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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffThe goal of treatment is to stop the infection and allow your ear canal to heal.
Cleaning
Your doctor will use a suction device or ear curette to clean away any discharge, clumps of earwax, flaky skin and any other debris. Cleaning is necessary to help medications get to the infected areas of the skin.
Medications
Your doctor may prescribe eardrops that have some combination of the following ingredients, depending on the type and seriousness of the infection:
- Acidic solution to replicate your ear's normally acidic, antibacterial environment
- Steroid to reduce inflammation
- Antibiotic to fight the bacterial infection
- Antifungal medication to fight a fungal infection
Ask your doctor about the best method for taking the medication. Some ideas that may help include the following:
- To reduce discomfort of relatively cold drops in your ear, you can warm the eardrop solution by holding the bottle in your hand for a few minutes to bring it closer to your body temperature.
- If possible, have someone else put the drops in your ear.
- Lie down on your side with the infected ear up to help the medication travel to the site of the infection in your ear canal.
- Put a cotton ball in the "pocket" of your outer ear to absorb any excess fluid after you sit or stand up.
- If your ear canal is blocked by inflammation or excess discharge, your doctor may insert a wick that helps transport the medication into the ear canal.
If the infection is more advanced or doesn't respond to treatment with eardrops, your doctor may prescribe oral antibiotics.
Other treatments
You will need to keep your ear dry and avoid any irritation of the ear while you're treating swimmer's ear.
- Don't swim or scuba dive.
- Avoid flying.
- Don't wear an earplug or hearing aid before pain or discharge has stopped.
- Avoid getting water in your ear canal when bathing. Use a cotton ball coated with petroleum jelly to protect your ear during baths.
- Osguthorpe JD, et al. Otitis externa: Review and clinical update. American Family Physician. 2006;74(9):1510-1516.
- Ruckenstein M. Infections of the external ear. In: Cummings C, et al., eds. Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier/Mosely; 2005. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/102996601-2/0/1263/1195.html?tocnode=49546210&fromURL=1195.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-01985-4..X5001-1--part11_5058. Accessed Aug. 25, 2008.
- Grunstein E, et al. Diseases of the external ear. In: Lalwani A, ed. Current Diagnosis & Treatment in Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aid=2829939. Accessed Aug. 25, 2008.
- Goguen L. External otitis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 25, 2008.
