Treat water in the ear after bathing

What swimmers can do against water in the ear while bathing

07/19/2014

In summery temperatures, it attracts many people in the outdoor pools, lakes or the sea. A dip in cool wet refreshes and prepares pleasure for all ages. If there was not the annoying water in the ear, which simply does not want to disappear again after immersion. In conversation with the news agency „dpa“ explains Marianne Frickel, president of the Federal Association of Hearing Aid Acousticians (Biha), which helps casual swimmers and professionals.

Water sometimes stays in your ears for a few hours
When water gets in the ear when swimming, that's natural. However, many people find the light pressure and the specific noise caused by the water unpleasant. The Biha expert advises therefore to keep the head at an angle and shake so that the fluid can flow out of the ear. Jumping on the spot can be supportive. „It can take a few hours for the water to come out, "said Frickel, who says that sometimes the water does not flow out of the ear at night until the affected person has tilted his head to the appropriate side. 5 inches wide ear canal possesses two turns that hold the water on his „way back“ must happen.

If you want to avoid water from entering the ear when swimming, you can use a swimming protector. These are earplugs, but not every model is suitable, as the expert reports. The earplugs should be sealed to the outside of the ear canal, but foam plugs are soaked with water and therefore do not provide adequate protection. Frickel recommends allergy-tested silicone earplugs. They are available as standard models in pharmacies or drugstores. „For swimming, that's enough, "said the Biha president. „However, I never achieve the optimum seal. "

Earplugs prevent water in the ear
An alternative are individually made earplugs whose purchase makes sense for regular swimmers. Swimming professionals also use such models. The advantage is the adaptation to your own ear, because each ear is shaped differently. „These plugs are a little more expensive to buy, but useful until the ear changes, for example, by losing weight. "Explains Frickel Silicone ear plugs are also easy to clean and are always hygienic when used with a suitable disinfectant.

People who have problems with their ears due to illness, for example, if the eardrum is missing or children were used in the eardrum because of frequent infections tympanic tubes should always use a well-sealed swimming protection. As the expert explained, children are particularly susceptible to germs that could cause infections in the ear. „In the paddling pool, dirty water gets into your ear. "Persons who are often in the water for professional reasons, such as professional swimmers or divers, should also pay attention to a good swimming protector: Without the earplugs, eczema and proliferations can occur with frequent and prolonged contact with cold water form in the ear canal.

When the water in the ear does not drain anymore
In some cases, "especially in children, the water does not flow out of the ear, even after a long period of time." The so-called "tympanic effusion" is caused, for example, by an under-functioning of the Eustachian tube, which causes the middle ear to be insufficiently ventilated. " But also malformations, such as cleft lip and palate or tumors in the nasopharynx, may be the cause.

A small cut in the eardrum, the suction of the liquid and possibly the insertion of a tube, through which the ventilation of the eardrum is ensured again, then provide a remedy.