If you or your child has had recurrent problems with “swimmer’s ear,” you know it’s no fun. It’s usually caused by a combination of prolonged exposure to heat and moisture – a long swim on a hot day. The best way to deal with it is to prevent it from happening. Here are four things you can do:

1. Limit the time in the water for the child whose infection keeps coming back. The amount will have to be determined by trial and error but in most cases should be less than one hour.
2. Let the ears dry completely for an hour or two before going back in the water. If your child is aware of water in the ear, have him or her shake the head to loosen the water and dry the ear with the corner of a towel. It’s okay to take daily showers or baths so long as they are brief and the ears are dried afterwards.
3. If those measures don’t work, make a solution of equal parts water and vinegar or vinegar and rubbing alcohol. Put a few drops in each ear when the child gets up, after each swim, and at bedtime, and let the solution stay in the ear for at least five minutes each time.
4. In any case, don’t pick at the ears with a pencil, cotton swab, a bobby pin, or any other object. This risks injury to the canal and little breaks in the skin are just what the bacteria that cause swimmer’s ear love most.

If swimmer’s ear occurs . . .

If the ear itches after a long swim or feels as if it is “plugged,” you might be able to prevent infection by keeping the ear dry and making sure nothing is stuck into it that might cause injury. Dry it with a small tuft of cotton. The cotton swabs on a stick are too big for this purpose.

Those measures might be all that are needed, but if itching persists and pain develops a day or two after swimming, call your pediatrician. To keep the infection from getting worse, the doctor will be most interested in cleansing the ear. Depending on how serious the infection is, he or she may prescribe medications or simply a one-to-one mixture of vinegar and either water or rubbing alcohol. If it’s a home mixture, the doctor or nurse will show how to apply the drops. Keep the affected ear up for two to three minutes after the drops go in.

After treatment begins, the child should stay out of the water for at least seven days – longer in most cases, depending on how quickly the pain, itching, and swelling go away. It is permissible to shower or bathe daily and shampoo every other day if the ear is dried immediately afterwards and ear drops are put in.