Swimmer's Ear?

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2012-05-29 9:44 AM

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Subject: Swimmer's Ear?

Has anyone ever gotten swimmer's ear?

To my understanding it's when you ahve water stuck in your ear.  I've had my ear "cloggged" for a few days, but it seems worse now and hurting.

I just bought over the counter ear drops but after a first try it didn't help so i'm heading to the doctors.

If anyone has gotten this before, does this mean i'm going to be prone to swimmer's ear in the future?

2012-05-29 4:49 PM
in reply to: #4233076

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Subject: RE: Swimmer's Ear?
Good luck, I get water in my left ear that "clogs" I try to remember to bring cue-tips with me to the gym to "drain" the water out. I use an earplug now in addition to the swimcap just with my left ear.
2012-06-29 12:59 AM
in reply to: #4233076

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Subject: RE: Swimmer's Ear?

I swam a lot when I was little.  I was always getting swimmers ear.  My doctor said to use alcohol and a dropper to put a couple of drops in both ears after swimming.  To this day I always carry a small eardropper bottle of alchol.  Everytime I get water stuck in my ear (I hate that tunnel sound) I put the alcohol in and it drains the water! I also use those drops after every swim and I haven't gotten swimmer's ear in a long, long time.

There are over the counter type products that add other things to the alcohol but straight alcohol does it for me. (Be careful with the q-tips!)

2012-06-29 2:46 AM
in reply to: #4233076


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Subject: RE: Swimmer's Ear?
I would always recommend you to use an earplug with the swim cap to avoid swimmer’s ear.
2012-06-29 8:55 AM
in reply to: #4286072

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Subject: RE: Swimmer's Ear?
GArunner24 - 2012-06-29 12:59 AM

I swam a lot when I was little.  I was always getting swimmers ear.  My doctor said to use alcohol and a dropper to put a couple of drops in both ears after swimming.  To this day I always carry a small eardropper bottle of alchol.  Everytime I get water stuck in my ear (I hate that tunnel sound) I put the alcohol in and it drains the water! I also use those drops after every swim and I haven't gotten swimmer's ear in a long, long time.

There are over the counter type products that add other things to the alcohol but straight alcohol does it for me. (Be careful with the q-tips!)

I put some Jack Daniels in but it didnt do anything.... 

2012-06-29 11:18 AM
in reply to: #4233076

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Subject: RE: Swimmer's Ear?

Yes, that's swimmer's ear. It can also become an outright ear infection as opposed to just an irritation.

Preventive measures include earplugs and using a half/half alcohol/white vinegar solution to rinse/dry out ears afterward. That solution can also help treat mild cases of swimmer's ear.

2012-06-29 5:09 PM
in reply to: #4233076

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Subject: RE: Swimmer's Ear?
Something simar happened to me last week. A really bad clog that lasted for five days. I tried over the counter drops, steam, hydrogen peroxide, etc I went to my doctor who couldn't see my ear drum. He tried an earwash and it didn't work. So he sent me to an ENT doctor who took a look and saw I had a big blockage. He put in a tiny vaccum with some hydrogen Peroxide and pulled out a piece of wax the size of a chewed up piece of bubblegum. Then pulled another out that was 1/3 as big as the first. Basically he told me what happened was that because I use earplugs, hair from a recent hair cut mixed with some wax, which I could just be producing more of due to allergies, and it essentially made a formfitting concrete ear plug

Edited by ratherbesnowboarding 2012-06-29 5:13 PM
2012-07-20 10:52 AM
in reply to: #4286381

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Subject: RE: Swimmer's Ear?
Selachophis, too funny!  Good one!  Now that was real "alcohol abuse"!
2012-07-25 1:43 PM
in reply to: #4233076


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Subject: RE: Swimmer's Ear?
If you're going to be in the water make sure to put ear drops in your ear at the end of your day to restore the healthy pH balance of your ear canal. There are a ton of over-the-counter ear drops ( really cheap too)  or you can make your own ; Mix equal parts white vinegar with rubbing alcohol to use as drops. But make sure you don't use a Q-tip! This can irritate and puncture the skin lining your ear canal and set the stage for an infection. Yikes!
2012-09-13 7:26 AM
in reply to: #4233076

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Subject: RE: Swimmer's Ear?
My ears hold water like a glass, so I use ear plugs every time I swim. The soft silicon type roll them up and put them in no ear problems now. I even race with them.
2012-09-13 6:00 PM
in reply to: #4233076

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Subject: RE: Swimmer's Ear?
agrant3 - 2012-05-29 8:44 AM

Has anyone ever gotten swimmer's ear?

To my understanding it's when you ahve water stuck in your ear.  I've had my ear "cloggged" for a few days, but it seems worse now and hurting.

I just bought over the counter ear drops but after a first try it didn't help so i'm heading to the doctors.

If anyone has gotten this before, does this mean i'm going to be prone to swimmer's ear in the future?

Mack's Silicone earplugs are the best.  There's also a product called the Sahara Dry Ear I use.  It's like a blow dryer for your ears.   Works like magic.  I haven't had an issue in years.

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