequent instrumentation (usually with cotton swabs) of the ear canal are important causative factors.
- Itchy ears, a feeling of fullness, swelling, drainage, and pain are early symptoms.
- Avoidance of water are frequently necessary for treatment.
- Proper ear care can avoid most infections.
A lot of people quickly run to their physician when their ear starts to ache. But many times you can naturally get rid of swimmers ear without the need of any medicine.
Naturally Get Rid of Swimmers Ear
There are several ways to naturally get rid of swimmers ear. I am going to go over two of the methods with you today.
Both of these methods use only natural ingredients such as alcohol, vinegar and essential oils.
Here are the two methods.
Using Alcohol and Vinegar
Here is the first method to naturally get rid of swimmers ear:
- Take a solution of 50% rubbing alcohol and 50% white vinegar.
- With an eye dropper, drop a few drops into the ear that is hurting.
- Allow the drops to stay in for a few seconds and then drain. The alcohol will help dry up the water in the ear and the vinegar has antibacterial properties to help with the infection.
- If the ear is already hurting, you may want to leave this solution in the ear a bit longer (about 5 minutes) and then drain it out.
If you or the person experiencing swimmers ear is prone to these type of infections, use this mixture after you come out of the pool/water each time to prevent an infection from happening.
I have a video on this method at the bottom of this post, so be sure to check this out!
Using Essential Oils To Help With The Pain and/or Infection
A second method is to use essential oils. If you are experiencing pain in the ear and the swimmers ear is a bit more advanced, you may want to try this second method.
If the ear is really sore, try adding a few drops of basil, melaleuca or helichrysum essential oils to a cotton ball and gently place it into the ear opening (do not press into the ear canal). Replace as needed for the infection and pain every 4-6 hours. SAFTEY NOTE: Never place essential oils directly into the ear canal!
When To Seek Out Medical Professionals
If at anytime the infection worsens or if these methods do not work, at that point it may be best to seek out your physician for further evaluation.
I personally have tried both these methods with myself and my girls and they have worked every single time. As always I would like to mention to use this or any home remedy at your own risk. Consult your physician before trying home remedies.
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