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SWIMMER'S
EAR (Otitis
Externa)
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DEFINITION
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Diagnostic
Findings of Otitis Externa
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Itchy
and painful ear canals.
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Currently
engaged in swimming.
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Pain
when the ear lobe is moved up or down.
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Pain
when the tab of the earlobe overlying the ear canal is pushed in.
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A
feeling that the ear is plugged up.
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Slight
clear discharge initially, without treatment , it becomes yellowish.
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Cause
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Swimmer's
ear is an infection of the skin lining of the ear canal.
When water gets trapped in the ear canal the lining becomes swollen and
prone to infection. Ear canals were
meant to be dry. Children are more
likely to get swimmer's ear from swimming pools than from lakes.
The chlorine in pools kills all the good bacteria in the ear canal, and
harmful bacteria tend to take over.
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With
treatment, symptoms should be better in 3 days.
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Antibiotic
Ear Drops:
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Your
child's ear drops are _____________________.
Put in _________ drops __________ times each day. Run the ear drops
down the side of the ear, opening and moving the ear, so that air isn't
trapped under them. Lie with
the good ear side down for 10 minutes after putting in the drops.
Then plug the ear with cotton to keep the medicine in the ear canal.
Continue the ear drops until the symptoms are cleared up for 48
hours. Use acetaminophen for
pain relief. Generally
your child should not swim until the symptoms are gone.
If he is on a swim team, he may continue but should use the ear
drops as a rinse after each session.
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Prevention:
The
key to prevention is keeping the ear canals dry when your child is not
swimming. After swimming get
all the water out of the ear canals by turning the head side to side and
pulling the earlobe in different directions to help the water
run out. Dry the
opening to the ear canal carefully. If
recurrences are a big problem, rinse your child's ear canals with rubbing
alcohol for 1 minute each time he finishes swimming or bathing
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Common
Mistakes:
Don't
use earplugs of any kind for prevention or treatment.
They tend to jam ear wax back into the ear canal.
Also, the don't keep all water out of the ear canals.
Cotton swabs also shouldn't be inserted into the ear canals.
Wax buildup traps water behind it and increases the risk of
swimmer's ear. A mixture of
rubbing alcohol and white vinegar (1:1)
is helpful for preventing swimmer's ear but not for treating it
because it would sting too much.
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During
Regular Office Hours:
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The
symptoms are not cleared up in 3 days.
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The
pain becomes worse after 24 hours of treatment.
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A
fever (100°F ( 37.8°C) occurs.
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The
ear becomes severely painful.
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The
lymph node behind the ear lobe becomes swollen and tender.
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You
have other concerns or questions.
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