An Earful of Trouble

Summer’s here. The kids are out of school and it’s time to pack up the motorhome with beach towels, water “noodles” and all the other fun things found at the pool, lake or beach. It’s a wonderful time of the year, but be prepared for possible ear problems. The usual culprit is called swimmer’s ear (otitis externa), an infection or inflammation of the canal between the eardrum and the outer ear. It can be triggered by exposure to water, usually when individuals spend too much time under the water’s surface.

A nasty situation can also start up from overzealous cleaning by sticking cotton swabs and other objects into the ear to remove earwax. Bobby pins, car keys and pencils are some of the favorite “tools of the trade” that can cause all sorts of irritation and danger, like puncturing the eardrum.

Another problem that crops up is when children stick things in their ears like beans and candy wrappers. Usually a foul smell is the first hint that trouble is brewing. But, it’s not always youngsters who have complaints. Grownups can run into problems, like the time one of my patients complained of a painful, plugged-up sensation in her right ear. It seems some birdseed tossed at a wedding flew in her direction, causing a nasty infection.

Follow Directions
Waxy, candle-like earplugs are another irritant that can affect the ear canal. They’re used by many folks who live with someone who snores. The instructions on the box boldly warn: USE ONLY IN THE OUTER PART OF THE EAR—DO NOT INSERT INTO THE EAR CANAL. Naturally, that bit of wisdom is usually ignored, so trouble starts to brew when these sleep-deprived individuals start wadding up wedges of wax to ward off the moose calls on the next pillow. Usually they can get the plugs out in the morning, but some of the material might pull apart, leaving tiny bits behind. To add to the problem, these earplugs get dirty from frequent handling and use, so they become a breeding ground for bacteria.

Hairsprays, shampoos and hair dyes can also cause problems for some individuals, irritating sensitive tissues when leaking down the ear canal. It’s a wise idea to put a cotton ball in the outer ear before beginning a beauty treatment. Diabetes is another situation because the disease can make earwax too alkaline, which creates a more hospitable environment for infectious agents.

When a problem arises it’s usually met with pain in and around the ear. There might be general irritation inside the ear, a feeling of tightness or a plugged-up sensation. Some symptoms cause itchiness inside the ear canal, along with noises, such as buzzing, sloshing or humming. There can also be a foul-smelling odor from yellow or green pus inside the ear caused from the body trying to fight off the bacteria.

Everyone has bacteria in the ear canals, and most of the time they present no problem. But when the ear canal gets waterlogged and irritated, germs start to multiply and cause havoc.

Ounce of Prevention

Just as you use sunscreen for your skin, think about protecting your ears, especially if you
and the family are going to be in and around water this summer. Bring along an eyedropper-style bottle from the pharmacy and fill it with a mixture of half white kitchen vinegar and half rubbing alcohol. After swimming or showering, tilt your head and put in enough drops to fill the ear canal. Then tilt your head the other way to let the solution pour out. Growth of fungi is inhibited in this acidic environment. It’s also a good practice to get everyone in the family in the habit of drying their ears after exposure to water. First lean over sideways and gently pull on your earlobe to straighten the canal so any water can drain out. You can also use a blow-dryer set on warm (or even cool if that is one of the dryer’s settings) and hold it about 18 inches away from the ear for a minute or two. This can really help.

If the skin of the ear canal is irritated, use half vinegar and half bottled water (instead of alcohol) to reduce the sting. You can also buy over-the-counter antiseptic ear drops, such as Auro-Dri and Swim Ear, which make life difficult for bacteria and fungi.

All this is great for removing excess water, but repeated soaking, swimming and then drying can remove the protective oil from the ear’s tissue-thin skin, which can lead to other problems. To avoid this, put two or three drops of baby oil in your ears before going into the water. And if the dry skin is very severe, a few drops of baby oil or vegetable oil applied with a dropper at bedtime will restore missing oil. As always, any of these remedies should be discussed with your doctor, especially when treating children who are prone to ear infections. And naturally, if any serious symptoms occur, see your doctor immediately.

Hopefully, things will go swimmingly with you this summer. Just be sure to take care of those ears. Have fun!