Severe pain, ear discharge, swelling… what is swimmer’s ear and how to get rid of it ?

Otite du baigneur : comment la reconnaître ?

Also called external otitis, swimmer's ear is an inflammation of the external ear canal. Painful, it can be caused by frequent swimming in pools, the sea and rivers.

Swimmer's ear, or external otitis, is an acute inflammation of one or both ears, which affects only the external ear canal. Also called the ear canal, it is closed on one side by the eardrum and is open to the outside at the auricle.

In 90% of cases, it is a bacterial infection, caused by the proliferation of germs such as pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus. More rarely, in 10% of cases, it is a fungus that is the cause, Aspergillus. This is called a fungal infection.

Water stagnation in the ear often causes

Stays in hot and humid places, frequent swimming in lakes, the sea or swimming pools promote the occurrence of external otitis. It is for this last reason that external otitis is also called swimmer's ear. “Water stagnation or perspiration in the external ear canal macerates the skin and raises its pH, which is normally acidic. The bacterial flora is then modified and allows the proliferation of germs”, explains Ameli.fr.

Other factors can also promote the occurrence of swimmer's ear.

Among the external causes:

Frequent scratching, in case of eczema; Repeated use of cotton buds; Rough washing of the ear; Use of irritating products; A large and hard earwax plug; An improperly fitted hearing aid earmold.

Among the anatomical causes:

An external auditory canal that is too long or bent; The abundant presence of hair at the entrance to the auditory canal; An auditory canal that promotes water retention.

Finally, atopic skin, eczema, psoriasis, are conducive to the occurrence of external otitis, as is the long-term use of antibiotics or immunosuppressants.

Drying your ears when getting out of the water

External otitis can first manifest itself by pruritus (itching) then by pain, sometimes very intense, found in more than 90% of cases. The cause is the presence of many sensitive nerves in the ear canal. Ear discharge, swollen and reddened ear canal, more rarely edema around the ear and swollen lymph nodes may also appear. However, the patient does not have a fever.

To make the diagnosis, the doctor performs an ear examination which will also allow him to distinguish between bacterial and fungal otitis. He will also look for pain caused by touching the pinna or trapus, this cartilage at the front of the external ear canal.

The treatment is based on local antibiotic therapy, in the form of drops, for bacterial otitis, and rather antifungal therapy for mycotic otitis. To heal, it is also important not to bathe for several days.

It is also important to dry your ear well after bathing and not to let water stagnate there.