The answer is yes. Wearing earplugs when swimming can prevent water from flooding into the ears, so that the eardrum will not be damaged by water pressure, especially for some swimmers suffering from otitis media or ear diseases. Wearing earplugs when swimming can effectively protect your ears.
Whether to wear earplugs when swimming depends on your personal situation. Some people will feel uncomfortable once their ears get water, or their ears are sensitive and prone to infection and inflammation. At this time, you can choose to bring earplugs to prevent water from entering your ears and prevent ear diseases. In general, we don't recommend using earplugs. First, earplugs are easy to fall off. Second, not all situations will be flooded. Earplugs are just an auxiliary tool. Third, bad earplug belt will also cause ear canal friction, redness and inflammation, which will affect hearing. In particular, swimmers who don't wear earplugs, whether they wear earplugs well or not, and whether they are comfortable or not will affect the state of swimmers.
Second, what should I do if my swimming ears get water?
Many people often encounter water in their ears when they go swimming in summer. Because water has a certain tension, it forms a barrier after entering the narrow external auditory canal, which divides the external auditory canal into two sections. In addition, due to the gravity of water, there is secondary pressure between the water barrier and the eardrum, so it is difficult for water to flow out automatically to maintain the pressure balance on both sides of the water barrier.
Sometimes there is a large cerumen obstruction in the external auditory canal, so it is easier for water to wrap around cerumen after entering the ear canal, and it is not easy to flow out. After water enters the ear, it will cause deafness, dizziness and discomfort, so people often want to drain the water very urgently. Some people even use unclean clips, match sticks, small keys, etc. It can break the water barrier and make water flow out, but it is also easy to damage the external auditory canal and even the eardrum, leading to ear diseases.
Three, behind the ear water should be discharged in time, the most common method is:
1, one-legged jump method:
The affected ear is downward, and water flows downward from the external auditory canal by the gravity of water.
2, external auditory canal method:
You can press the tragus continuously with your palm, or pull the auricle with your fingers; Or repeatedly open your mouth and move the temporomandibular joint, which can make the skin of the external auditory canal move up and down, left and right, or change the stability of the water barrier and pressure, so that water can flow out of the external auditory canal.
3, external auditory canal cleaning method:
Gently probe into the external auditory canal with a clean cotton swab, and suck out the water once it hits the water barrier.
4, horizontal method:
All the above methods have been tried. When you sleep at night, lie down on your side, that is, the ear that enters the water, but don't block it, because there will be air pressure to affect the outflow of water after blocking it.
Because the swimming pool or river water is unclean, the skin and eardrum of the external auditory canal are infected after the sewage enters the ear, or the water is improperly treated after entering the ear, which can often cause the following ear diseases, such as unclean ear digging. : otitis externa, swelling of external auditory canal, cerumenitis, suppurative otitis media. If the above symptoms appear after entering the water, you should temporarily stop swimming and go to the hospital for examination and symptomatic treatment.
Fourth, what should I do if my ears can't get out?
When the water first enters the ear canal, it may not be very deep, so the simplest way is to jump on one leg to discharge the water. You should go ashore at once. If water enters your right ear, your head leans to the right, your right leg jumps on one leg, and so on. It usually takes a few jumps to drain the water.
If the water goes deep, it won't solve the problem. You can use oily ear drops, such as 2% phenol glycerin ear drops, once every 3-4 hours. Generally, unclean water can be replaced after drinking twice to avoid otitis media. In an emergency, ear drops are temporarily unavailable, but most people will prepare eye drops when swimming, and most swimming places will also prepare eye drops. You can also temporarily clean the ear canal with eye drops that are definitely not ineffective and have no ototoxicity. But you must use oily ear drops instead of water as soon as possible afterwards!
Therefore, for people who often swim in summer, in addition to preparing eye drops, 2% phenol glycerin ear drops should also be one of the essential drugs.
Swimming will inevitably lead to water in the ears. After a clean bath, the water left in the swimming pool in the ear will basically run out by itself. However, sometimes a small amount of sewage will stay in the ear canal, causing ear inflammation. In order to absorb residual moisture, sterilize and diminish inflammation, 3-6 drops of medical alcohol can be dripped into the ear canal after bathing, and then it can flow out naturally after a short pause.
5. How to prevent water from entering the ear?
1. Have a physical examination before swimming. If there is cerumen in the external auditory canal, it should be taken out, otherwise it will easily cause pain and inflammation after swelling. People with otitis media, such as tympanic membrane perforation, will aggravate otitis media if dirty water enters the middle ear. Therefore, patients with otitis media can only swim with the consent of the doctor.
2. When swimming, plug the external auditory canal with absorbent cotton dipped in vaseline oil, which can play a protective role.
3. Drain the accumulated water in the external auditory canal in time after swimming. When draining, the head leans to the side where the accumulated water is accumulated, and the head can be drained by gently patting it with the palm of the same side. If the ear is itchy, you can gently wipe the external auditory canal with 75% alcohol cotton, and it is forbidden to dig by hand. If you feel earache, you should go to the hospital in time.
4, diving should pay attention to posture and methods, do not make the ear directly hit by water, so as not to hurt the eardrum.
5. If water still enters, use the above method to drain the water.