Keep Your Ears Dry

A MINUTE OF HEALTH WITH CDC
Keep Your Ears Dry
Estimated Burden of Acute Otitis Externa — United States, 2003–2007
Recorded: May 17, 2011; posted: June 2, 2011

This program is presented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC — safer, healthier people.

As the weather warms and we head to the pools and beaches, swimmer’s ear can be a problem easily prevented with a few simple precautions. Swimmer’s ear, or acute otitis externa, is a bacterial infection usually caused by water staying in the outer ear canal for a long time. Symptoms include pain, redness, and swelling of the outer ear canal and occasionally drainage from the ear. The infection can be prevented by using a bathing cap or ear plugs while swimming, as well as drying ears thoroughly after swimming. If you have any symptoms of swimmer’s ear, contact your health care provider.

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