What is it?
December 2, 2021
Wax stuck in your hearing aids?
March 30, 2022
Show all

Do you experience blocked ears after swimming?

If you do, it probably means you have excessive wax in your ears.

Too much wax in the canals can trap the water inside the ear, sometimes this will drain naturally – however most of the time the water will become moist and humid in the ears, therefore creating a breeding ground for bacteria and fungus to grow.

Bacteria and fungus in the ear canal is an ear infection (also known as otitis externa), which can be detrimental to your ear health and hearing if not treated immediately.

INFECTION TYPES:


BACTERIAL

FUNGAL

What should I do if I suspect I have an ear infection?

Visit your General Practitioner as soon as possible for an assessment of your ear. If you do in fact have an ear infection, you’ll be prescribed oral or topical antibiotics to treat it – sometimes both will be prescribed depending on the severity of the otitis externa.

How can I clear the infection faster?

Visit the Ear Cleaning Clinic!

After you have used the antibiotics for at least three days, have your ears micro suctioned to remove excess debris.

Removing the bacterial debris will allow your medicated ear drops to work more efficiently by:

  • Clearing a passage for the antibiotic drops to seep further down and into the ear canal lining
  • Creating a smaller surface area of bacteria for the drops to attack
  • May relieve the “blocked” sensation

You will then be required to continue using your ear drops until the end of their course to completely clear the infection. This is important – if you stop using the medicated ear drops after microsuction, the bacterial debris will grow back.

The nurse can recommend a suitable ear drop if the infection is failing to clear or you have been prescribed a medication not suitable for the type of infection present.

She can also make recommendations on how to prevent re-occurring ear infections and suggest solutions depending on your lifestyle.

References:

https://www.carel.com/blog/-/blogs/relative-humidity-our-first-ally-in-the-invisible-war-against-bacteria

https://www.bioworld.com/articles/431413-fda-gives-green-light-to-tusker-medicals-ear-tube-delivery-system?v=preview

https://sydneyentclinic.com/sean-flanagan/patient-resources-2/patient-resources/otitis-externa-outer-ear-infection-or-swimmers-ear/

Comments are closed.