8 Powerful tricks to overcome ear ingested water & bull; hello healthy

The ears often enter water when swimming or bathing. As a result, the ear feels full of blockage so that hearing seems hidden. Water trapped in the ear canal can also cause an unpleasant sensation. However, don't worry. There are many ways to deal with water ingested ears. Check out the following explanation.

How do you deal with water ingested ears?

Water getting into the ear is not really a serious problem. Without any treatment, water can come out on its own.

However, you can get an ear infection if water is trapped and stays in the ear for a long time. Therefore, make sure that water is out of your ears after swimming or doing water-related activities.

Here are ways that can be used to treat water ingress ears:

1. Wiggle the ear lobe

Tilt your head to the side of the ear that the water has entered. Try first shaking your head so the water can come out. If that doesn't work, wiggle your water-drawn ear lobe, still with your head tilted so that the outside of your ear is facing your shoulders.

2. Suction water with your palms

To get the water out, tilt your head to the side of the affected ear. Then use the palms of your hands to cover the water-clogged ears, as if your head were resting on those palms.

Rub your palms against your ears in an up and down motion so that the surface feels flat. Press firmly on your ear and release it quickly until you feel a suction sensation on the ear. The water trapped in the ear should be sucked out.

3. Move the jaw and mouth

The narrow tube that connects the ear cavity to the back of your nostril can become blocked and swollen, making it harder for water to pass. Stretching the mouth and jaw, such as chewing and yawning, can sometimes help clear these blocked ducts. Try moving your jaw and mouth until your ears feel free again.

4. Drip with water

Prepare warm water (not hot water) and drop it on your ear which is entering the water while tilting your head so that the clogged ear is facing upwards. Leave it for about three seconds and tilt your head to the opposite side.

Wait a few moments with the ear that the water entered is facing the shoulder until the water flows out.

5. Use a hair dryer

Set the hair dryer (hair dryer) You are at the lowest airspeed and temperature. Leave a distance of about 30 centimeters and dry with a motion closer to and away from the ear that the water entered.

You can try this method while shaking your ear lobe. The hot air that is blown into the ears will help the water to evaporate more quickly.

6. Warm compress

Warm compresses can also help you get water out of your ears. Here's how you can follow:

• Wet a soft cloth with hot water (no need to boil) and wring it out until the water does not drip from the compress cloth.
• Tilt your head to the side of the affected ear and then apply the compress to the outside of the ear
• Let it sit for about 30 seconds and let go
• Wait for one minute before compressing it again.

Repeat the above steps four to five times. If the water hasn't come out of your ears after applying the warm compress, you can speed up the process by using the lying down technique.

7. Ear drops with vinegar and alcohol

Earwax blockage may be the cause of water getting into the ear. Therefore, the next way to deal with water ingress ears is to break down the earwax clumps (earwax).

Here's how you can mix home drops to treat water ingested ears:

• Mix equal parts vinegar and alcohol, about 1: 1 ratio
• Put three to four drops in the water in the ear
• Lightly massage the outside of your ear

If water is hard to get out of your ears because of the clogged wax, vinegar will help break up these stubborn lumps. Meanwhile, alcohol can speed up the process of evaporation of water trapped in the ear.

8. Leave it for overnight

Most cases of water entering the ear will heal on its own. So, when you go to sleep at night, tilt your body to the side of the ear that is problematic. Usually during sleep, the water will flow out on its own and soak the pillow in the morning.

What should not be done in dealing with water ingested ears?

When water is clogged in the ear, the first thing to remember is not to panic. Relax, the water that enters will not be inside forever.

When you panic, you can actually do things that shouldn't be done, such as:

1. Using

According to experts, using cotton bud or earplugs to overcome the water in the ear can actually make things worse.

The cotton swabs can push the wax and water deeper, making it harder to remove, and can actually get trapped inside.

In addition, earplugs can also cause the eardrum to puncture. When the eardrum is injured or even ruptured, you can experience hearing loss.

In severe cases, cotton swabs can also damage the many nerves behind the ear canal. If this happens, the effects are quite severe, such as total deafness, prolonged vertigo with nausea and vomiting, loss of sensation, and facial paralysis.

Instead of pushing the water out, you can actually experience a variety of serious hearing problems.

2. Picking the ear with a finger

When you feel the water in your ear, you may spontaneously overcome this by scraping your ear with your finger. In fact, this method is completely unjustified.

Picking out the ear with long fingers and nails can injure the delicate tissue in the ear canal. This can actually cause ear infections and prolonged pain. Therefore, keep your fingers away from your ears while being in the water.

3. Use ear drops containing hydrogen peroxide

A hydrogen peroxide solution can help soften trapped earwax that clogs the ear canal.

Unfortunately, you should not use this product as a medicinal way to treat water ingress if:

• Have an external ear infection
• The eardrum is ruptured or damaged

Ask your doctor about other ear drops that are safer for you.

What dangers can the ear take in water?

Water trapped in the ear usually escapes on its own. However, if not, you could develop an ear infection called otitis externa (swimmer's ear).

Quoted from the website of the United States center for disease control and prevention, CDC, water that is in the outer ear canal for a long time can create a humid environment for bacterial growth. Therefore, your risk of developing otitis externa will increase when this condition is not treated.

Pay attention to the symptoms of otitis externa that you need to be aware of:

• Pain when the external ear is pulled or when there is pressure on the tragus (the part of the outer ear that protrudes from the ear canal)
• Itching inside the ear
• There is fluid draining from the ear
• Redness and swelling in the ear

When to see a doctor

If the methods above have been done but the water does not come out, you can consult a doctor. