ENT specialist
Keeping your ears dry: how to protect them
How to keep water out of your ear when showering or bathing with an ear infection, grommets or an ear in treatment. Simple steps, mistakes and when to seek advice.
Keeping your ears dry is part of the treatment if you have swimmer’s ear, an ear infection with discharge or a hole in the eardrum. This page explains how to protect your ear from water in the shower in a simple and safe way.
What is this care for?
Water that stays in the ear canal softens the skin and encourages infection. Keeping it out helps the drops work and prevents relapses.
Before you start
- Get large cotton wool balls, petroleum jelly and, if you can, a shower cap.
- Wash your hands.
- If you have a wick or grommets, also follow our specific advice.
How to do it
- Take a cotton wool ball slightly larger than the entrance to your ear.
- Coat the outside with a thin layer of petroleum jelly.
- Place it in the bowl of the ear (the hollow part), without pushing it into the canal.
- Put on a shower cap.
- Wash your hair last, tilting your head towards the healthy side.
- Remove the cotton wool and throw it away.
- Dry the outer ear with a towel and tilt your head to let any water run out.
- If you wish, use a hairdryer on its lowest setting, about 30 cm away, for a few seconds. It may help, although studies have not proved it.
Routine
| Routine | What to do |
|---|---|
| How often | At every shower or hair wash |
| For how long | While you are on drops, usually 5 to 7 days, or as we advise |
| When to stop | When we confirm the ear has healed |
Swimming pools, rivers and the sea: avoid them only while you are being treated. Once the ear has healed, you can go back to swimming.
Always follow the routine your doctor gave you, which may be different.
Common mistakes
- Pushing the cotton wool into the canal: it can get stuck.
- Using a small piece of cotton wool or none of the jelly: it soaks through.
- Using cotton buds after the shower.
- Covering the ear all day: it needs air.
- Using earplugs that do not fit or are not cleaned.
- Using ear drops without a prescription.
What is normal and when to seek advice
It is normal to feel some itching or a blocked ear while it heals.
Seek advice soon if:
- Fluid keeps coming out after several days of treatment.
- The pain gets worse.
- The ear bleeds or you feel dizzy.
- The ear sticks out forwards or the area behind it swells.
- You have a temperature, or you have diabetes and the pain is severe.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use earplugs instead of cotton wool? Yes, if they fit well and you clean them after each use. Mouldable silicone or custom-made ones seal better.
My child has grommets: can they get wet? Many children with grommets can shower and even swim at the surface without special protection. We will tell you at the check-up.
Do I have to stop swimming for good? No. This care is only for the period of treatment.
References
- Rosenfeld RM, Schwartz SR, Cannon CR, et al. Clinical practice guideline: acute otitis externa. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014;150(1 Suppl):S1-S24.
- Rosenfeld RM, Shin JJ, Schwartz SR, et al. Clinical practice guideline: otitis media with effusion (update). Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2016;154(1 Suppl):S1-S41.
For general information only. It does not replace a medical consultation and cannot be used for diagnosis. In an emergency in Spain, call 112.