Otitis Externa (Outer Ear Infection / Swimmer's Ear)
Outer ear infections, which are increasing in hot and humid weather, can be more easily encountered with the contact of pool water.
So why does this infection occur?
Swimmer's ear or otitis externa is defined as the infection of the external ear canal. On the outer ear canal, there is a slight acidic content produced in the skin in the ear canal, as well as ear wax (serumen) containing fatty and antimicrobial agents.Although the wrong application for cleaning purposes; The external auditory canal may occur due to the removal of this outbreak on the external auditory canal, traumatization of the skin of the outer auditory canal with cotton swabs, or prolonged contact with chlorine and alkaline substances which disrupt the structure of this antimicrobial barrier in the external ear canal. Generally, the water in the ponds is renewed by waiting for chlorine release and thus cleaning process is considered.
What are the initial symptoms of external ear infection?
In the early stages of the disease, the external auditory canal begins to swell and blush. The first finding in this period is the pain in the front of the ear canal. This finding is called "tragal tenderness" or "tragus sensitivity".In the later period of the disease, the outer ear can swell and the inflammatory secretion is added. Symptoms include hearing loss, severe pain and swelling in the ear.
How is an external external ear infection treated?
Local drop treatment was given firstly in the external ear canal inflammation. In addition, patients with severe swelling and discharge were treated with antibiotics and pain medication. Drip cortisone drops, antibiotic drops and alcohol-acid mixture drops are applied to the external ear canal. In addition, anti-bacterial and cortisone-containing drops are not used in patients who are considered to have fungal infection and drops or ointments containing fungicide are added to the treatment.What are the precautions for external ear infection during vacation?
The following measures can help you enjoy the pool and the sea comfortably on holiday:- Avoiding the insertion of cotton swabs into the ear weeks before the holiday period.
- After getting out of the pool, remove the chlorinated water from the ear with warm clean water, dry the water in the ear by holding the hair dryer in the ear for 2-3 minutes at low setting.
- In patients with a history of ear infection, lemon juice is applied to the ear after the above procedure (lemon juice can be poured into the teaspoon and a few drops can be dripped into the ear canal.
- Avoiding the use of earplugs or earplugs, which prevent outside air from breathing out of the pool.
In spite of all these measures, it may be appropriate to consult a ENT specialist if there is swelling, pain, contraction and discharge in the ear canal.
Why Are Pool Waters Unhealthy?
It is almost impossible to prevent the growth of microorganisms in stagnant water and pools that are not changed or renewed. While disinfection is done by using chlorine in many pools, various precautions are taken such as filtering the pool water with circulation pumps and adding clarifying chemicals into the pool, and the pool water is not completely changed. In other words, instead of wasting tons of water, the aim is to disinfect and clarify the currently used water. In addition to much healthier and more expensive pool cleaning methods such as ionization and oxygenation, there are much healthier methods such as pouring the pool water and replacing it with new water. However, these last additions are quite costly in large pools, such as pools with more than 40-60 tons of water. Now, if you think about it as a simple logic, people who have fungus on their toenails, anal fissures or abscesses on their bottoms, and skin infections that contaminate the pool water from people who swim in the pool, contact with chlorine is not enough to eliminate all of these. Another bad point is that microorganisms that have become resistant to chlorine are generally more difficult to treat in the body with medical treatment, and it can be more difficult to treat children who start diarrhea due to microbes in the pool water or infections such as eye infections. Similarly, in patients who remove the circular protective layer of earwax in the outer ear canal with a cotton swab or tissue, a very serious outer ear infection can start and cause the holiday time to pass painfully and painfully. You can find information about cleaning the dirt in the outer ear canal on this website (Cerumen (Earwax) - Definition, Structure, Benefits, Natural Cleaning)
Search result link where you can find articles prepared by Dr. Murat Enöz about otitis externa and published on this website (you can also reach previous articles by clicking "more posts" at the end of the page) >> https://www.ent-istanbul.com/search?q=otitis+externa
Murat Enoz, MD, Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgeon - ENT Doctor in Istanbul
Private Office:
Address: İncirli Cad. No:41, Kat:4 (Dilek Patisserie Building), Postal code: 34147, Bakırköy - İstanbul
Appointment Phone: +90 212 561 00 52
Appointment Phone: +90 212 561 00 52
Fax: +90 212 542 74 47
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