Dr Phil Kieran: What can my teen do to avoid getting swimmer's ear? 

This condition is typically caused by a bacterial
infection of the outer ear canal, resulting in painful swelling and, occasionally, discharge. If the ear is sore and red-looking and hasn’t improved over a day or two, it’s a good idea to see your doctor, who will usually treat it with antibiotic ear drops and pain relief.

The ear canal is a self-cleansing mechanism. The skin inside our ear canals extends from deep within to the outside, so any dirt or debris that accumulates on it will be pushed to the outer part of the ear and fall out.

The outer third or so of the canal secretes earwax, which serves several
purposes. It is sticky, making it harder for dirt and dust to get deeper into the ear. It is slightly acidic, which can
reduce the ability of bacteria to grow and reproduce, and it helps protect the underlying skin from scrapes and
injuries.

I often advise patients to never put anything smaller than their elbow in their ear. Putting cotton buds in our ears doesn’t clean them; it damages the tiny hairs that help move wax out of the ear, meaning they can’t work
effectively, and cause microtrauma or little cuts to the extremely delicate skin in the ear canal.

Blocking our ears for
extended periods with in-ear earphones can also cause these systems to break down, making infection more likely.

Keeping your ear canals healthy is the first step to avoiding a repeat of last year’s infection while on holidays. For anyone who gets recurrent swimmer’s ear, keeping water out of the ear canal will significantly reduce the risk. However, for those who enjoy swimming, I would recommend using
earplugs while in the water to help prevent recurring problems.

The good news is that the risk of your daughter
developing this issue again this year is pretty low. For most people, swimmer’s ear is not a recurring problem, and no special measures are necessary.

The best advice is to leave your ears alone and let them take care of themselves.

• If you have a question for Dr Phil Kieran, please send it to parenting@examiner.ie