Maintaining your ear health is important as it preserves your hearing and plays a vital role in maintaining balance. But sometimes your ear canal can get inflamed due to fluid buildup and causes pain and fullness.
Medically termed as Otitis Externa, and also referred to as swimmer’s ear, this ear canal swelling and inflammation could be caused by bacteria or fungus and requires immediate treatment.
In this article, we explain how you can identify if your ear canal is swollen, the appearance of a swollen ear canal, causes, and how to treat a swollen ear canal.
How to Know My Ear Canal is Swollen?
You ear canal is a warm and dark place, making it an easy ground for bacteria growth and fungus. This condition can be very harmful for ear health, causing ear ache, irritation, and hearing loss.
A swollen ear canal can visually appear as redness and swelling of the outer ear leading towards the ear canal. You may feel pressure, fullness, and itchiness in your ear.
Severe cases may even result in scaly skin around your ear canal, pus-like discharge from your ear, and fever.
To check whether you have Otitis Externa, we recommend you to use the Bebird Note 5 Pro ear camera and wax removal tool.
Bebird is a professional ear camera that offers high-end tools to inspect ear canal health, safely clean your ears of earwax buildup, and offer real-time online checkups with ear specialists to know the best treatment option for your ear health.
With the Bebird Note 5 Pro Camera, you can view deep inside your ear canal to make sure your ear is healthy and clear of any foreign objects. It is an important investment, especially if you’re prone to getting ear infections, go swimming often, or if you end up with a blocked ear due to ear wax buildup.
Why is My Ear Canal Swollen?
Your ear canal is sensitive to external debris and fluid. The ear canal can be swollen due to the following reasons,
1. Water in Ear
Water in ear, especially polluted water, is the main cause of a swollen ear canal. This is often caused when swimming, therefore it is called a swimmer’s ear.
2. Cleaning Ears Frequently
Cleaning your ears frequently or cleaning with a Q-tip can trap bacteria as the ear wax is pushed inside your ear canal. Frequent cleaning can clear your ears of all wax which makes them more prone to foreign debris and bacteria which can lead to a swollen ear canal.
3. Using Plug-in Ear Buds
Plug-in headphones and earbuds can often have dirt trapped in them. Using them can transfer the dirt deep into your ear canal which can be harmful for your ear health. This dirt can cause a swollen ear canal and earache.
4. Excess Ear Wax Buildup
Another reason for a swollen ear canal, redness, and itching is excess ear wax buildup. The buildup can lead to a blocked ear and cause inflammation.
5. Certain Skin Conditions
Certain underlying skin conditions like psoriasis, acne, or eczema can increase your chances of developing a swollen ear canal.
6. Seasonal Allergies
Seasonal allergies, colds, and flu can also lead to the development of a swollen ear canal. The buildup of mucus due to allergies causes irritation in your nose and ear canal leading it to become inflamed and swollen.
How To Treat A Swollen Ear Canal?
An ear canal needs to be treated immediately for effectively maintaining the health of your ear.
Treatment options for a swollen ear canal include,
1. Cleaning and Irrigation of Your Ear Canal
An ENT specialist may suggest cleaning and drainage of your ear canal to get rid of any bacteria present. With a small device, your doctor will irrigate your ear canal and drain any ear wax, debris, dirt, and bacteria to treat your swollen ear canal.
2. Prescription Medicine and Ear Drops
In severe cases, a medical practitioner may describe prescription medicine ear drops to treat your swollen ear. The medication may be prescribed to effectively treat your fungal or bacterial infection and reducing your ear canal swelling.
3. Antihistamines and Decongestants
If your ear canal is due to allergies, cold, or flu, your medical health care provider may prescribe antihistamines and decongestants which can help treat a swollen ear canal.
4. Applying a Hot or Cold Compress
For less severe ear canal swelling, home remedies can be helpful in treating your swollen ear canal. A cold or warm compress can help reduce inflammation and swelling in your ear canal.
The heat from a warm compress can help your muscles relax and enable the fluid to flow better resulting in less swelling. While a cold compress can effectively dull any pain and treat the swelling.
5. Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen Peroxide is also an effective home remedy that helps in treating a swollen ear canal. To put hydrogen peroxide in ear,
- Tilt your head to one side or lie down on your side with your swollen ear up
- Use a dropper to drop a few drops of hydrogen peroxide into your ear
- Keep your head tilted for a few seconds to effectively let the drops go deep to treat the swelling
- After a few minutes, tilt your head to the other side to drain the excess and rinse off your ear
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Conclusion
A swollen ear canal can be quite damaging if not treated right away. It can lead to hearing loss due to a ruptured eardrum in severe cases.
To avoid this, it is important to take precautions when swimming, taking a shower, using headphones, and cleaning your ears. You must also check your ears for any signs of infection regularly to maintain ear health.
If you think you have Otitis Externa, a swollen ear canal, or experience any of its symptoms, it is necessary to consult a medical health care professional or an ENT to diagnose the problem and treat it promptly.
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