Why does my ear hurt after swimming?

It is easy to cause bacterial infection or water entering the ears when swimming. The ears are originally exposed to the air, so it is very common for water to get into the ears when taking a shower. In addition, the water environment in some swimming pools is relatively dirty, which leads to ear pain and discomfort after swimming. Here are the causes and treatments for ear pain so you can pay attention next time you swim.

We all like to go swimming in the summer, it can make us feel cool, but some people will have ear pain after swimming. So, why do ears hurt after swimming?

Why do my ears hurt after swimming?

Water getting into the ears is a problem that everyone has encountered to a greater or lesser extent. In most cases, the water will flow out by itself if you just tilt your ear and twitch it. In summer, some people experience ear pain after swimming. This is because bacteria in the water enter the ear, causing middle ear inflammation. People who swim frequently are easily infected by the unclean water in the swimming pool and suffer from ear inflammation, among which otitis media and otitis externa are the most common.

Otitis media is caused by choking on water in the throat while swimming. The bacteria in the water spread along the Eustachian tube to the mucosa of the middle ear cavity, causing water accumulation and blockage in the middle ear. The secretions cannot flow out and become inflamed. Acute otitis media has symptoms of ear cramps, redness, swelling, and fever, which are usually most obvious 1 to 2 days after swimming. It is more common in children aged 2 to 6 years old and people with poor resistance due to colds, and is usually more common with unilateral infection. Otitis externa is the most common ear disease in ENT clinics in summer. There are three causes:

1. Because there is too much earwax, the earwax swells and becomes inflamed after absorbing water during swimming. When the patient pulls the ear, there will be obvious cramping pain, which can be felt within 24 hours after swimming. At this time, you must see a doctor and let the doctor use medicine to soften the earwax and remove it. The prevention method is to clean the earwax regularly, especially before swimming, to reduce the chance of inflammation.

2. The cause of otitis externa is direct infection. Some people like to use cotton swabs to dig their ears. Over time, the earwax glands in the external auditory canal become dry, making it particularly susceptible to bacterial infection when swimming. There will be symptoms of swelling and pain in the external auditory canal, and there will be discomfort immediately after swimming. It is best not to swim again before recovering from medical treatment.

3. There is another ear disease that people who swim for a long time may get, called external auditory canal periosteal hyperplasia, which is a type of benign tumor. Swimmers are at high risk. The cause of this disease has not yet been determined. It may be related to long-term stimulation of the external auditory canal by cold water and repeated inflammation. The patient will grow a tumor on the outside of the ear. Apart from this, there are no other symptoms and it does not affect hearing. Surgery is only required if the external auditory canal is compressed.