Swimmer’s Ear Treatment in Dubai

What is a Swimmer's Ear?

Swimmer’s ear, also called otitis externa, is an infection in the ear canal. It is caused by the stagnation of water in the ear canal that makes a perfect environment for water-loving bacteria and fungus to breed, grow and cause ear infections.

It is popularly known as the swimmer’s ear because individuals who spend a lot of time in water like- swimmers, develop them.

Understanding Symptoms, causes and the progression

Symptoms

  • Outer ear pain
  • Itching in the ear canal
  • Ear pain that worsens and eventually affects one side of the face of the affected ear
  • Foul smelling and pussy discharge from the blocked ear canal
  • Temporary hearing loss or decreased hearing
  • Increasing redness and swelling in the pinna or outer ear
  • Slight fever

Causes

The following conditions can cause a swimmer’s ear

  • Water clogging in the ear canal while swimming or showering
  • Loss of ear wax – exposing ear canal
  • Pricking ear canal with sharp objects or finger-damaging ear canal or cochlea.
  • Swimming in polluted water
  • Other skin conditions that may enter and affect the ear canal, such as eczema or psoriasis
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Progression

Swimmer’s ear starts with mild symptoms. But it can spread and worsen if not treated. The progression can be classified into three stages: mild, moderate and advanced.

Mild Stage

The symptoms start with itching in the ear canal, which progresses to redness on the pinna or inner side of the ear, pulling of the ear pinna or bump on the tragus (pointed projection of the outer ear), and clear, odorless fluid discharge.

Moderate progression

At this stage, itching intensifies with pain. Also, the redness deepens with pussy fluid drainage. Other symptoms include swelling of the outer ear, blockage in the ear canal, and muffled hearing.

Advanced Progression

The pain becomes severe, non-tolerable, radiating to the affected ear side face. Other symptoms are complete blockage of the ear canal, fever, redness, swelling in the outer ear, and lymph nodes in the neck.

Swimmer's ear treatment in Dubai

When you visit Dr. Peter Baptista, the ENT specialist for ear treatment, he first diagnoses your ear canal. Then, he observes the sign of canal blockage, pus, or ear infection.

For mild symptoms, he can prescribe antibiotics and pain-relieving ear drops. However, the following treatment modules are applicable for moderate to advanced stages.

  • Cleaning ear canal
  • 7-14 days of antibiotic-specific treatment
  • Thickening canal by placing a thin gauze or "wick" inside the ear

Along with the treatment, you will be prescribed oral over-the-counter pain medicine, such as ibuprofen, to relieve pain and subside swelling. He can also prescribe corticosteroids to reduce itching and inflammation. These oral antibiotics help cease the spread of infection while the treatment is ongoing.

Tips to prevent swimmer’s ear

Simple instructions:

  • Keep your ear clean and dry.
  • Avoid swimming or swallowing polluted water.
  • Consult your ENT specialist without delay whenever there is pain, itching, or blocking in your ear.

Most people don’t understand that delaying treatment escalates their issues, requiring a more stringent treatment. Hence Dr. Peter Baptista encourages people to be aware of the signs and symptoms of swimmers’ ear, which is very common and seek timely swimmers’ ear treatment in Dubai.

As a final quote I always tell my patients that the best way to clean their ears is with their elbows!!! Which means of course don´t touch your ear!