With Auckland’s summer in full swing, we are excited for the warmer weather, longer days to lounge at the beach and all the swimming, surfing and water activities that we love about kiwi summers! Drawn from experience of past summers in Auckland where we tend to see more people requesting ear wax removal appointments and ear cleans after a swim, here are some hot tips to keeping your ears healthy!
Wear earplugs to protect your ears from cold water, bacteria and other pathogens that can cause outer ear infections
Consider the use of sprays that can keep your ears dry after a swim to reduce the likelihood of ear infections
If you have a history of blocked ears when you swim, get your ears checked by your friendly Auckland audiologists at Family Hearing Centre before your first swim of the season – this can reduce the chances of a blocked ear.
Why do I have difficulty unblocking my ears when water gets in?
Water getting trapped in the ear canal often is an indication that there is some wax build-up in your ears, or a narrowing of your ear canal due to repeated exposure to cold water (see ‘Surfer’s Ear’ below). You may not notice this on a day-to-day basis as long as there is a gap between the wax and the wall of your ear canal through which air and sound can pass through. However, when you go swimming, water can also pass through the gap. It can then get trapped inside the ear canal because the wax prevents the water from coming out of your ear. This is when you may notice that your ear is not able to unblock and suspect that water is trapped inside.
When this happens, you know that it is time to get your ears cleaned! One tip to prepare you for a hassle-free summer is to preventatively have your ears checked and cleaned, especially if you have a history of blocked ears when swimming. Read more about Auckland ear wax removal services here.
What is Swimmer’s Ear?
Swimmer’s ear (medically referred to as otitis externa) is an inflammation or infection of the outer ear canal. Under normal conditions the skin of the ear is protected by water-repellent ear wax secretions from the glands lining the skin of the ear canal which has an acidic pH level discouraging bacteria and other pathogens from entering the canal.
However, when these normal barriers are lost the skin becomes inflamed and softened. This increases the risk of invasion from bacterial or fungal organisms.
A common cause of breakdown of this barrier happens when water enters the ear canal and doesn’t drain out, such as when you go swimming or wash your hair. When the ear canal is wet for a long period of time, the skin becomes soft and ‘soggy’. This not only makes it more susceptible to injury, it also creates an ideal environment for bacteria or fungi to flourish and cause an infection.
Other causes of an outer ear infection include:
Self-cleaning inside the ear canal with cotton buds, fingertips and other objects
Chemicals such as hairsprays, shampoos and hair dyes that may irritate and break the fragile skin
Skin conditions such as eczema or dermatitis where the skin is flaky or broken, and does not act as a protective barrier
Inadequate wax production that protects the ear canal
Wearing of hearing aids, earphones, diving caps and anything else close to the ears that may pick up pathogens around you
Symptoms of the outer ear infection include:
Pain and tenderness in the ear canal
The outer ear may be sensitive and sore, even to the lightest touch or movement
Itchiness
Foul smelling yellow or green pus in the ear canal
A high temperature (fever)
A blocked sensation
Reduced hearing
Noises inside the ear, such as buzzing, humming or ringing (tinnitus)
What are the common treatment options for Swimmer’s Ear?
Treatment is aimed at cleaning the canal and keeping it dry. Often, we get asked the question of whether microsuction is suitable if there is an active ear infection – the answer is yes. Microsuction can help remove the debris produced as a by-product of the infection which can often get in the way of any drops or treatments provided by your GP or Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist to reach the source of the infection. This allows the treatment to be more effective.
Top tips for the prevention of Swimmer’s Ear this summer in Auckland:
Any water activities like swimming, surfing and diving should be avoided for the duration of the infection and for at least one week after
When washing your hair, tip your head forward and your ears will act as umbrellas. This will minimise the amount of water that enters your ear canals
Earplugs or cotton wool coated in Vaseline to keep water out of your ear canal are good options when swimming or bathing
What is Surfer’s Ear?
Surfer’s ear (medically referred to as exostoses) describes the formation of bony lumps within the ear canals. These happen most commonly in surfers because of the repeated cold water immersion that stimulates their growth, hence the colloquial name.
When these start to form initially, you may not notice any symptoms (as no one can really look inside their own ear without specialized equipment). However, tell-tale signs may be that your ears tend to block up more easily when you go for swims or surfs. With repeated exposure to cold water, these bony formations continue to grow. This can then increase the risk of ear infections due to prolonged trapping of water behind the exostoses.
Top tips for the prevention of Surfer’s Ear for kiwis in Auckland:
Few people that visit our clinic for ear-related concerns have heard of surfer’s ears, let alone receiving the guidance to help prevent the development and progression of exostoses. This is why we want to talk about it and spread the awareness – to minimise the need for surgical intervention later on!
The main way to prevent exostoses from progression is to protect the ears using earplugs when in cold water. Earplugs come in many different types which range from blutac-like putty to generic silicone plugs.
The most effective type of plug is custom-made to the shape of your ear. No one ear is exactly the same as another. Custom-made earplugs take into account the specific anatomy of your ear to ensure the earplug will fit snugly and be effective in preventing the water from entering your ear.
To make your very own earplugs, we take an impression of your ear by squeezing a putty-like material into your ear. This material hardens over the course of a few minutes following which we remove the impression material. These impressions are then sent to the manufacturer to begin the manufacturing process via 3D-scanning. Most plugs are made in a silicone material that stays true to the shape of your ear for years to come.
For more information, visit [Hamish Sillar’s page] written by our local Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) specialist who has a particular interest in exostoses.
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