You climb out of the pool, sea or loch feeling refreshed. Except something isn’t quite right.
One ear sounds normal. The other sounds as though you’ve left half your head underwater.
That blocked, muffled feeling after swimming is common and will often disappear as your ears dry. But sometimes water isn’t the whole story. Swimming can also draw attention to earwax that was already there or, occasionally, irritation or infection in the ear canal.
Understanding which one is causing the problem matters because they don’t necessarily need the same treatment.
Sometimes, yes.
Water can remain temporarily in the ear canal after swimming, particularly if the shape of your ear canal makes drainage more difficult. Everything can sound slightly dull or muffled until it works its way out again.
Usually the simplest approach is the best. Tilt your head to allow the water to drain, gently dry the outside of your ear and give it a little time.
Try to resist the temptation to help things along by putting a cotton bud, finger or anything else into the ear canal. Poking around can irritate the delicate skin inside the ear and may push earwax further in rather than bringing anything out. NHS guidance recommends avoiding cotton buds and other objects inside the ears.
Earwax isn’t dirt. It is a normal part of the way your ears protect themselves.
Most of the time it gradually moves out of the ear canal without you noticing it. Some people, however, naturally produce more wax or develop a build-up.
That’s where swimming can make things interesting.
If there is already a significant amount of wax in the ear canal, water can become trapped around or behind it. Suddenly a blockage that you hadn’t particularly noticed before your swim becomes difficult to ignore.
You may notice:
The important point is that a blocked ear after swimming doesn’t automatically mean there is simply some water that needs to come out.
There may be something else going on.
There’s another possibility too.
Otitis externa, commonly known as swimmer’s ear, is inflammation of the outer ear canal. Water remaining in the ear canal can irritate the skin and create conditions in which infection can develop. Regular swimming can therefore increase the likelihood of the problem.
Swimmer’s ear can cause a blocked feeling or reduced hearing, but you may also experience symptoms such as:
This is one reason it isn’t always sensible to assume that every blocked ear needs earwax removal.
First, it helps to know what is actually happening inside your ear.
Looking into your own ear is surprisingly difficult.
Trying to diagnose the problem from the sensation alone isn’t much easier. Water, earwax and inflammation can all leave an ear feeling blocked or hearing sounding muffled.
If the sensation disappears once your ears have dried, there may be nothing more you need to do.
But if your ear remains blocked, repeatedly becomes blocked after swimming or your hearing doesn’t seem to return to normal, having your ears properly examined can help identify the cause.
At the Dears Pharmacy Ear Health & Hearing Health Clinic, we can examine the ear canal and eardrum using specialist equipment and explain what we can see.
If earwax is causing the problem, professional removal may be appropriate. If it isn’t wax, we can advise you about the most suitable next step instead.
Our Ear Health Clinic appointments also include a hearing check, helping us build a clearer picture of both your ear health and your hearing. Where appropriate, earwax can be removed using microsuction, a precise, water-free technique performed under direct visual guidance.
Swimming is great exercise, great fun and, for plenty of people, one of the pleasures of being outdoors.
Most of the time our ears cope perfectly well with it.
But if you keep emerging from the water with one ear that seems to have stayed behind, don’t keep poking, prodding and hoping for the best.
Sometimes all your ear needs is time to dry.
Sometimes there is wax in the way.
And sometimes that strange underwater feeling is worth having checked.
If you’re experiencing blocked ears, reduced hearing or recurring ear discomfort, book an appointment with the Dears Pharmacy Ear Health & Hearing Health Clinic.
Our pharmacy teams can examine your ears, check your hearing and recommend the appropriate next step, including professional earwax removal where suitable.
Ear Health & Hearing Health Clinics are available at participating Dears Pharmacy locations across Lothian, Fife, Glasgow and Tayside.
