Preventing otitis externa, commonly called swimmer’s ear, comes down to two things: keeping your ear canals dry and leaving the natural defenses inside them intact. The ear canal has a built-in protection system that works remarkably well when you don’t interfere with it. Most cases of swimmer’s ear happen when that system breaks down, usually from trapped moisture, physical damage to the canal skin, or both.
How Your Ear Canal Protects Itself
The skin lining your ear canal is naturally acidic, with a pH between 4.2 and 5.6. That acidity is hostile to bacteria and fungi, preventing them from gaining a foothold. Earwax reinforces this defense. It moisturizes and lubricates the canal skin, creates a water-resistant barrier, and contains antimicrobial compounds including lysozyme, immunoglobulins, and several other peptides that actively kill microorganisms. The lipids in earwax, including fatty acids and ceramides, form a cohesive coating over the canal’s skin cells that physically blocks water, dust, and debris from reaching the vulnerable tissue underneath.
When water sits in the canal for too long, it softens and swells this protective skin layer, raises the pH toward alkaline, and washes away the earwax barrier. That creates ideal conditions for bacteria, especially Pseudomonas aeruginosa, to colonize the canal and trigger infection.
Stop Putting Things in Your Ears
Cotton swabs are one of the most common causes of swimmer’s ear in people who never even swim. Inserting a swab into the ear canal scratches and weakens the delicate lining, creating tiny entry points for bacteria. It also strips away the protective earwax and can push remaining wax deeper, compacting it against the eardrum. Sticks, hairpins, rolled tissue, and fingers do the same damage.
If you have a skin condition like eczema or psoriasis that affects your ears, this is especially important. Flaking skin can fall into the canal and cause blockages, and scratching or inserting anything pushes dead skin cells deeper. Wash the outer ear gently with water, apply a gentle moisturizer to the external skin only, and avoid putting any products inside the canal itself.
Keep Your Ear Canals Dry
The single most effective habit for preventing swimmer’s ear is getting water out of your ears promptly after swimming, bathing, or any water exposure. Here’s a reliable routine:
- Tilt and drain. Turn your head so the wet ear faces the ground. Gently pull your earlobe downward and back to straighten the canal, and let gravity do the work. Lying on your side for a few minutes with a towel under your head can help stubborn water escape.
- Create gentle suction. With your head tilted, cup your palm flat over the ear opening and press in and out lightly. This can dislodge water that’s stuck deeper in the canal.
- Use a hair dryer. Set it to the lowest heat and lowest airflow, hold it about a foot from your ear, and let warm air flow into the canal for 30 seconds or so. This evaporates residual moisture without irritating the skin.
- Move your jaw. Chewing gum or yawning opens the passages around your ear and can shift trapped water enough for it to drain.
Use Earplugs When Swimming
If you swim regularly or have had swimmer’s ear before, earplugs are worth the small hassle. A 2013 study comparing different types found that soft moldable silicone earplugs were the most effective at preventing water from entering the canal. These are the putty-like plugs you press over the ear opening rather than inserting deep into the canal. They’re inexpensive and available at most pharmacies.
Custom-molded earplugs, made from impressions of your ears by an audiologist, offer a more precise fit and are a good investment for competitive swimmers or anyone in the water several times a week. The key with any earplug is a proper seal. A loose plug gives a false sense of security while still letting water seep in.
Acidifying Drops for Regular Swimmers
Preventive ear drops work by restoring the canal’s natural acidity and helping evaporate trapped moisture. You can buy over-the-counter swimmer’s ear prevention drops, or make your own by mixing white vinegar and rubbing alcohol in a 50/50 ratio. The vinegar (acetic acid) lowers the pH back to the acidic range where bacteria can’t thrive, while the alcohol speeds evaporation of residual water.
Place a few drops in each ear after swimming, tilting your head to let the solution reach the canal, then drain it out after about 30 seconds. Some sources also recommend using drops shortly before swimming and at bedtime during periods of heavy water exposure. Don’t use these drops if you have ear tubes, a perforated eardrum, or any open wound in the ear canal, because the alcohol will cause significant pain and the solution can reach the middle ear.
Deal With Earwax Buildup the Right Way
A canal packed with old earwax traps water behind it like a dam, creating exactly the warm, moist environment bacteria love. If you notice muffled hearing or a sensation of fullness, you may have a wax impaction that needs clearing before your next swim.
The safe approach is softening the wax with a few drops of mineral oil or a commercial ceruminolytic (wax-dissolving) solution over several days, then letting it migrate out naturally. For stubborn blockages, a healthcare provider can remove the wax under direct visualization, which avoids the blind probing that causes microtrauma. The goal is to keep the canal open for drainage without stripping the thin layer of fresh wax that protects you.
Be Aware of Water Quality
Not all water carries the same risk. Pseudomonas aeruginosa, the bacterium behind most swimmer’s ear infections, can form biofilms on pool surfaces and survive in water where residual chlorine drops below 1 mg/L. Pools and hot tubs that are poorly maintained pose a higher risk than well-chlorinated ones. Interestingly, the smell of chlorine alone doesn’t correlate with protection. That distinctive pool odor actually comes from chloramine, a byproduct formed when chlorine reacts with organic matter, and its presence says nothing about whether the disinfectant levels are adequate.
Natural bodies of water, particularly warm lakes and rivers in summer, tend to carry higher bacterial loads than treated pools. If you swim in open water frequently, the post-swim drying routine and acidifying drops become especially important.
Extra Precautions for Repeat Infections
Some people get swimmer’s ear again and again. Narrow ear canals, heavy earwax production, hearing aid use, and skin conditions like eczema or psoriasis all increase susceptibility. If you fall into this category, a few additional strategies can help. Remove hearing aids periodically throughout the day to let the canal air out. Keep the outer ear clean but avoid overwashing the canal, which strips natural oils. During allergy season or eczema flares, pay extra attention to keeping the ears dry, since inflamed canal skin is more vulnerable to infection.
For people with recurrent episodes tied to swimming, combining earplugs during water exposure with acidifying drops afterward addresses both moisture and pH disruption. This two-layer approach is more reliable than either measure alone, particularly during summer months when heat and humidity slow natural evaporation from the ear canal.