Swimming is a major cause of ear infections in both children and adults. To prevent some serious complications, you should do everything you can to prevent ear infections while swimming.
The Best Ways to Keep Your Ears Safe from Harm:
Keep Your Ears as Dry as Possible
Earplugs or bathing caps are a good first step, but you should also always dry your ears after swimming. Use a soft towel instead of a cotton swab. Hairdryers can help as well.
Don’t Remove Too Much Earwax
Make sure your ears are as dry as possible after swimming or showering and resist the urge to clean them from earwax too often. After all, you need that natural protective layer to keep you safe from bacteria
Additionally, using a cotton swab increases your risk of infection because it damages your skin, and leaves tiny strands of cotton stuck in your ear.
Consider Using Eardrops
After swimming, you can use eardrops to remove any remaining water. But keep in mind that eardrops aren’t safe people who use hearing tubes or have perforated eardrums.
Make Sure the Swimming Pool is Clean
Swimming pools need to get checked for disinfectant and pH levels twice a day. If you suspect that something is wrong, you can use a test strip to check the chlorine and pH levels yourself.
Be Careful with Lakes and Rivers
Although it can be a great experience to swim in a pond, a lake or a river, you may be exposing your ears to harmful bacteria.
Conclusion
An ear infection is a painful and unpleasant experience, and it may rupture your eardrum in some cases. If your ear infection doesn’t heal up with time, it may turn chronic and cause permanent hearing loss.
Thus, you should take the necessary steps to prevent ear infections while swimming. The most important part is to keep your ears clean and avoid swimming in waters that have high bacteria levels.
