Stepping out of the pool and realizing the world sounds like it’s behind a pane of glass has a subtly unsettling quality. Most people have experienced that low-grade fullness and muffled pressure deep within their ear canal at least once. It’s very typical. Nevertheless, it has an unexpected propensity to outlive its welcome for something so commonplace.
Most of the time, water finds its own way out. The ear produces cerumen what the rest of us call earwax which happens to be naturally water-repellent, and between that and simple gravity, the canal usually clears itself without any help. But sometimes the water lingers. And when it does, it transforms a slightly irritating feeling into something significant.
A warm, moist ear canal is, unfortunately, an environment where bacteria are perfectly comfortable setting up residence. Swimmer’s ear, also known as otitis externa, is an infection that causes itching, pain, and sometimes a clear, odorless discharge. It’s possible to avoid all of that entirely, but it does require a little intervention.
The first thing worth trying is the simplest: tilt your head so the affected ear faces downward, toward your shoulder, and give your earlobe a gentle tug and jiggle. Gravity does most of the work when you help it along this way. Water that is resistant to the opening may be persuaded by adding a slow side-to-side shake of the head. It clears a surprising number of cases in less than a minute, but working with it seems almost too simple.
If that doesn’t work, it can be quite beneficial to lie on your side with your head resting on a towel and your ear facing the mattress for a few minutes. There is nowhere else for the water to go but out. Although it’s a slow approach, there’s a certain satisfaction in solving the problem with virtually no effort.
The cupped palm method creates a mild suction that pulls the water toward the surface in more difficult situations. Keeping your head tilted, place your cupped hand firmly over the ear, push flat, then quickly pull away. Although it seems a little theatrical, it frequently succeeds.
Remaining moisture within the canal can be evaporated by a hairdryer on its lowest heat setting held about 30 centimeters away. Gently tug the earlobe, move it back and forth, and let the warm air enter the canal. It’s important to keep the setting low; the canal’s skin is delicate, and there’s no sense creating a burn to fix a blockage.
When the physical approaches don’t work, eardrops are especially helpful. Alcohol-based drops, which can be purchased over-the-counter at any pharmacy, function by both preventing the growth of bacteria and evaporating the trapped water. Hydrogen peroxide drops serve a slightly different function they help break down earwax that might be trapping the water in place.
A tilt to allow everything to drain after a few drops and a wait of about 30 to 60 seconds. It is important to note that if there are eardrum tubes in place, an active infection, or a perforated eardrum, neither type should be used. In those situations, before anything is placed close to the canal, a doctor or pharmacist should be consulted.
Another option is to leave a few drops of warm olive oil in the canal while lying on your side for about ten minutes before draining. This also serves as an infection prevention measure. Particularly when the water has entered the eustachian tubes instead of remaining in the outer canal, yawning or chewing gum aids in opening and balancing the tubes. Similar loosening effects for deeper-seated water can be achieved by slowly inhaling steam from a hot shower while tilting the head periodically.
One method cotton swabs should be completely avoided, no matter how alluring it may seem. or fingers. Or, really, any object. Inserting anything into the ear canal risks pushing water deeper, abrading the skin, or introducing new bacteria none of which helps. It’s the kind of thing that, while intuitively beneficial, is rarely truly helpful.
It’s time to see a doctor if, after two or three days, the water hasn’t moved or if any pain, swelling, or discharge shows up. If left untreated, infections have the potential to seriously impair hearing and, in less common situations, spread to the outer ear’s tissue and cartilage. If left untreated, a swim-related irritation can develop into something that needs to be treated with prescription drugs. The majority of the time, that result is completely avoidable, and the solutions are simple and fast. Knowing which one to go for first is all that’s needed.
i) https://www.specsavers.co.uk/ear-health/swimmers-ear-otitis-externa
ii) https://www.bootshearingcare.com/lifestyle/how-to-get-water-out-of-your-ears/
iii) https://www.healthline.com/health/how-to-get-water-out-of-your-ear
iv) https://entandallergyspecialists.org/what-should-i-do-if-water-gets-stuck-in-my-ear/