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Symptoms of Swimmer's Ear

• Starts with an itchy ear canal
• Ear canal can get painful
• Pain gets worse when you press on the tragus, the tab of tissue in front of the ear.
• The ear feels plugged or full
• Ear discharge may start as the swimmer's ear gets worse
• Often has no cold symptoms or fever. Fever may start if the infection gets severe and spreads into the soft tissues of the ear (cellulitis).

Cause of Swimmer's Ear

• Germs found in pools, hot tubs and other water settings are common causes of swimmer's ear.
• People who swim in lakes are at risk for getting swimmer's ear.
• Water gets trapped in the ear canal. The canal lining becomes wet and swollen.
• This raises the risk of infection by germs that are in the water (swimmer's ear).
• Wax buildup also traps water behind it. Most often, this is caused by cotton swabs being used to clean out the ears. They can push wax further toward the ear drum.