Almost every person has experienced ear pain at least once in their life . The feeling is clearly not pleasant. The most common cases of pain are water entering the auricles. This can happen while taking a shower, swimming in a river, pool or bath. From many vacationers on the coast you can often hear: "The ear hurts after diving into the sea." If you do not take any measures in this situation, then the likelihood of serious complications increases, which will not be easy to deal with.
Symptoms of Ear Pain
Our auricles do not have natural protection against water ingress. With intensive swimming, diving to a depth, it penetrates the middle ear, reaching the level of the tympanic septum. The membrane in this case has the function of fencing. If the ear hurts after diving, it means that pathogenic bacteria and microorganisms have got into it along with water.
Even when a little fluid enters, we feel a characteristic gurgling and discomfort in the auricle. A small amount of water can spontaneously leak out, you just have to tilt your head. In the case when this does not happen, the fluid remaining in the ear provokes its inflammation and, as a result, severe pain. Anyone who has experienced this condition at least once knows firsthand that the pain is sometimes unbearable and cannot be dispensed with without the help of a doctor.
When the ear hurts after diving, the doctors, when diagnosed, pronounce the phrase “swimmer's ear,” while noting the following symptoms:
- uncomfortable condition of the area around the ear canal;
- feeling of itching;
- swelling of the parotid tissue;
- congestion.
Against the background of the above symptoms, pus can ooze from the shells. This symptom indicates a strong inflammatory process that can cause serious changes in the auditory apparatus. Self-medication, when the ear hurts after diving and purulent discharge is present, is strictly prohibited. Such negligence can lead to serious complications, up to hearing loss.
Pain diagnosis
For help, you should turn to doctors of specialization, since the pediatrician and therapist are not always competent in this matter. Ear diseases are treated by an otorhinolaryngologist (ENT). Using a medical otoscope, he will examine the ear canals, including the condition of the eardrum. Repeatedly, doctors of this specialization hear complaints that the ear hurts after diving. What to do in such a situation, the doctor will explain in detail to the patient. If additional examination is required, he will offer to take an X-ray.
Treatment methods
If the ear hurts after diving, only a doctor can determine how to treat it. After examining and examining an X-ray, the specialist will determine which drugs are suitable in this case.
First of all, all accumulated water should be removed until an irreversible inflammatory process has begun. To achieve the goal, soft cotton flagella are suitable, but they should be used carefully. But cotton buds are not suitable for this purpose, because intense movements can damage the eardrum or push the sulfur deep inside. Some patients do not attach importance to this, but in vain. You should know that sulfur accumulated in the auricle, when liquid enters, tends to swell. Soaked sulfur plugs increase in volume and can cause discomfort. Perhaps that is why the ear hurts after diving. How to treat this condition?
Drops that can be bought at any pharmacy stall will help relieve inflammation and reduce pain in the ears. But still, do not self-medicate. If there are characteristic symptoms of the disease, you need to seek qualified help from an otorhinolaryngologist, this will avoid possible complications.
In the case when purulent discharge is noticeable and the patient notes that the ear hurts after diving, the ENT will prescribe a passage cleaning procedure that can only be performed by a specialist. The ear canal is cleaned with a cotton swab from pus and a disinfectant drug is poured into it.
Drug use
Consider the most common drugs for the treatment of otitis media. These include:
- Sofradex
- "Dioxidine".
- Otofa.
- Okomistin.
- Otipaks.
All these drugs have anti-inflammatory and analgesic qualities, but you need to remember that any medication can cause certain side effects. Therefore, before using them, you need to carefully read the instructions that come with the drug.
Representatives of the older generation very often use compresses from boric alcohol solution to treat otitis media. In hospital conditions, a solution of furatsilina, salicylic alcohol , "Albucid" is used.
The use of folk remedies
Folk wisdom has developed methods and recipes that have been tested by more than one generation for the treatment of pain. Therefore, if after diving the ear hurts, what to do in a similar situation, our grandmothers know. Folk remedies have been used for centuries to treat various ailments, here is just a small list of products that help with ear pain:
- Boiled onion is an analgesic.
- A few drops of red beet juice will reduce pain.
- The infusion of chamomile field, having antiseptic properties, will eliminate inflammatory processes.
The main thing is to remember that if a tympanic membrane ruptured, such recipes will not have a positive effect. They are able to relieve only minor inflammation.
What to do if children ’s ears hurt after diving?
Children are very fond of water treatments, especially relaxing at sea. They frolic and dive, because of which water can get into their ears. If the fluid is not removed on time, an inflammatory process can begin, which is often accompanied by fever and suppuration. If the ear hurts after diving in the child, it is impossible to postpone the visit to the doctor.
Medicines that can be used to treat adults are not always suitable for children, so it is best to consult a specialist. You may need a procedure for cleaning the ear canal from the liquid, and to make it yourself is unrealistic.
If you feel pain, do not postpone a visit to the doctor, because lost time only contributes to the development of complications that can lead to a loss of hearing ability.