I seem to have a consistent problem with water in the ears when swimming. I have tried adjusting my swim cap position: Completely over the ears was the worst because any water that got in seemed to instantly get trapped in my ears, half over my ears and completely above my ears seemed to make small improvements.
Really it’s not that big of a deal, but it is annoying. I can’t hear well after it happens and it feels like there is a small tension headache until I get the water out. I can only get the water out if I stick Q tips deep in my ears, or lay down on my side for about 10 minutes each.
Any tips to avoid the event from happening?
If it is inevitable, can someone give me better advice to get the annoying water out easy?
It is not recommended that you put Q tips or any other object into your ear canals. You most likely have your ear canals plugged with earwax that expands and holds the water in. Get the ear wax removed by a professional, if you do not know how, and see if that solves your problem. Good luck.
+1 on the rubbing alcohol. I keep a little squeeze bottle of it (formerly filled with the expensive Swimmer’s Ear product) in my swim bag. I use it after each workout. A few drops in each ear and then massage it in a bit. Turn my head back over and let the excess drain out. Any residual alcohol will evaporate quickly and take the water with it.
I also do it more than once after open-water swimming. Alcohol in, let them dry, then repeat. I’ve had some persistent clogging/infections before I figured out that bacteria in OW can wreak havoc on my ears.
Ear plugs. The wax ones I found don’t work for crap. I use the rubber plugs that you insert. All my swimmers ear issues went away completely. I don’t even use the drops that much anymore unless I take more than 3 showers in one day or swam without my earplugs. Once the ear canal is pretty swollen, the drops don’t really work anyhow.
Swimmer’s Ear drops also contain glycerine which helps lubricate the ear so it doesn’t get too dry in there which can cause problems. If you want to make your own drops you can buy glycerine-usually in the form of suppositories. Or you can just add a little vinegar to the rubbing alcohol, 1 part vinegar to 3 part alcohol helps keep the skin in the ear from drying out too much.
i use this after every pool swim. it does displace the water. that’s not the reason i use it, as that hasn’t been much of a problem in my
long years of swimming. i do it to ward off ear infections….per suggestion from the doctor after i had one. not a problem in salt water,
said he, and i’ve found that to be true.
peggy