Swimmer’s Ear:
Swimmer’s ear is an infection of ear canal.This infection occurs due to the bacterial growth inside
the ear canal. Sometimes water remains within the ear after swimming and thus a moist
environment is created within the ear canal.These moist environment is the main reason behind
bacterial growth ,which in turn causes the infection. This diseases is also called otitis externa.
Swimming is not always responsible for swimmer’s ear.Excessive use of cotton swabs,fingers,bobby
pin can damage the skin lining the ear canal.Thus the ear canal becomes vulnerable to the germs
infection,causing the diseases.
Symptoms :
The infection usually ranges from mild to advanced level.There are several symptoms of swimmer’s ear.- 1)Itching in the ear
- 2)Pain in the ear canal
- 3)Redness
- 4)odourless fluid discharge from the ear
- 5)complete blockage of the ear in advance stage
- 6)swelling of the lymph node of the neck
- 7)Fever etc
Risk factors:
The factors which helps to trigger the diseases are:- 1)Swimming: During swimming if the water stuck within the ear,that leads to swimmer’s diseases
- 2)Foreign object insertion: While cleaning the ear canal with cotton swabs or bobby pin, the skin in the wall of the ear canal gets scratched and germs can get into the canal .
- 3)Sensitivity reasons: Sometimes usage of some hair product or jewellery can promote the infection.
Treatment :
Though swimmer’s ear is not very serious issue at an early stage but if not treated at this stage,it may create fatal problems.At an advanced stage it may cause temporary hearing loss ,chronic or long-term infection and may even spread deep layers of the skin. There are some preventive measures which need to be followed to avoid the diseases .Thses are :- 1) Always dry your ear after bathing or swimming .Use soft towel or cloths to remove water from the ear.
- 2) Don’t try to dig out the ear wax by inserting cotton swabs or bobby pins.These may damage the ear canal’s skin,which may cause the infection
- 3) Try to cover your ear with cotton during using any hair product .
If the infection reaches to an extreme stage then immediately consult with an ENT surgeon. RD ENT Clinic is one the best ENT clinic in Kolkata. The founder of the clinic Dr.Bimal Kumar Mandal has a vast experience in ENT treatment and surgeries. You can immediately contact us for the best treatment and facilities .