Many people use their fingers to plug the dry ear while vigorously jumping on the side with water in it. This is one of the quickest methods, though it's less effective if both ears are filled with water.
Reasons for water entering the ear while swimming:
Water possesses surface tension. When it enters the narrow external auditory canal, it forms a barrier that divides the canal into two sections. Due to water's gravitational force, a negative pressure develops between this water barrier and the eardrum. This pressure balance prevents the water from draining naturally.
If the ear canal is blocked by a large amount of earwax, water entering the canal is more likely to become trapped around the wax and remain inside.Water in the ear causes a sensation of fullness, decreased hearing, dizziness, and significant discomfort, prompting people to urgently seek ways to drain it. Some even use unclean tools like tweezers, matchsticks, or small keys to probe the ear. While this may occasionally puncture the water barrier and allow drainage, it risks damaging the ear canal or even the eardrum, leading to ear infections.
What to do if water gets in your ears while swimming?
1. Single-leg hop method: Stand with the affected ear facing downward. Use water's gravitational force to help drain it out of the ear canal.
2. Forcefully shake your head side to side several times. Use centrifugal force to expel water from your ears.
3. External Ear Canal Manipulation: Continuously press the tragus with your palm or gently pull the ear lobe with your fingers. Alternatively, repeatedly open and close your mouth to move the temporomandibular joint. These actions cause the skin of the external ear canal to shift in all directions, disrupting the stability of the water barrier and pressure equilibrium, allowing water to drain out.
4. Dry your hands thoroughly. Plug one ear canal tightly with one hand. Use the middle finger of the other hand to firmly press the opposite ear canal. Then abruptly pull your hand outward, creating a momentary vacuum to suck out water. Alternate sides.
5. External Ear Canal Cleaning Method: Gently insert a clean, thin cotton swab into the external ear canal. Once it contacts the water barrier, it can absorb the water.Due to unclean swimming pools or rivers, contaminated water entering the ear can cause infections of the external ear canal skin and eardrum. Improper handling of water in the ear, such as unclean ear cleaning, often leads to the following ear conditions: external ear canal inflammation, external ear canal abscess, cerumen impaction, eardrum inflammation, and suppurative otitis media.If any of these symptoms appear after water enters the ear, temporarily stop swimming and seek medical examination for appropriate treatment.
6. Side-lying method: After trying the above methods, sleep on your side at night with the affected ear facing down. Do not plug the ear, as pressure changes may hinder water drainage.
7. If possible, use a cotton swab to gently absorb and dry any remaining moisture in the ear as soon as possible.
8. In winter, after removing most moisture, gently dry the ear with a hairdryer on low heat.
Precautions for Water in the Ear After Swimming:
1. Undergo a physical examination before swimming.Remove earwax from the external auditory canal beforehand, as it may swell and cause pain or inflammation. Individuals with otitis media (middle ear infection) should avoid swimming if the eardrum is perforated, as contaminated water entering the middle ear can worsen the condition. Swimming is permitted only with a doctor's approval.
2. During swimming, pack the external auditory canal with cotton wool soaked in petroleum jelly for protection.
3. After swimming, promptly drain any water from the external auditory canal. To do this, tilt your head toward the side where water has entered and gently tap the side of your head with the palm of the same hand to dislodge the water. If you experience itching in the ear, gently wipe the external auditory canal with a cotton swab dipped in 75% alcohol. Do not use your fingers to dig inside the ear. If you feel pain in the ear, seek medical attention promptly.
4. When diving, pay attention to posture and technique to avoid direct water impact on the ears, which can cause eardrum injury.
5. If water does enter the ear, tilt your head toward the affected side. For water in the left ear, stand on your right foot and jump; for the right ear, do the opposite. Simultaneously cover the ear with your hand and gently suck to draw out the water!
Common ear care concerns:
1. Overcoming bad habits – ear cleaning
Earwax, medically termed cerumen, is a natural secretion from the ceruminous glands in the ear canal mixed with skin flakes. Small amounts of flaky wax typically exit on their own through movement vibrations and jaw motion.Large, hardened wax plugs should be removed by an otolaryngologist using specialized tools. Ear cleaning can damage the skin of the external auditory canal, introduce bacteria, and cause inflammation—a painful and difficult-to-treat condition. If it perforates the eardrum, it may lead to infection and otitis media, impairing hearing. For unbearable itching, gently wipe the ear with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol, but avoid inserting it too deeply.
2. Preventing Swimmer's Ear
Hardened earwax can form plugs. Water entering the ear softens and expands the wax, impairing hearing and irritating the canal, which may cause inflammation. If your eardrum is perforated, avoid swimming to prevent recurrence of various conditions.When swimming, use earplugs and keep your head elevated above water level. Avoid deep diving. Deep water exerts pressure on the eardrum and may cause dizziness, posing safety risks.
3. Protecting Hearing
Clear hearing and vision signify good health. Daily hearing protection is essential.Dr. Wu Aijun states that the most common causes of hearing loss and deafness are drug toxicity and noise exposure, with drugs being the most prevalent and significant factor. Drugs that can cause deafness include streptomycin, gentamicin, kanamycin, and neomycin. These medications readily damage the inner ear, cochlea (auditory receptor), and vestibular system (balance receptor), leading to deafness and balance disorders.Symptoms of cochlear toxicity include high-pitched tinnitus, hearing loss during or after drug use, which progressively worsens until complete deafness. Symptoms of vestibular toxicity include vertigo, nausea, vomiting, unsteady gait, and balance disorders.As physicians, we must understand the toxic side effects of medications. Avoid unnecessary use, minimize dosage when possible, administer injections rather than IV drips, and never misuse drugs. Ototoxic drugs exhibit cross-sensitivity; if one drug causes harm, others in the same class should also be avoided. Ototoxic drugs can be transmitted from mother to fetus. All ototoxic medications should be avoided during pregnancy.
Additionally, deafness exhibits familial susceptibility. If a family member is identified as prone to hearing loss, others should exercise heightened caution.
4. Noise-Induced Hearing Loss
Irregular, intense noise exposure not only causes psychological distress but also damages hearing. Noise-induced hearing loss progresses slowly and progressively, making treatment challenging. Similarly, highly stimulating music can diminish hearing acuity.
Characteristics of noise-induced deafness include high-pitched tinnitus that evolves from intermittent to constant, ultimately leading to deafness. To assess hearing loss in children, observe their response to sounds.If a child never wakes from loud noises, ignores parental calls, speaks late, or loses language skills after initially using simple words around age one—especially following illness—hearing impairment should be suspected. Prompt hearing tests for one or both ears are essential.
Therefore, water in the ears after swimming should not be taken lightly. Promptly remove water from the ears, and seek medical attention promptly for severe cases to avoid more serious harm.