The warm spring and summer months are quickly rejuvenating its yearly exhibitions. Children and adults alike are intoxicatingly gazing at the lakes, water parks and backyard pools to unleash the winter’s restraints. As nature provides an abundance of greens, purples, blues and yellows; birds singing and animals gathering; people, society, and family coming together sharing happy traditions adding to the celebration of life outside of hibernation, and so are bacterias, pollens, and microbials.
As these warm months invite us into the pools of youthful life, we should be mindful in preventing these unwanteds from raining on our parade. Having an ear infection or swimmer’s ear during the height of our gaiety is one very unhappy and uncomfortable, yet frequent fun deflator. These ear infections are not limited to our jubilant and impetuous children. Adults too are at risk, if not higher, with myriad options for extreme water sports and adult fun that distract us from taking care of our ears.
Keeping in mind that these unwanteds like warm and moist places, such as ears, there are some simple ways to prevent pesky ear infections from ruining your warm months of fun and sun.
There is a saying, “never put anything smaller than your elbow in your ear”. Stay away from Q-tips and remember Ear-tips…
After swimming, tilt both ears over your towel to help drain access water. Then saturate a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide, tilt head and allow the peroxide to drip into ear. You will hear the fizzing and get a little tickle as the peroxide rounds up those pests…go ahead and laugh! Then tilt your ear over the towel, allowing the peroxide and the nasty unwanteds to make their way out; repeat with the other ear. Take another cotton ball and saturate it with alcohol; squeeze and drop into the ear and then release. The alcohol will help dry out the ear after your swimming and peroxide-festivity helping to prevent infection.
Please note that this method of ear cleaning is not safe if you have a tube in your ear. If wax becomes a problem and you have tubes, please see your provider at Atlanta ENT.
Ramie Tritt, M.D.- President, Atlanta ENT
