Pediatric ENT Dr. Nina Shapiro offers tips on how to avoid an outer ear infection this summer.

Nina Shapiro, MD: Summer season has officially begun! Even in the northern states, layers are being shed and people are hitting the pools, oceans, lakes, and hot tubs. A seasonal nuisance both kids and adults experience is swimmer's ear (technically called "otitis externa," or "outer ear infection").

This oftentimes painful condition is caused by swelling, irritation, bacteria, or fungus growing on the ear canal skin. The most common source of this infection is increased moisture from humidity, warmth, and water. When water gets trapped in the ear canal, bacteria that usually exist quietly in the skin begin to grow, as they thrive in warm, moist environments. This causes swelling and pain. The most common symptoms are itchiness; wet, sticky drainage from the ear; pain when touching the ear; and occasionally fever, hearing loss, or facial swelling and redness. The infection can spread to the rest of the outer ear and face, so treatment is definitely in order. Treatment is usually an antibiotic or antifungal eardrop, prescribed by your doctor. It's also best to stay out of the water until the infection clears.

Whenever possible, the best treatment is prevention. If you or your child is an avid swimmer, gently dry the outside of the ear with a towel after swimming. If your child hasn't had ear surgery, it's safe to use an over-the-counter alcohol ear drop, which helps absorb ear canal moisture after swimming. If it still feels like water is trapped, set a hair dryer on a low, warm setting, and gently dry the ear, holding the hair dryer at least six inches from the skin. Some kids like to wear earplugs, which, when properly fitted, may cut down on the water-logged canals.

DO NOT use cotton-tipped applicators. These are actually the second most common culprit of "swimmer's ear," after swimming itself. While you may think these help "clean" the ear of wax, water, and debris, they actually strip the delicate ear canal skin of its protective lining, remove only a little bit of wax, and push the rest into the deeper part of the ear canal. We should all listen to our mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers: "Nothing smaller than your elbow in your ear!"

Dr. Nina Shapiro is a graduate of Harvard Medical School, and she completed her residency in ear, nose, and throat surgery at Harvard. She is an Associate Professor and Director of Pediatric Ear, Nose, and Throat at the Mattel Children's Hospital at UCLA. She has treated tens of thousands of children with ear problems, sleep problems, and breathing problems. She lives with her husband and two young children in Los Angeles.