Keeping your ears dry and preserving their natural defenses are the two keys to preventing swimmer’s ear. About 2.4 million healthcare visits happen each year in the U.S. for this infection, and the more time you spend in the water with your head submerged, the higher your risk. The good news is that a few simple habits before and after swimming can dramatically reduce your chances of getting it.
Why Water in Your Ears Causes Problems
Swimmer’s ear is an infection of the outer ear canal, not the deeper middle ear. It starts when water stays trapped in the canal long enough to wear down two natural defenses: the thin layer of skin lining the canal and the earwax coating it. Earwax is hydrophobic, meaning it repels water, and it also limits bacterial growth. When prolonged moisture strips that wax away, bacteria (and occasionally fungus) find a warm, damp environment perfect for multiplying.
This is why swimmer’s ear is more common in warm, humid climates and during summer months. It’s also why people who swim frequently face a higher risk than occasional swimmers. The longer and more often your ear canal stays wet, the more those protective barriers break down.
Dry Your Ears Thoroughly After Swimming
The single most effective prevention step is getting water out of your ears as soon as you leave the water. Tilt your head to each side and gently pull your earlobe in different directions to help trapped water drain. If you can feel water still sloshing around, a hair dryer on the lowest heat setting, held about 3 to 4 inches from your ear, can evaporate the remaining moisture without risking a burn. Never insert anything into the canal to try to absorb water.
Stop Cleaning Your Ears With Cotton Swabs
This is the prevention step most people overlook because it seems counterintuitive. Cotton swabs, bobby pins, pen caps, and anything else you push into your ear canal can cause two problems at once. First, they scrape away the earwax that acts as your natural moisture barrier and antibacterial shield. Second, they scratch the delicate skin lining the canal, creating tiny openings where bacteria can take hold. The AAO-HNS specifically warns that aggressive cleaning with cotton swabs or small objects is a direct cause of swimmer’s ear. Your ears are designed to be self-cleaning, so leave the wax alone.
Use Preventive Ear Drops
A simple homemade solution of equal parts white vinegar and rubbing alcohol, used before and after swimming, serves double duty. The alcohol helps evaporate residual water, while the vinegar creates a slightly acidic environment that discourages bacterial and fungal growth. Tilt your head, put a few drops in each ear, let it sit for a moment, then tilt to drain.
One important caveat: don’t use these drops if you have a punctured eardrum, ear tubes, or have had recent ear surgery. If any of those apply, talk to your doctor about alternatives before your next swim.
Wear Earplugs, Not Just a Swim Cap
If you swim regularly or you’ve had swimmer’s ear before, earplugs are worth the investment. Swim caps reduce water exposure to some degree, but they don’t create a seal inside the ear canal. Water can seep in from underneath the cap edge, during turns and dives, or from pressure changes. Properly fitted swimming earplugs, on the other hand, block water at the canal entrance. Custom-molded silicone plugs offer the best seal, but even inexpensive drugstore options designed for swimming provide meaningful protection.
Watch the Water Quality
Where you swim matters. Lakes, rivers, and poorly maintained pools or hot tubs tend to have higher bacterial counts. If a pool smells overwhelmingly of chlorine or looks cloudy, that’s often a sign of water quality issues rather than cleanliness. You can’t always control the water you swim in, but being more diligent about drying your ears and using preventive drops after swimming in natural bodies of water is a reasonable trade-off.
Know Your Risk Factors
Some people are more prone to swimmer’s ear regardless of how careful they are. Narrow ear canals trap water more easily. Skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis, and seborrheic dermatitis can compromise the ear canal’s protective lining, making infections more likely. People who use hearing aids or earbuds for long periods also create a warm, enclosed environment that can mimic the effect of trapped water. If you fall into any of these categories, preventive earplugs and drying drops are especially worthwhile.
Recognizing Early Symptoms
Prevention doesn’t always work perfectly, so knowing the early signs lets you act before a mild irritation becomes a painful infection. Swimmer’s ear typically starts with itching inside the ear canal, followed by redness and mild discomfort that gets worse when you pull on your earlobe or push on the small flap at the front of your ear. This is different from a middle ear infection, which usually follows a cold and causes deep, pressure-like pain behind the eardrum rather than pain triggered by touching the outer ear.
If you notice swelling, drainage, or muffled hearing developing after time in the water, those are signs the infection is progressing. Redness, pain, or swelling of the bone behind the ear, or the ear being visibly pushed forward, requires emergency care as it could indicate a serious complication called mastoiditis.