Dr Lynn Dawber, a South African national, joined the International Medical Group from New Zealand. She is a welcome additional to our family and we look forward to our patients (new and existing) meeting her.

What is otitis externa?

What causes otitis externa?

• Swimming. Otitis externa is five times more common in regular swimmers compared with non-swimmers. It is due to the water which gets into the ear canal. In fact, otitis externa is sometimes called swimmer's ear.
• Weather. Otitis externa is more likely to develop in hot, humid, and 'sweaty' weather. It is more common in hot countries.
• Skin problems. Eczema or psoriasis may affect the ear canal and cause an otitis externa.
• Ear syringing to clear earwax. This may irritate the ear canal and cause inflammation.
• Middle ear infections. Sometimes middle ear infections (otitis media) can produce some discharge for some time which can then cause otitis externa.

What are the symptoms of otitis externa?

What is the treatment for otitis externa?

Further treatment

• A doctor or nurse may clean the ear canal. They do this by using cotton wool on the end of a special stick which is gently pushed inside the ear canal to mop up any discharge or debris. Sometimes gentle suction or syringing is used. This removes the discharge lying in the ear canal.
• Sometimes a gauze wick is soaked in ear drops and is pushed into the ear canal. This gets the drops right to the end of the ear canal, particularly if it is very swollen.
• If your infection is particularly severe or there is infection in the skin around the ear (cellulitis) then you may be given antibiotic tablets.

How can I prevent further bouts of otitis externa?

• Try not to let soap or shampoo get into your ear canal. You can do this when you have a shower by placing a piece of cotton wool coated in soft white paraffin (eg Vaseline®) into the outer ear.
• Do not use corners of towels or cotton buds to dry any water that does get in the ear canal. This will push things further in. Let the ear dry naturally.
• Try not to scratch or poke the ear canal with fingers, cotton wool buds, towels, etc.
• Do not clean the ear canal with cotton buds. They may scratch and irritate, and push wax or dirt further into the ear. The ear cleans itself and bits of wax will fall out now and then.
• When you swim try to keep your ears dry. You can do this by wearing a tightly fitting cap that covers the ears. Some swimmers use silicone rubber earplugs, but only use them if they do not irritate the skin in your ear canal.