Swimmer’s ear is commonly seen in the summer and is typically caused by dirty water getting trapped in the ear canal and causing infection. The infection is typically limited to the ear canal and does not spread to the middle ear. An easy way to tell the difference between swimmer’s ear and a middle ear infection is to pull on the ear - a person with swimmer’s ear will find this very painful whereas someone with a middle ear infection won’t.
Swimmer’s ear is easily treated with antibiotic drops. It’s also important to keep water out of the ear until the infection has cleared.
At BreatheMD, we offer ear check appointments for $75. Click here to schedule.