Free
E-newsletter
Subscribe to Housecall
Our weekly general interest
e-newsletter keeps you up to date
on a wide variety of health topics.
close window
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffFactors that may increase your risk of swimmer's ear include:
- Swimming
- Swimming in water with elevated bacteria levels, such as a lake rather than a well-maintained pool
- A narrow ear canal — for example, in a child — that can more easily trap water
- Excessive earwax production
- Aggressive cleaning of the ear canal with cotton swabs or other objects
- Use of devices such as headphones, a hearing aid or a swim cap
- Skin allergies or irritation from jewelry, hair spray or hair dyes
References
- Goguen LA. External otitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 4, 2010.
- Osguthorpe JD, et al. Otitis externa: Review and clinical update. American Family Physician. 2006;74:1510.
- Kaushik V, et al. Interventions for acute otitis externa. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2010:CD004740.
- Swimmer's ear: Otitis externa. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/swimming/rwi/illnesses/swimmers-ear.html. Accessed Aug. 4, 2010.
- Swimmer's ear. American Academy of Otolaryngology — Head and Neck Surgery. http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/swimmersEar.cfm. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
- Rubin MA, et al. Pharyngitis, sinusitis, otitis and other respiratory tract infections. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc.; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2883486. Accessed Aug. 18, 2010.
Find Mayo Clinic on