Swimmer's ear

Peroxide or alcohol/vinegar drops are meant to dry out the ear and prevent infection. If your ear is throbbing with pain and itching, you likely already have an infection and need different treatment. Check with your doctor.

If your ear is throbbing with pain and itching, you likely already have an infection and need different treatment. Check with your doctor. Absolutely

I wouldn't recommend using a hair dryer in any way shape or form to dry out an ear. One wrong move and you're blowing air directly into the ear. Not pleasant. I have used an OTC remedy that has worked 100% every time. Similasan. I've used it since high school to help dry my ears.

Use your drops . Use earplugs. If it gets worse see a doctor. Unless it gets really bad, you can keep swimming.

I use hydrogen peroxide. Here's some advice from the impeccably reliable Cleveland Clinic, Do use hydrogen peroxide. Clean your ears occasionally with a 3-percent hydrogen peroxide solution to remove ear wax that can trap water in your ear. Use about half of an ear dropper full. Let it bubble and fizz, and then turn your head to the side and pull back on the top of your ear to allow it to drain properly. Make sure you use drying drops or your hair dryer to dry the ear canal so that no moisture is left behind.

dulfin, you use that for swimmer's ear, or after every swim?

I went to the doctor, and she said I have fluid in the ear, no infection, but I managed to convince her to prescribe ear drops (Cortisone/antibiotic). With my inner ear issues, I don't want to risk this ending up as an infection, and lose even more time in the pool. Back in 2009, I got some awful inner ear virus and had such severe motion sickness 24/7 that all I could do was the basics in life. Absolutely no swimming - I couldn't even use my electric toothbrush - the motion made me nauseous and dizzy. It lasted 9 months!

Thanks! Maybe I'll change to peroxide. I used to use that. I think i should stay out of the pool today. The ear is THROBBING. WHAT A FREAKING DRAG!!!!!!!:bitching:

...I had my teacher look at my stroke and she said it's fine. The doc wants me to lay off swimming for a week,... You might want to get a second opinion, on both counts.

dulfin, you use that for swimmer's ear, or after every swim? Renie - I use the drops to help dry the ear which in turn helps prevent swimmers ear which is often brought on by water that remains in the ear canal after swimming. If earplugs are used during your swim, depending on the type, they can also contribute to swimmers ear by damaging the ear canal. Just a word of caution as I've been dealing with an ear issue myself since February. If I'm reading your post correctly, you've been given a Rx eardrop. By any chance was it Ciprodex? Either way, the Rx eardrop as you've described it would prevent infection and not necessarily help with the "fluid in the ear" scenario. You need to dry the ear. When I went to the clinic in February, I too was told I had fluid on the ear and was prescribed Fluticasone (nasal spray) and told to start taking my allergy meds EVERYDAY to help dry out the sinuses. And I've been taking them every day since. Because they're all connected, the only way I can maintain normal is to treat them as a system with the Rx nasal spray and OTC allergy eye drops and allergy pill. I'm still recovering from an eardrum repair I had done in October. (Not related to the fluid on the ear diagnosed in February, but confirmed once the fluid was gone.) When I can get back in the water, I will continue my daily allergy regimen to prevent fluid build up in the ear and will continue the Similasan ear drops to prevent swimmers ear in the ear canal. Hope this helps.