swimmers ear-should i take a break from swimming?

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sarahslim100
sarahslim100 Posts: 485 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
hi i got swimmers ear yesterday. ive got over the counter drops. went swimming today-no difference. fullness in ear, no pain. will drops be enough or should i stay out of the pool for a while?

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  • georgieb23
    georgieb23 Posts: 76 Member
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    Hiya :)

    Swimmer's ear is essentially otitis externa which is an infection of the outer ear. It will take a couple of days for your medication to kick in so I would avoid swimming for a couple of days or wear a swimming cap to cover your ears and help protect the skin which may become sore, just to let the medication actually clear it up, then you should be able to get back to swimming pretty quick :)

    The fullness in your ear will disappear quickly too, it's just an accompaniment with the infection due to blockage of your ear - you may notice a slight temporary hearing loss in the ear its affecting but don't worry that'll clear quickly too!
  • sarahslim100
    sarahslim100 Posts: 485 Member
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    thanks. yes the fullness feeling went away tonight after putting drops in the third time. nice that its getting better so i wont need to see the doctor. will wait a while before swimming then
  • georgieb23
    georgieb23 Posts: 76 Member
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    Yeah drops should clear it up within a couple days :) However if you notice persistent fullness or have any discharge/ pus coming out go and see your doc as it may be a sign of a middle ear infection.

    Hope you get better soon :)

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