Ear Pain in Children After Swimming and in the Monsoon
Why ear infections rise in the rainy season, why oil and cotton buds make things worse, and which symptoms need same-day review.
Ear pain in children rises sharply through the monsoon, and for two separate reasons that are treated differently. One is infection of the ear canal, common after swimming in ponds, rivers or the sea. The other is infection behind the eardrum, which usually follows a cold and is the more common cause in young children.
Two different problems
Outer ear infection follows water sitting in the canal, softening the skin. The ear is tender to touch, pulling on the earlobe hurts, and there may be discharge. Middle ear infection comes after a cold, when the tube connecting the ear to the throat blocks. Pain is deep, often worse lying down, and typically accompanied by fever and a blocked feeling. Touching the ear does not usually make it worse.
What makes it worse — and is very commonly done
- Warm oil poured into the ear. If the eardrum is perforated, oil enters the middle ear and can cause real harm. It also makes examination difficult.
- Cotton buds. They push wax deeper, scratch the canal, and are a frequent cause of infection and injury.
- Ear drops left over from a previous illness, or borrowed from a relative. Some drops are unsafe with a perforated drum.
- Breast milk, onion juice and other household remedies — none help, and all delay treatment
When to come the same day
- Discharge from the ear, especially blood-stained or foul-smelling
- Pain with fever in a child under two years
- Swelling, redness or tenderness of the bone behind the ear
- Reduced hearing that persists after the pain settles
- Dizziness, vomiting, or a facial droop
- Pain not improving after 48 hours of simple pain relief
Prevention that is worth the effort
- After swimming or bathing, tilt the head to each side and let water drain out, then dry the outer ear with a towel — do not insert anything
- Avoid swimming in stagnant or visibly dirty water, and keep children out of water while an ear infection is being treated
- Treat colds and allergic nose symptoms properly; blocked noses are what drive middle ear infections
- Keep children away from tobacco smoke, which measurably increases ear infections
- Nothing goes into the ear canal — no buds, no keys, no hairpins, no oil
Recurrent ear infections, or a child who is speaking late, watching lips, or turning up the television, should have hearing assessed. Persistent fluid behind the eardrum causes hearing loss that is easy to miss and treatable once identified.
Our ENT clinic runs during the week for ear, nose and throat problems in children and adults.
This article is general health information and is not a substitute for medical advice. Symptoms vary between individuals — please consult a doctor about your own situation. In an emergency, our casualty at Chettipadi is open 24×7.
