If your child has been diagnosed with swimmer's ear in the past, you most likely want to keep them from contracting the condition again in the future. Instead of having your child avoid swimming and taking showers, you should focus on a few precautionary steps that can be taken to help in the prevention of swimmer's ear. Here are some ideas to try to help in protecting your child's ears from this painful condition.
Cover the Head with a Bathing Cap
When your child takes a shower or bath, a bathing cap can be used to cover the ears so water does not get inside of them. The cap can be taken off when it is time to wash the hair. When rinsing shampoo or conditioner from the hair, your child should tilt their head forward instead of backward so water is less likely to drip inside the ear canal during the process. The bathing cap can then be replaced so your child can enjoy relaxing in a shower or swimming around in a bathtub without worry of getting water trapped in their ears.
Use Ear Plugs When Going Swimming
The ear canals will need to be protected when your child will be submerging their head underwater for any length of time. Ear plugs will effectively help block water from getting into the ears. Purchase ear plugs made of wax and insert one in each of your child's ears before they start their swimming session. These will work well at keeping water on the exterior of the ears. Alternately, homemade ear plugs can be made using cotton balls coated with petroleum jelly. While these plugs will work at blocking the passageways to the inner ears, they may need to be replaced with a new set if your child will be swimming for several hours, as the petroleum jelly may wash away from the cotton's surface.
Insert Ear Drops into the Ears After Water Use
To help thwart off a bout of swimmer's ear, ear drops can be placed in each of your child's ears after they spend time in the water. Use equal parts of distilled white vinegar and rubbing alcohol to make a solution that works in drying the inner ear canal. After mixing these ingredients together, use a medicine dropper to insert a few drops of the solution into each of your child's ears immediately after the water session is completed. The solution will help in keeping the inner ear acidic, making it less likely that swimmer's ear will become a problem.
Talk to a company such as Mid America Ear, Nose, & Throat Clinic PC to learn more.
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