ear pain after swimming - no diving

[stepfen]

Hello,
I hope this is not out of topic as it is about swimming and not diving.

I grew up very near the sea and I've been swimming quite a lot, at least for 6 months every year, since I was a kid. Occasionally I do get pain in my ears after swimming and I wanted to ask what could be causing this?

I'm talking about just swimming (free style etc or just playing in the sea with the kids) and occasionally few feet/meters or free diving.

It used to be once in a while but yesterday and today I did some short swims (~10 minutes free style - no free diving) and my right ear was aching after both times. Not strong pain but noticeable both times.

The pain starts immediately after I get out of the water, it is mild but noticeable (rarely it gets to the point of discomfort) and usually it disappears within about 5 minutes. It also feels that it comes from deep inside the ear i.e. it is not like the skin pain of an outer ear infection.

Interestingly with diving (~160 dives so far) I have no ear problems whatsoever. I usually equalize very easily by just moving my jaw or swallowing and in worst case (rarely) by pinching my nose and blow.

The only "serious" problem I ever had with ears was an outer ear infection 2 years ago in Jakarta/Indonesia. I attributed it to dirty swimming pool and/or dirty showering water. It healed within few days of using some homemade alcohol/vinegar drops 3 times a day. Thanks God it was few days BEFORE my first ever diving trip to Raja Ampat and it was completely gone by the time I started diving there hence I didn't miss any dives.

I also remember once in Gili Islands/Indonesia like 15 years ago after just swimming (silly me I was not diving yet back then) I've got very strong ear pain during the night to the point I couldn't sleep. But that went off by itself by the next day and never had so strong pain ever since. Given that it was only one occurrence I didn't give much attention to it.

Now I'm usually swimming in open, relatively clean, Mediterranean Sea. Needless to say I have 100s (if not 1000s) of swims without any pain or problem at all. But, having 2 in a row (yesterday and today) was a bit alarming and I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong or if I could improve something.

As you can tell the issue is quite minor for now to make me see a doctor. I know that if it gets persistent I'll eventually have to see an ENT but I hope it is something not that important.

Any info is welcome.
Thanks a lot in advance.

 

[BikerBecca]

Swimmers ear?
Swimmer's ear - Symptoms and causes

 

[stepfen]

Swimmers ear?
Swimmer's ear - Symptoms and causes

Thanks for your reply.
For several reasons I don't think it is swimmers ears (i.e. external ear infection):
- Occurrences are infrequent (at least until today). Max once a week or less although I swim at least 2-3 times a week, often repeatedly over the same day. This goes on at least during the summer,
- Pain goes away within minutes without any kind of treatment and I don't have any problem entering water again and again.
My understanding is that if you get swimmer's ear/ear infection it would get worst if untreated and by keep swimming. Anyway, I think that the pain wouldn't go away within minutes by itself in an ear infection.
- As I said the pain is "deep" inside the ear and doesn't compare to the ear infection one (thanks to Indonesian water I've got a real ear infection and hence I can compare the kind of pain).
- Water here in Greece is relatively clean. I know this is not guaranty but in my 40 years of swimming (including 3 years training in public swimming pool) I've never got or heard of anybody else get an ear infection here.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Hello,
I hope this is not out of topic as it is about swimming and not diving.

I grew up very near the sea and I've been swimming quite a lot, at least for 6 months every year, since I was a kid. Occasionally I do get pain in my ears after swimming and I wanted to ask what could be causing this?

I'm talking about just swimming (free style etc or just playing in the sea with the kids) and occasionally few feet/meters or free diving.

It used to be once in a while but yesterday and today I did some short swims (~10 minutes free style - no free diving) and my right ear was aching after both times. Not strong pain but noticeable both times.

The pain starts immediately after I get out of the water, it is mild but noticeable (rarely it gets to the point of discomfort) and usually it disappears within about 5 minutes. It also feels that it comes from deep inside the ear i.e. it is not like the skin pain of an outer ear infection.

Interestingly with diving (~160 dives so far) I have no ear problems whatsoever. I usually equalize very easily by just moving my jaw or swallowing and in worst case (rarely) by pinching my nose and blow.

The only "serious" problem I ever had with ears was an outer ear infection 2 years ago in Jakarta/Indonesia. I attributed it to dirty swimming pool and/or dirty showering water. It healed within few days of using some homemade alcohol/vinegar drops 3 times a day. Thanks God it was few days BEFORE my first ever diving trip to Raja Ampat and it was completely gone by the time I started diving there hence I didn't miss any dives.

