Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsDiagnosis and TreatmentFastest SolutionsTreatmentAdditional TreatmentsAt-Home CareSevere Swimmer’s EarCausesPreventionWhen to Seek Medical Care
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Diagnosis and Treatment
Fastest Solutions
Treatment
Additional Treatments
At-Home Care
Severe Swimmer’s Ear
Causes
Prevention
When to Seek Medical Care
While the condition is called swimmer’s ear, you don’t need to swim to develop it. Swimmer’s ear is another term for an infection in the ear canal. While water can cause an ear canal infection or swimmer’s ear, so can dust and dirt or an accidental scratch on the inside of your ear. Other environmental factors can contribute to swimmer’s ear, too.
The quickest and safest way to get rid of swimmer’s ear usually involves a trip to your healthcare provider and a prescription forantibiotic ear drops, steroid drops, and antifungal drops, depending on the suspected cause. Your healthcare provider may also recommend over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication and provide precautions to keep the ear dry.
Severe problems from swimmer’s ear are rare. However, it is essential to understand when to see a healthcare professional for help if your swimmer’s ear isn’t going away or getting worse.
Martin Barraud / Getty Images
Symptoms of a mild to moderate swimmer’s ear infection include:
Symptoms of a more severe swimmer’s ear infection include:
There are some home remedies and over-the-counter options for swimmer’s ear, but if you suspect this infection, it is best to contact your healthcare provider for advice. Some remedies can be dangerous if youreardrum isn’t intact,so depending on your symptoms, you may need to be seen.
Most of the time swimmer’s ear is diagnosed and treated in an outpatient setting in your healthcare provider’s office. Antibiotic drops are typically the recommended treatment.
However, if the infection is severe or theeardrum appears ruptured, your healthcare provider may refer you to an ENT.
How to Get Rid of Swimmer’s Ear Fast
The fastest way to get rid of swimmer’s ear is to visit your healthcare provider for a diagnosis and treatment with prescription medication. You can help prevent the condition from becoming serious if treated early before the infection worsens or spreads.
If you have symptoms of this condition, contact your healthcare provider as soon as possible. The American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery advises topical therapy, such as antibioticear drops, for the first-level treatment of uncomplicated swimmer’s ear.
How Quickly Will Swimmer’s Ear Go Away?With proper treatment, symptoms of swimmer’s ear generally improve in three days. When the medication is used as directed, most uncomplicated cases of swimmer’s ear go away completely within seven to 10 days.
How Quickly Will Swimmer’s Ear Go Away?
With proper treatment, symptoms of swimmer’s ear generally improve in three days. When the medication is used as directed, most uncomplicated cases of swimmer’s ear go away completely within seven to 10 days.
Most uncomplicated cases of swimmer’s ear can be treated outpatient at your provider’s office. Your treatment will also likely involve taking medication at home and following instructions to keep your ear clean and dry until it heals.
Your healthcare provider will typically clean and examine theear canaland prescribe antibiotic ear drops.
Cleaning the Ear Canal
Before treatment begins, your healthcare provider may clean the ear canal. This involves removing pus, drainage, or other debris likeearwaxso that topical treatments can reach the site of the infection. It also allows your healthcare provider to confirm the site of infection.
The process of cleaning the ear canal, called aural toileting, can involve one of the following methods:
While a diluted hydrogen peroxide solution may be used to clean the ear, hydrogen peroxide alone will not cure swimmer’s ear. Instead, it can help clean the ear of excess earwax, which allows the medication to reach the infection.
Ear drops
Ear drops are typically prescribed for swimmer’s ear. These products usually contain an antibiotic to kill the germs causing the infection. They may also contain antiseptics,steroids, or a combination of these drugs.
The following ear drops are commonly used to treat swimmer’s ear:
Depending on factors such as your symptoms and other medical conditions, your healthcare provider may prescribe additional medications to use with or instead of antibiotic ear drops.
Acidic Solution
Acetic acid ear drops that consist of 5% acetic acid (white vinegar) mixed with equal parts of isopropyl alcohol or water may help prevent swimmer’s ear, though their effectiveness in treating an existing condition has not been formally studied.
Vinegar and alcohol may be effective in preventing swimmer’s ear because the properties of vinegar restore the natural acidity of the ear canal, making the ear less vulnerable to infection, while the alcohol dries out the ear. This solution can be purchased over the counter or mixed at home.
Steroids
Your healthcare provider may prescribe antibiotic ear drops containing a steroid, such ashydrocortisoneor dexamethasone. These medications can help reduce the symptoms of itching and inflammation that commonly occur with swimmer’s ear.
Antibiotics
Antibiotics are regarded as a first-level treatment for swimmer’s ear because bacteria are a common cause of the infection that causes this condition.
Antibiotics are usually administered topically via prescription ear drops. This helps limit side effects and the risk of creatingantibiotic-resistant bacteria.
However, if your infection does not respond to ear drops, your healthcare provider may prescribe oral antibiotics.
Antifungal Medication
Though not as common as bacterial infections, afungal ear infectioncan sometimes cause swimmer’s ear. Diagnosing a fungal infection may require a culture of your ear canal.
