How to relieve swimmer’s ear

Swimmer’s ear is a common type of outer ear infection, also called otitis externa.

It affects the ear canal – the passage between your eardrum and the outside of your ear – and can cause symptoms such as pain, redness, itching and swelling.

The infection is commonly caused by water trapped in the ear which can create conditions that allow bacteria to grow.

But it doesn’t always happen when swimming or exposed to water. 

An outer ear infection could be caused by damaging the delicate skin in the ear canal from scratching, or cleaning with a cotton swab, or a skin condition such as eczema. 

If you get swimmer’s ear, it’s important to treat it as soon as possible to ease discomfort and prevent it from lingering. 

In this blog, we’ll talk about how to help stop swimmer’s ear from getting worse, when to seek medical advice, and how you can self-manage your symptoms. 

How to help stop swimmer’s ear from worsening

As well as treatment, it’s important to take steps to help prevent swimmer’s ear from getting worse.

There are a few practical measures you can take straight away:

• Avoid swimming until the infection has cleared. 
• Don’t insert objects in your ear until your symptom have disappeared. 
• Keep water out of your ears when showering or bathing.

The main aim is to keep your ear as dry as possible. 

When to seek medical help 

If you think you have swimmer’s ear, you should seek advice from your pharmacist.

With treatment such as medicated ear drops, symptoms usually clear up within a few days.

You should see your GP if:

• Your symptoms do not improve or start to get worse

• Pain persists or becomes more severe

• You experience changes in your hearing or persistent muffled hearing

• You have a high temperature or feel unwell, such as with fever

A pharmacist or GP will ask about your symptoms and may look inside your ear using a light-up instrument called an otoscope to assess the ear canal and eardrum.

If you notice severe pain, fever, or symptoms that are getting significantly worse, you should seek more urgent medical help without delay.

How to treat swimmer’s ear

If you think you have swimmer’s ear, there are several steps you can take to help ease symptoms and support recovery.

Self‑care measures

To help ease your symptoms and support healing:

• Keep the affected ear dry, avoid getting water in the ear while it heals. Taking care when showering or bathing and gently drying the outer ear with a soft towel can help.
• Avoid inserting anything into the ear canal.  Don’t use cotton buds or other objects inside your ear, as this can damage the sensitive skin and delay healing.
• If there’s discharge from the affected ear remove it gently with cotton wool, but don’t push anything into the ear canal itself.
• Over‑the‑counter pain relief can help with any discomfort, if suitable for you. Always check the product leaflet and speak to a pharmacist or healthcare professional if you’re not sure.
• A warm cloth or flannel placed over the ear can help it to heal faster if the infection is due to a boil.

Ear drops and pharmacy treatment

Your pharmacist can recommend an outer ear infection treatment.

EarCalm Spray is used for the treatment of minor infections of the outer ear and is available over the counter without a prescription at pharmacies.

It contains the active ingredient acetic acid, an antibacterial agent that helps to clear the infection.

Acetic acid works to prevent the growth of bacteria which can cause outer ear infections, which in turn helps to reduce symptoms of pain and inflammation.

Steering clear of swimmer’s ear

Nobody likes being out of action with an ear infection. 

You can help to prevent it by keeping your ears clean and dry – tip your head from side to side to drain water from your ears after swimming, bathing or showering – keep an eye out for excess ear wax. Always have it removed by a healthcare professional.

If you’re a regular swimmer wear ear plugs or a swimming cap and always check the water quality if you swim in open water.

Don’t be tempted to put cotton buds in your ear or your finger – the sensitive skin inside the ear canal is easy to damage.

Swimmer’s ear is usually straightforward to treat and most people start to feel better within a few days once the right care is in place. 

A little patience, a little self-care, and you’ll likely be back to feeling like yourself again before you know it!