OT-water in ears HELP

[la79al]

I need help. I am watching my stepdaughter (7) today and we went swimming yesterday. She dried her ears out but now is complaining that there is water in one of them. She is almost in tears. I need ideas on what to do. Her mom won't answer her cell phone and her dad will be as clueless as I am.

 

[jennifer293]

Sounds like she has swimmer's ear http://www.entnet.org/HealthInformation/swimmersEar.cfm


DH used to be on the swim team and when he got water in his ears he had a little white bottle of stuff called Swimmer's Ear. I have used it before and I don't know what is in it, but it gives immediate relief. You can get it at any drug store or Wal-Mart.

Poor little dear I hope she gets to feeling better soon!!!

 

[NotUrsula]

You can try having her lean her head about 30 degrees to that side and aim a warm (not hot!) blow-dryer at her ear from about 20 inches away, sweeping it side to side; very often this will either dry the excess or cause it to drain. This will be the most helpful if the ear is actually hurting. Have her remove any earrings she is wearing if you do this; even a warm dryer will make metal uncomfortably hot.

The other thing that you can try is to put a few drops of a 1/1 mix of rubbing alcohol and white vinegar into the ear; that also helps to dry the water. You don't want to do this if she is in pain, only if she's getting that bothersome crinkly sound.

Another thing that I've found works for me sometimes is just to lie down on my side with my head on a low-temp heating pad. For some reason the warmth combined with gravity will sometimes tend to get the ear to drain.

 

[Juliegirl1]

In the meantime give her some Tylenol for the pain and put heat on her ear - I also suggest the Swimmer's Ear and if it continues to hurt she might need to go to the doctor. Sometimes vigorous cleaning out of the ears can damage the tissues especially if you dig too deep with a q-tip.

 

[Ppufi]

I suggest having her lean sideways with a towel/napkin under her ear. It may take a while, but eventually the water will drain out.

 

[bgirl29]

OK am I the only one whose pediatrician has given their children a prescripton for something when they had swimmers ear?

Two of my children have used the vinegar and alcohol mixture to help prevent swimmers ear and to dry out their ears before they became painful. It does work great when you remember to pack it on vacation!

 

[la79al]

Thanks all. We got some homeopathic earache drops. She said the water went out like a waterslide and she can hear out of that ear again and now it feel ooh la la. We haven't even needed the Tylenol we picked up and she is eating candy and watching one of the movies she got for Christmas. Thanks again!