5 Home Remedies To Treat Swimmer's Ear

Swimmers ear (or otitis externa) is an infection of the outer ear that is most often caused due to moisture being trapped in the ear or some kind of damage to the skin of the outer ear, resulting in inflammation and infection. This commonly occurs in swimmers (thus the name) because they spend more time in the water and have more moisture in the ear than most people, but this type of painful infection can occur in anyone.

Swimmers ear can also be very painful and in my husband’s case, it was severe enough to keep him from sleeping for several nights.

* Ear Dry

Seems like common sense, but since an outer ear infection is often caused my bacteria growing in moisture in the ear, keeping the ear dry is an easy way to help avoid the infection. Simple measures like drying the ear well after swimming and showering can help the ear from becoming infected.

* White Vinegar and Alcohol

1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup rubbing alcohol

Use a mixture of white vinegar and rubbing alcohol after swimming, especially after swimming in lake water, the ocean, or other places that would have an abundance of bacteria that could lead to infection.

* Ear Plugs

Another way to help keep the ear dry is by using ear plugs, and this is especially helpful in lake or pond water. After some trial and error, we found that moldable silicon ear plugs seem to work the best since they can mold to the shape of the ear and are adjustable for adults or children.

* Garlic

- Crushed a clove of raw, fresh, organic garlic.

- Placed inside a small piece of sterile gauze.

- Place this on the ear (it wouldn’t really go into the ear at all because it was swollen) and tape with some medical tape to secure.

* Essential Oils

Mixed 5 drops of lavender essential oil, 2 drops of basil essential oil and 1 drop of peppermint essential oil in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and rubbed on the skin around the ear, behind the ear and on the neck.