What if water gets in my babys ear

There are basically 4 parts of the ear. The outside of the ear what you can move around with manipulation is called the auricle or pinna. Occasionally it can become infected, and this is called malignant otitis externa. It is relatively uncommon. The ear canal the acoustic auditory meatus or the acoustic canal can become infected; this is called otitis externa also known as "swimmer's ear".

It is relatively common, especially in swimmers, people who wear ear plugs, people who clear ear wax out with bobby pins, etc. The middle ear is separated from the outer ear by the tympanic membrane a. The ear drum prevents water from entering the middle ear. This tube is what allows your ear to pop when the atmospheric pressure changes like on a plane. This is the area where most ear infections occur.

An infection here is called "an ear infection" by laypeople, and otitis media by health care professionals. This is by far the most common. Finally, there is the inner ear involved in both balance and hearing. An infection here "a. It's very unusual for infants or small children to get otitis externa unless they are immunocompromised or someone is digging around in there with a fingernail, a Q-tip, or other, or they have eczema of the ear.

They might get it by swimming in a very polluted river which is an activity infants and small children do not engage in frequently , but they will not likely get it from bath water. Far more likely from swimming in a polluted water source is a middle ear infection because the polluted water gets in your mouth and throat , and some is pushed up the Eustachian tube into the middle ear.

Infants and children have more "ear infections" otitis media because their Eustachian tubes are shorter and at a lesser angle than in adults. In fact, the ear canal of an infant is different from an adult's. It's shorter and it's angled differently this is taken into consideration during the ear exam. A normal baby will not get an ear infection by getting bathwater in his or her ears any more than a normal adult will.

If they did, ED would be full of such children every day. It's far more likely that a baby will get an ear infection by getting bathwater in their mouths because of that Eustachian tube than in their ear, and that doesn't happen often either.

Otherwise every time a baby put something nasty in their mouths, they would get ear infections. Image source AnatomyArea. If you want to decrease ear infections in infants, you might want to get them vaccinated. My baby girl has been taking swimming lessons from the age of 3 months, with her head or at least ears most of the time in the water. She's been doing that for 2 years hitherto with a lot of other babies or children without any illness or so, so I guess this is definitely not a big deal.

We were also never invited, was it by the teacher or even a MD to be careful about that. Now some children will be more subject to ear infection or so, for sure, but I wouldn't say as a general advise that getting water in the ears is somtehing to avoid Too much moisture in the ear can irritate the skin in the canal, letting bacteria or fungi get in. It happens most often in summertime, when swimming is common.

But you don't have to swim to get swimmer's ear. Anything that injures the skin of the ear canal can lead to an infection.

Dry skin or eczema , scratching the ear canal, ear cleaning with cotton swabs, or putting things like bobby pins or paper clips into the ear can all increase the risk of otitis externa. And if someone has a middle ear infection , pus collected in the middle ear can drain into the ear canal through a hole in the eardrum and cause it.

Ear pain is the main sign of swimmer's ear. It can be severe and gets worse when the outer part of the ear is pulled or pressed on.

It also may be painful to chew. Sometimes the ear canal itches before the pain begins. Swelling of the ear canal might make a child complain of a full or uncomfortable feeling in the ear. Top of the page. Your Care Instructions Your doctor wants you to keep water from getting into your child's ears. How can you care for your child at home?

Have your child take baths until the doctor says showers are okay again. Avoid getting water in the ear until after the problem clears up. Ask the doctor if you should use earplugs to keep water out of your child's ears. Do not let your child swim until your doctor says it is okay. If your child gets water in the ears, turn his or her head to each side and pull the earlobe in different directions.

Drying the external portion of your baby's ear well with a towel to remove any fluid after baths also helps prevent otitis externa.

If your baby has a ruptured or perforated eardrum, the hole in the eardrum allows water to enter the middle ear. Water entering the middle ear could increase the risk of a middle ear infection. A severe ear infection or trauma can cause a ruptured eardrum. In most cases, the hole is small and heals spontaneously.

If a large part of the eardrum ruptures, the hole won't heal on its own. An unhealed opening in the eardrum allows water to enter the middle ear.