Many people who love the sea and swimming pools know this feeling. In most cases it is harmless, but sometimes it can signal a problem that needs attention.
Let us look at why your ear feels blocked after swimming and what you can do about it.
Is it really water?
When an ear feels blocked after swimming, the first thought is usually the same: water got inside.
Water can indeed stay in the outer ear canal and cause temporary discomfort. Still, it is not always the actual cause.
In some cases, contact with water makes earwax swell, even if it had never bothered you before. The result is a feeling of fullness, reduced hearing and the sense that water is still trapped inside the ear.
This is why discomfort after swimming does not always disappear the moment the water runs out of your ear.
Why does this happen so often on holiday?
On a seaside holiday you may swim several times a day. Water enters the ear canal again and again, and the skin inside the ear stays damp for longer.
On top of that, after several days of frequent swimming, problems that never troubled you before become more noticeable. Earwax build-up, for example, often makes itself known for the first time exactly after contact with water.
So if your ear became blocked during a holiday, water alone may not be the whole story.
Is a cotton swab a bad idea?
Faced with a blocked ear, many people reach for a cotton swab first.
That attempt often fails to help and can make things worse. The wax may be pushed deeper into the ear canal, and the skin inside the ear can be injured.
Sharp objects are also a bad idea, and ear drops should not be used on your own before the cause of the blockage is clear.
When should a blocked ear no longer be ignored?
If the discomfort lasts for several days or other symptoms appear alongside it, it deserves attention.
This is especially true if you notice:
- ear pain.
- a noticeable drop in hearing.
- noise or ringing in the ear.
- discharge from the ear.
- fever.
In such cases the cause may be more than water – it can be inflammation that requires treatment.
ENT doctor at SILK Medical
A summer holiday should not end with ear pain or hearing loss. If the blocked feeling lasts for several days after swimming, if noise appears, if discomfort persists or other symptoms develop, it matters to find the cause in good time.
The specialists at SILK Medical will examine you, identify the source of the problem and, if needed, select the right treatment.