Antifungal medication may be administered via antifungal ear drops that contain clotrimazole. Topical therapy that includes miconazole cream or fluconazole drops can also be effective.
Over-the-Counter (OTC) Pain Relievers
Symptoms of swimmer’s ear can include severe pain, especially when you touch your ear, chew, or talk. Over-the-counter pain relievers such asTylenol (acetaminophen)orAdvil (ibuprofen)may provide relief of symptoms.
If administering pain medication to your child, ensure that you use the appropriate medication and dosage for their age and weight.
When Treatment Doesn’t WorkContact your healthcare provider if your symptoms don’t improve within 36 to 48 hours of using a prescribed treatment. Your condition may require a different treatment to address other causes or complications.
When Treatment Doesn’t Work
Contact your healthcare provider if your symptoms don’t improve within 36 to 48 hours of using a prescribed treatment. Your condition may require a different treatment to address other causes or complications.
Usually, proper treatment for swimmer’s ear works quickly. Here are additional tips for home treatment to get the best results:
Swimmer’s ear usually improves with proper treatment. However, the infection can become severe in older adults, people treated with chemotherapy, and those with diabetes,human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)or AIDS, or another condition that weakens the immune system.
Treatment for severe swimmer’s ear typically includes the following:
Individuals with underlying health conditions have the highest risk of developingmalignant otitis externa. It is a rare complication of swimmer’s ear and occurs when the infection spreads to the base of the skull, bone, and cartilage near your affected ear.Note that in this condition, the term “malignant” does not relate to cancer.
Sometimes, outer ear infections can become chronic, meaning they last for several months. Chronic otitis externa is typically due to an underlying skin condition, such as a fungal infection.
Bacteria typically cause swimmer’s ear, but fungal infections are also possible. While excessive moisture in the ear from swimming is a common cause, there are several additional causes of swimmer’s ear, including:
When to Call a Healthcare Provider
Most individuals require medical treatment to relieve swimmer’s ear. Contact your healthcare provider if you have any of the following symptoms of swimmer’s ear:
If you do not feel better within 36 to 48 hours of starting treatment, let your healthcare provider know. You may need a different approach to treatment.
Summary
Prompt treatment with antibiotic ear drops from your healthcare provider can often cure swimmer’s ear.Severe problems are rare, though having a weakened immune system raises your risk of these issues. Early treatment can help avoid complications.
The prognosis is good for most cases of swimmer’s ear. Proper treatment can prevent the infection from spreading to other parts of your body and help you heal within seven to 10 days.
20 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UpToDate.Patient education: External otitis (including swimmer’s ear) (Beyond the Basics).Pierre JJ, Tolisano AM.What is swimmer’s ear?JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023;149(7):652-652.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing swimmer’s ear.UpToDate.Patient education: external otitis (including swimmer’s ear) (beyond the basics).American Academy of Family Physicians.Otitis externa (swimmer’s ear).Rosenfeld RM, Schwartz SR, Cannon CR, et al.Clinical practice guideline: acute otitis externa.Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2014;150(S1). doi:10.1177/0194599813517083Acute otitis externa(swimmer’s ear).AFP. 2023;107(2).Rosenfeld RM, Schwartz SR, Cannon CR, et al.Clinical practice guideline: acute otitis externa.Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2014;150(S1). doi:10.1177/0194599813517083MedlinePlus.Neomycin, polymyxin, and hydrocortisone otic.Navaneethan N, YaadhavaKrishnan RP.Type of Antifungals: Does it Matter in Empirical Treatment of Otomycosis?Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.2015 Mar;67(1):64-67. doi:10.1007/s12070-014-0780-9Nemours TeensHealth.Swimmer’s ear (external otitis).American Family Physician.Acute otitis externa (swimmer’s ear).Penn Medicine.Swimmer’s ear: 10 things you need to know.American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa).Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Preventing swimmer’s ear in your child.Arsovic N, Radivojevic N, Jesic S, Babac S, Cvorovic L, Dudvarski Z.Malignant otitis externa: causes for various treatment responses. J Int Adv Otol 2020; 16(1): 98-103.Hui CP.Acute otitis externa.Paediatr Child Health. 2013;18(2):96-98. doi:10.1093/pch/18.2.96Wiegand S, Berner R, Schneider A, Lundershausen E, Dietz A.Otitis externa.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2019;116(13):224-234.Merck Manual Consumer Version.Ear canal infection (swimmer’s ear).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infections.
