2023-08-09 11:45:00
ANTONELLA SPARVOLI (CORRIERE DELLA SERA)
Updated Wednesday, August 9, 2023 – 11:45
It is an infection of the external auditory canal caused by stagnant water and the presence of earwax. It is important to avoid the use of cotton swabs.
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As annoying as it is frequent, the otitis externaalso known as “swimmer’s ear”, is a condition that experiences a rebound in cases in summer. Indeed, swimming and the many hours we spend in the water, on the beach or in the pool, can facilitate its development.
What are the causes of swimmer’s ear?
“Otitis externa is a external ear canal infectiongenerally due to bacteria or sometimes fungi“, explains Claudio Albizzati, from the Otorhinolaryngology Service of the Multimédica Hospital Group of Milan.
Its development is linked to stagnation of water in the external auditory canal where, thanks to the maceration of the cells that line this canal and the possible presence of residual cerumen, a favorable microenvironment is created for the proliferation of microorganisms.
Although it is true that the presence of earwax can favor its developmentIt can also occur in perfectly clean ears if one is submerged in particularly contaminated water.
Then there are exceptions, like the paradoxical case of the Maldives, where the water is spectacular but very rich in microorganisms. “So many that after diving in this crystalline sea it is recommended to wash your ears with fresh water; otherwise, it is better to avoid it.”
symptoms
“The first sensation is that of water remaining in the ear: in fact, cerumen is hygroscopic, that is, it can absorb water. It swells, absorbs water and facilitates the proliferation of bacteria. Not to mention that when people have this sensacin de skin hmedosstart playing them now trying to remove the water with swabs or tissues, making things worse. At first they feel some itching, caused by the subthreshold stimulation of the painful endings of the external ear, and then the pain comes, especially at night,” explains the doctor.
“Other symptom frequent is the hearing lossthat is, the decrease in hearing, either because the earwax plug has expanded or because the canal has swollen,” he adds.
How can external otitis be treated?
“When the ear swells and hurts, the ideal is to consult a specialist who cleans the ear, but not washing it, which is highly inadvisable, except with a special vacuum cleaner or specific hooks. Once the remains have been eliminated, local therapy with ear drops is used, usually based on antibiotics and cortisone, which should be used three times a day for no more than a week. To speed healing, a wick, widely used in the United States, is sometimes inserted into the ear to soak the droplets and hold them within the ear canal. If after a week no improvement is observed, it is always advisable to consult a specialist”, says the doctor.
What can be done to prevent external otitis
“To prevent external otitis, especially if you are prone to developing it, the The first suggestion is to go to the ENT before going on vacation to clean the ear canal of traces of earwax or dead cells”, he begins by pointing out.
“Equally important is avoid cleaning ears with cotton swabs. Again, if you notice moist ears, it is helpful to dry them with a hair dryer“, go.
“While plugs are not recommended because they can push the earwax down further, and also because they are “usually reused,” he concludes.
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