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Swim Ear plugs
How to avoid swimmers ear?
You should always wear a swim cap as your first barrier form the water.
What to consider when choosing ear plugs for swimming?
Female specific
The size of the female ear canal is generally smaller in women than in men. So only consider an established brand that is female specific.
Choose the right size rather than a fancy colour.
This can avoid painful ear infections.
Wax ones in my experience let water in more easily once used a dozen times.
Swimming ear plugs are designed to protect the inner ear from getting water into it.
Silicone last 3 weeks providing you dry them before putting them away after each use.
They are more comfortable as silicone is flexible and soft so easily moulds to our individual ear shape.
Hypo-allergenic.
Wax ear plugs
Seem to attract the dirt and once they let water in never to work and keep water out again.
Avoid
The brands that say are ergonomically shaped? Just like our finger prints everyone’s ears are different so be careful by the manufacturer’s claims.
Store
Dry straight after use and store them in their little case.
What is swimmers ear?
Moisture causes irritation which causes scratching which makes the situation worse.
How to avoid swimmers ear?
Keep the ear dry during and after especially when showering.
Mistake
Don’t try and dry the ear with a cotton wool buds and can aggravate the skin which will make matters worse?
Scratching will make the irritation worse.
Treatment
Use ear drops after using a wick to open up the channel
Ear drops can also be alcohol drops which disperse the moisture.
Never
Never ever insert anything into the ear.
Keep ears free of wax.
A hole in the ear drum can be the reason you experience ear ache.
Budget tip
50/50 mix of alcohol & white vinegar can be used to help evaporate water and kill and bacteria before and after swimming.
Men that have leaky ear plugs may consider smaller female size ear plugs.
Swimmers ear (ear infection) is very painful and can be caused by perforated ear drums ear tube problems.
It is almost impossible to train with an ear infection.