I also remember once in Gili Islands/Indonesia like 15 years ago after just swimming (silly me I was not diving yet back then) I've got very strong ear pain during the night to the point I couldn't sleep. But that went off by itself by the next day and never had so strong pain ever since. Given that it was only one occurrence I didn't give much attention to it.

Now I'm usually swimming in open, relatively clean, Mediterranean Sea. Needless to say I have 100s (if not 1000s) of swims without any pain or problem at all. But, having 2 in a row (yesterday and today) was a bit alarming and I'm wondering if I'm doing something wrong or if I could improve something.

As you can tell the issue is quite minor for now to make me see a doctor. I know that if it gets persistent I'll eventually have to see an ENT but I hope it is something not that important.

Any info is welcome.
Thanks a lot in advance.

Hi @stepfen ,

A few feet or meters of free diving is enough to produce ear barotrauma, and it is often more difficult to equalize while free diving that it is in scuba. Your symptoms seem to suggest barotrauma, but you weren't freediving yesterday, correct? Were you using a nose plug while swimming, or exhaling forcefully through your nose?

Best regards,
DDM

 

[stepfen]

A few feet or meters of free diving is enough to produce ear barotrauma, and it is often more difficult to equalize while free diving that it is in scuba. Your symptoms seem to suggest barotrauma, but you weren't freediving yesterday, correct? Were you using a nose plug while swimming, or exhaling forcefully through your nose?

Thanks for the input

Water is still quite cold here so I didn't have time for much today and yesterday: just went in the water, swim kind of fast (to warm myself) and came out - i.e. I didn't go dipper than maybe 2-3 feet or so. I never use nose plugs (just swimming goggles) but these days my nose is kind of blocked (seasonal allergy and/or a minor cold I catch from the kids). Not too bad though - I can breath from both nose trills just a bit harder than usual. Ear canals don't feel blocked though, eg I can easily equalize on land and I did dive on Tuesday down to 50feet without any issues.

Edit: Ear canal probably is not the right term - I mean the inner "tube" where equalization takes place

 

[caruso]

Try vented ear plugs

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Thanks for the input

Water is still quite cold here so I didn't have time for much today and yesterday: just went in the water, swim kind of fast (to warm myself) and came out - i.e. I didn't go dipper than maybe 2-3 feet or so. I never use nose plugs (just swimming goggles) but these days my nose is kind of blocked (seasonal allergy and/or a minor cold I catch from the kids). Not too bad though - I can breath from both nose trills just a bit harder than usual. Ear canals don't feel blocked though, eg I can easily equalize on land and I did dive on Tuesday down to 50feet without any issues.

Edit: Ear canal probably is not the right term - I mean the inner "tube" where equalization takes place

My next step would be to look in your ears. I'd recommend you go see an otologist (ear/nose/throat physician who specializes in ears).

Best regards,
DDM

 

[stepfen]

Thanks @Duke Dive Medicine for the info.
I'll see how it goes over the next days and proceed accordingly.

After I read a bit about barotrauma I'm pretty sure I do occasionally get it. Maybe this particular time it is not, but for example occasionally I do suffer from sharp ear/head aches during take offs or landings while flying. I remember once during a landing several years ago suddenly a VERY strong pain hit me but fortunately it lasted only a few minutes and then disappeared.

Is this caused by something "wrong" with my ears making them sensitive to pressure changes, or am I doing something wrong?

In any case, is there anything I can do to prevent/avoid these issues? I read that frequent and good equalization helps - interestingly though I can and I do equalize very easily. Anything else?

Thanks once more.

 

[Duke Dive Medicine]

Thanks @Duke Dive Medicine for the info.
I'll see how it goes over the next days and proceed accordingly.

After I read a bit about barotrauma I'm pretty sure I do occasionally get it. Maybe this particular time it is not, but for example occasionally I do suffer from sharp ear/head aches during take offs or landings while flying. I remember once during a landing several years ago suddenly a VERY strong pain hit me but fortunately it lasted only a few minutes and then disappeared.

Is this caused by something "wrong" with my ears making them sensitive to pressure changes, or am I doing something wrong?

In any case, is there anything I can do to prevent/avoid these issues? I read that frequent and good equalization helps - interestingly though I can and I do equalize very easily. Anything else?

Thanks once more.

Hi @stepfen ,

If you're able to equalize ok consistently when diving then an anatomic problem is less likely but I don't think that can be ruled out. Other things that could cause difficulty equalizing are environmental allergies and other sources of congestion, e.g. common cold. Again I'd recommend you see an ENT for a firm diagnosis.

Best regards,
DDM