Is Your Ear Infected?

This summer, you and your family are probably looking forward to hanging out at the pool, beach, lake, or waterpark. With splish-splashing fun comes water-clogged ears and earaches. Sometimes the cure requires more than a towel dry.

Ear issues are painful and common, especially among children. How can you tell if you or your child has swimmer’s ear, a middle-ear infection, or simply has water trapped in the ear? When do you need to see a doctor?

When it’s just water trapped in the ear

“If a child complains of a clogged ear after swimming—but there’s no pain when touching or tugging the ear—it may simply be trapped water, not an infection,” says Jose Ruiz, M.D., an ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT/otolaryngologist) at the University of Miami Health System.

Try the following to unclog water from the ear:

• Tilt the head and gently pull the earlobe in different directions to help drain any water.
• If water remains in the ear, try using a hairdryer on the lowest and coolest setting to move air within the ear canal. Hold the dryer several inches away from the ear.

“Parents should avoid placing anything in the ear, such as Q-tips, which can remove protective wax and increase the risk of infection,” Dr. Ruiz says. “In fact, preserving earwax helps prevent itchy ears and infections because it has natural antibacterial and antifungal properties.” 

Preventing water-clogged ears

“To prevent ear infections—especially in children spending time in pools or at the beach—ear protection is key,” Dr. Ruiz says.

• For children and adults prone to water retention in the ear, consider using earplugs or custom swim molds or a bathing cap when swimming and showering.
• Use a towel to thoroughly dry the ears, especially after swimming or bathing.
• Avoid using cotton swabs, which can irritate the ear or remove protective earwax.
• Ask the manager of your public swimming pool or waterpark how often the disinfectant and pH levels are checked. This process should take place at least twice a day to help prevent the spread of germs.
• In your own pool, use test strips to check for proper chlorine or bromine levels.
• Ask your healthcare provider about using ear drops after swimming as a preventive measure.

“Children with ear tubes should receive specific guidance from their ENT before using ear drops or resuming swimming, as some drops may not be safe, and precautions are often needed to keep water out of the ears,” says Dr. Ruiz.

“For older adults, hearing aids can trap moisture in the ear canal, increasing the risk of outer ear infections,” he says. “Proper cleaning and occasional drying may help reduce this risk.”

How can you tell if the ear is infected?

Swimmer’s Ear

Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the outer ear canal—the space between the visible part of the ear and the eardrum. This often occurs a few days after swimming, when water remains in the canal, or when too much wax is removed through over-cleaning.

Symptoms of swimmer’s ear include:

• pain when the infected ear is tugged or when pressure is placed on the ear
• persistent ear pain that can be intense
• ear canal itching
• feeling clogged or full inside of ear
• redness and swelling
• pus draining from the ear
• pain with chewing food

“If a child is recovering from swimmer’s ear, it’s important to avoid water exposure until the infection has fully resolved, as moisture can slow healing or worsen the infection,” Dr. Ruiz says.

Middle-Ear Infection

Earaches can be a sign of swimmer’s ear or a middle ear infection (otitis media), but the causes are different. Getting water in your ears will not cause an acute middle ear infection unless there is a hole in your eardrum. Like swimmer’s ear infections, middle-ear infections are also common among children. But, middle-ear infections occur deeper in the ear, behind the eardrum.

Causes of middle-ear infections:

These types of ear infections are caused by fluid buildup triggered by:

• common cold
• allergies
• sinus infection
• bottle feeding while lying down (in infants)
• infected or overgrown adenoids (lymph tissue in the upper part of the throat)
• exposure to tobacco smoke

While these ear infections are not contagious, they may accompany a cold, which can be spread to others.

A middle-ear infection may be the culprit if you or your child experience the following:

• feeling of ear pressure, fullness or popping
• general illness, including fever, vomiting, diarrhea, fatigue and/or irritability
• potential hearing loss
• Babies may pull at their ear or have difficulty sleeping.

When should you see a doctor for ear pain?

Check with your doctor if you or your child has any ear pain, pressure, or discomfort; notices draining from one or both ears; or experiences any level of hearing loss.

Treatments for swimmer’s ear (outer ear) infections include:

• prescription antibiotic ear drops (to treat the bacteria), often with a steroid component (to reduce ear canal swelling)
• nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that reduce inflammation and pain (such as ibuprofen)
• mild pain relievers (like acetaminophen)
• ear cleaning (debridement) by a healthcare provider (if there’s significant debris or discharge in the canal)

Oral antibiotics or steroids are rarely needed to treat simple, uncomplicated cases and are typically reserved for more severe or spreading infections. With ear tubes, damaged eardrums, outer-ear infections (swimmer’s ear), or ear drainage, ear drops (including over-the-counter drops) must be doctor-recommended to avoid complications. Don’t insert objects like cotton swabs in the ear canal, and don’t use an ear candle to “unclog” it.

Treatments for middle-ear infections depend on the age of the patient, the presence of symptoms beyond ear pain (like high fever), and the severity (and possible spread) of the infection.

Updated in 2025 by Dana Kantrowitz, a contributing writer for UHealth’s news service.

Last reviewed in May 2025 by Jose Ruiz, M.D., an otolaryngologist at the University of Miami Health System.

Originally published on: August 11, 2017

Tags: clogged ears, Dr. Jose Ruiz, ear infection, earache, ENT in Miami, otolaryngology in Miami, pool water in ear, swimmer's ear, water in ear canal