20 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.UpToDate.Patient education: External otitis (including swimmer’s ear) (Beyond the Basics).Pierre JJ, Tolisano AM.What is swimmer’s ear?JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023;149(7):652-652.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing swimmer’s ear.UpToDate.Patient education: external otitis (including swimmer’s ear) (beyond the basics).American Academy of Family Physicians.Otitis externa (swimmer’s ear).Rosenfeld RM, Schwartz SR, Cannon CR, et al.Clinical practice guideline: acute otitis externa.Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2014;150(S1). doi:10.1177/0194599813517083Acute otitis externa(swimmer’s ear).AFP. 2023;107(2).Rosenfeld RM, Schwartz SR, Cannon CR, et al.Clinical practice guideline: acute otitis externa.Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2014;150(S1). doi:10.1177/0194599813517083MedlinePlus.Neomycin, polymyxin, and hydrocortisone otic.Navaneethan N, YaadhavaKrishnan RP.Type of Antifungals: Does it Matter in Empirical Treatment of Otomycosis?Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.2015 Mar;67(1):64-67. doi:10.1007/s12070-014-0780-9Nemours TeensHealth.Swimmer’s ear (external otitis).American Family Physician.Acute otitis externa (swimmer’s ear).Penn Medicine.Swimmer’s ear: 10 things you need to know.American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa).Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Preventing swimmer’s ear in your child.Arsovic N, Radivojevic N, Jesic S, Babac S, Cvorovic L, Dudvarski Z.Malignant otitis externa: causes for various treatment responses. J Int Adv Otol 2020; 16(1): 98-103.Hui CP.Acute otitis externa.Paediatr Child Health. 2013;18(2):96-98. doi:10.1093/pch/18.2.96Wiegand S, Berner R, Schneider A, Lundershausen E, Dietz A.Otitis externa.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2019;116(13):224-234.Merck Manual Consumer Version.Ear canal infection (swimmer’s ear).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infections.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
UpToDate.Patient education: External otitis (including swimmer’s ear) (Beyond the Basics).Pierre JJ, Tolisano AM.What is swimmer’s ear?JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023;149(7):652-652.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing swimmer’s ear.UpToDate.Patient education: external otitis (including swimmer’s ear) (beyond the basics).American Academy of Family Physicians.Otitis externa (swimmer’s ear).Rosenfeld RM, Schwartz SR, Cannon CR, et al.Clinical practice guideline: acute otitis externa.Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2014;150(S1). doi:10.1177/0194599813517083Acute otitis externa(swimmer’s ear).AFP. 2023;107(2).Rosenfeld RM, Schwartz SR, Cannon CR, et al.Clinical practice guideline: acute otitis externa.Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2014;150(S1). doi:10.1177/0194599813517083MedlinePlus.Neomycin, polymyxin, and hydrocortisone otic.Navaneethan N, YaadhavaKrishnan RP.Type of Antifungals: Does it Matter in Empirical Treatment of Otomycosis?Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.2015 Mar;67(1):64-67. doi:10.1007/s12070-014-0780-9Nemours TeensHealth.Swimmer’s ear (external otitis).American Family Physician.Acute otitis externa (swimmer’s ear).Penn Medicine.Swimmer’s ear: 10 things you need to know.American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa).Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Preventing swimmer’s ear in your child.Arsovic N, Radivojevic N, Jesic S, Babac S, Cvorovic L, Dudvarski Z.Malignant otitis externa: causes for various treatment responses. J Int Adv Otol 2020; 16(1): 98-103.Hui CP.Acute otitis externa.Paediatr Child Health. 2013;18(2):96-98. doi:10.1093/pch/18.2.96Wiegand S, Berner R, Schneider A, Lundershausen E, Dietz A.Otitis externa.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2019;116(13):224-234.Merck Manual Consumer Version.Ear canal infection (swimmer’s ear).Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infections.
UpToDate.Patient education: External otitis (including swimmer’s ear) (Beyond the Basics).
Pierre JJ, Tolisano AM.What is swimmer’s ear?JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2023;149(7):652-652.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Preventing swimmer’s ear.
UpToDate.Patient education: external otitis (including swimmer’s ear) (beyond the basics).
American Academy of Family Physicians.Otitis externa (swimmer’s ear).
Rosenfeld RM, Schwartz SR, Cannon CR, et al.Clinical practice guideline: acute otitis externa.Otolaryngol–head neck surg. 2014;150(S1). doi:10.1177/0194599813517083
Acute otitis externa(swimmer’s ear).AFP. 2023;107(2).
MedlinePlus.Neomycin, polymyxin, and hydrocortisone otic.
Navaneethan N, YaadhavaKrishnan RP.Type of Antifungals: Does it Matter in Empirical Treatment of Otomycosis?Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.2015 Mar;67(1):64-67. doi:10.1007/s12070-014-0780-9
Nemours TeensHealth.Swimmer’s ear (external otitis).
American Family Physician.Acute otitis externa (swimmer’s ear).
Penn Medicine.Swimmer’s ear: 10 things you need to know.
American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.Swimmer’s ear (otitis externa).
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.Preventing swimmer’s ear in your child.
Arsovic N, Radivojevic N, Jesic S, Babac S, Cvorovic L, Dudvarski Z.Malignant otitis externa: causes for various treatment responses. J Int Adv Otol 2020; 16(1): 98-103.
Hui CP.Acute otitis externa.Paediatr Child Health. 2013;18(2):96-98. doi:10.1093/pch/18.2.96
Wiegand S, Berner R, Schneider A, Lundershausen E, Dietz A.Otitis externa.Dtsch Arztebl Int. 2019;116(13):224-234.
Merck Manual Consumer Version.Ear canal infection (swimmer’s ear).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Ear infections.
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