Summer is on its way, and we’ll be spending more time in the water. When we swim, water can often get into our ears. It usually drains out on its own, but sometimes it can get trapped, and we all know how annoying it is when it won’t come out — in more serious cases, this can even lead to an ear infection. So here are a few tips for getting water out of your ear without hurting it.
If you’ve landed on this article, you’re probably looking for a quick fix to your problem, but once you’ve solved it, don’t forget to read to the end, because prevention always matters most.
4 techniques for getting water out of your ear
If anyone knows tricks for getting water out of the ear, it’s professional swimmers, since they spend most of their time in contact with it. Here are a few techniques swimmers use when water gets into their ear:
- Tugging your earlobe: tilt your head towards the shoulder on the side of the ear the water got into, and give the earlobe a few gentle tugs.
- Lying down: lying on the side of the ear the water got into can also be a good technique to let it drain out on its own.
- Creating a vacuum: rest the affected ear against the palm of your hand, tilting your head towards that side, press it in and cup it, then pull away — the vacuum this creates can help the water drain out.
- Yawning or chewing: when water gets stuck in the Eustachian tube, moving your mouth can help open up the tubes — tilt your head towards the affected ear so the water can drain out.
Prevention: how do we avoid summer ear infections?
The biggest problem with water in the ears is the risk of developing an ear infection.
That’s why preventing water from getting into your ears in the first place will help avoid future infections.
Here are two options that can help:
- Using swimming earplugs: these can be pharmacy earplugs or custom-made swimming earplugs — both will protect you from water getting in, although custom-made earplugs have a few advantages you can read about in our article.
- Drying your ears well: drying the outer part of the ear canal well with a towel stops drops of water from getting inside. You can also use a hairdryer, held at a distance where it won’t burn you.
Even so, using both options together — swimming earplugs and drying with a towel — is the best way to prevent water from getting in.
What not to do if you have water in your ear
Among the things you shouldn’t do are:
- Using cotton buds, under any circumstances.
- Inserting anything into the ear canal that could push the water further in or hurt you.
- Using your finger to push — this could make things worse.
- Using ear candles.
In the worst case, if none of these strategies manages to get the water out of your ear and there’s pain, you should see a doctor, who can offer the right treatment for your case, since, as we’ve seen, it could lead to an infection such as otitis.
References
https://www.elsevier.es/es-revista-farmacia-profesional-3-contenido-extra-57 (Spanish)
