An earache is one of the most painful things that you can become ill with. They often happen suddenly and out of the blue. They can be so incredibly painful that you will want to run and see your doctor right away. But did you know that not all earaches are the same? They can come in many different forms. The ear infections that you got as a kid are not the same as swimmer’s ear, for example. Most children suffer from ear infections that happen in the inner ear. When someone suffers from swimmer’s ear, they have an ear infection in their outer ear.
What Is Swimmer’s Ear?
Basically, Swimmer’s Ear is an infection of the ear canal. Despite its name, it is not only caused by swimming in the pool or an ocean. It can happen when you develop a certain type of virus or fungus. It can happen to anyone at any time, unfortunately. But if you find yourself constantly suffering from ear infections, pick up the phone and call your doctor. They may refer you to an ear nose and throat doctor. They are also called an ENT. The ENT Doctor will be able to see if there is an undiagnosed cause of the common infections.
The Symptoms
So, your ear is throbbing and now you’re wondering if you could have swimmer’s ear. You may be sitting there and wondering “What are the symptoms of swimmer’s ear?” One of the first symptoms might be an itchy inner ear. You may also experience trouble hearing and fluid or pus draining out of your ear. It is said that swimmer’s ear clears up within 7 to 10 days. If this isn’t the case for you, pick up the phone and call your doctor. Leaving an ear infection untreated can result in permeant hearing loss or damage. This common practice could be why it is believed that one in four people in the United States that are 65 and older struggle with hearing loss. You do not want to be in that 25%.
So always remember that doctors are your friend and are there to help you. There is no need for you to sit there in pain from these miserable ear infections. There are treatments and help that you can receive when you reach out for help. Don’t let the choices you make today be ones that you have to suffer from tomorrow.
