What to do if water gets into your ear and doesn’t come out

Did you take a bath again or take a swim in the open water? Water is a wonderful element, many enjoy swimming. However, water procedures often end in such a nuisance as the accumulation of fluid in the ear. In professional wording, it sounds like "Swimmer's Ear." So doctors designate the building up of fluid in the ear canal, when a person cannot get rid of this water on his own. Often this is accompanied by a gurgling in the ear, a feeling of discomfort, and a deterioration in hearing acuity. If measures are not taken in time, water can enter the middle ear and cause inflammation. In this article, we will talk about what to do if water gets into the ear, how to get rid of the water in the child’s ear, and what to do to prevent the situation from happening again.

How to get rid of water in the ear

Usually a person very clearly understands that water has got into his ear, he feels which particular ear has been injured, and sometimes he even senses and hears this fluid. Often this happens after a complete immersion with the head in the water. How to react to the water which has got to an ear? First you need to try putting the tip of the towel into the ear canal to absorb all the unnecessary moisture. If this does not help to get rid of water, use our following tips.

1. The easiest and most famous way to get rid of water in the ear is to jump on the toe of one leg. Moreover, on the side on which the water got stuck. That is, if water got into the right ear, you need to jump on the toe of the right leg, tilting your head to the right to the maximum. At each jump during landing, try to wave your head so that the amplitude is maximum. But do not forget to hold your hands on the wall or edge of the table, so as not to fall. With heavy movements, after 2-3 jumps the water will be removed.
2. You can remove water without making special efforts. You need to lie on your back and slowly turn your head towards the ear in which the water is stuck. The key word is slow. The physiology of the ear space is such that, with smooth movements, the water will simply pour out slowly - you will feel it.
3. Do you know how the body removes sulfur from the ears? That's right, due to chewing and swallowing movements. Lie down on a horizontal plane, start chewing gum. You can simulate chewing movements or just drink water. Since the process is hampered by the fact that you are lying, you can drink through a tube - it is much more convenient.
4. Inhale the air and try to exhale it with a strong jerk, while closing your mouth and nose. The air will create pressure on the membrane, it will bend and push some of the water out of the ear canal. This technique is often used on the plane to get rid of the feeling of stuffiness in the ears.
5. Press your palm firmly against your ear so that a vacuum forms there. Then sharply take your palm from your head. Thin air will help you push water out of your ear.
6. Drop a few drops of boric alcohol in your ear. It will not only disinfect the ear canal (this is important if water has got into the ear from the reservoir), but it will also help get rid of moisture. The fact is that boric alcohol evaporates very quickly. It mixes with ordinary water and just evaporates into the air.
7. You can get rid of water in the ear with the same water. Pour water into the ear with a strong stream using a pear or syringe. This water will help get rid of the air congestion, which often prevents the removal of excess fluid.

These simple tips will help you get rid of water that has got into your ear through negligence. But what to do when the baby has a problem?

What to do if a child suffers from water in the ear

If the baby already knows how to jump on one leg, you can explain to him what head movements should be performed so that the water comes out. But what if the baby got water in her ear while swimming? And how to understand that something was wrong with the baby? If water is stuck in a baby’s ear, he will show it with his whims, tearfulness, anxiety. Children often put pens to their ears, they can hear worse because of this. If such symptoms began after water procedures, it can be assumed that the cause is water in the ears.

It is necessary to make a turunduch out of cotton wool - twist a thin flagellum and carefully insert one end into the baby’s ear. Never use hard objects, such as a cotton swab. It can damage the delicate parts of the child’s inner ear or compress sulfur closer to the eardrum, which prevents its natural exit. And the flagellum safely absorbs excess moisture, ridding the baby’s ears of a feeling of fullness.

If this does not help, just try to feed the baby in a lying position - first on one, and then on the second side. Swallowing movements will help to expel water naturally.

How to protect your ears from water

Water in the ear is not just discomfort. If, for example, you go outside in the winter after swimming in the pool, water can cause otitis media. Be sure to clean the child’s ears after water procedures, because soaked sulfur can bring pain, discomfort, a feeling of pressure in the ears, as it swells in a humid environment and puts pressure on the membrane. If you are unable to get rid of the water in your ear yourself, be sure to visit a doctor - otolaryngologist. It will help you solve the problem in seconds. Take care of your ears and clean them of water in a timely manner.

Video: how to remove water from the ear