Water stuck in your ears while bathing or swimming can be very painful and annoying. It is not easy to remove water from ears and if left in your ears can cause serious problems. It can cause an infection called otitis externa which is also known as swimmers ears. It affects your outer ear and ear canal. Also, the accumulated water in ear can impair the hearing ability. But, you don’t have to panic during these situations. Just make sure that you get rid of the water that is collected in your ears. A few steps are listed bellow to help you remove the accumulated water from your ear. Read on.
Complexity Level: Moderate
Time Required: 10-20 minutes
Resources Required:
1. A clean towel
2. A hair dryer
3. White vinegar
4. Rubbing alcohol
5. Cotton balls
Instructions:
1. Wipe your ear to dry out the water
Make sure you use a clean towel to wipe the outer part of your ear. After wiping the outer part of your ear tilt your head in the direction of ear that has water accumulated inside. Drain the water out of your ear by gently pulling your earlobe. Pulling your earlobe will open the canal letting the water flow out easily. This is one of the easiest steps that you can use to drain water out of your ears as soon as it enters.
2. Dry your ears with a blow dryer
Now before you start drying your ear with a blow dryer you need to make sure that the dryer is not set on high. Use the lowest pressure and also check that the air of the dryer is not very hot. Taking precaution is important so that you do not harm your ear while your dry it. Now hold the dryer about approximately a foot away from your ear and aim the air stream into your ear. This process will dry the water accumulated inside your ear. Be careful while you follow this step as you definitely would not want to damage your ear.
3. Take help from vinegar and alcohol
This is a very simple process. You need equal amount of white vinegar and alcohol mixed in a spoon. With the help of sterilized cotton, pour few drops of the mixture into your ear. The alcohol will make the water evaporate and the vinegar will kill the infectious bacteria in your ear. Your ear canal will dry leaving it nice and clean.
4. Over the counter ear solutions
This process includes chemical solutions available over the counters. You need to buy the solution and put drops of solution into your ear. The solution will flow out with the water leaving your ear dry. Make sure you have a towel handy to let the solution flow onto the towel.
5. Contact a doctor if the above methods don’t work
In case the above mentioned steps fail and you still have water in your ear you must see a doctor. The doctor will check if the accumulated water has caused an infection. Take proper medication to get rid of the infection.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How can i get water out of my ears after swimming?
Water accumulating in ears after swimming is a common problem. You can get rid of the problem by tilting your head to one side letting the water drain out of your ear. Gently pull your earlobe for water to drain out easily. If you feel that the water is still inside your ear, you can just pour a few drops of alcohol in your ear and rest on the other ear. The alcohol will evaporate the water off and also fight the emerging bacteria.
Quick Tips:
- As you chew your food, tilt your head towards the ear that is not affected and then incline the head towards the effected ear to let the water drain out completely.
- Use garlic juice to kill bacteria. Pour a few drops of garlic juice into your ear and then dry your ear with a dryer.
Things To Watch Out For:
Sticking up anything including ear buds can push the water away. Hence, avoid sticking anything into your ear.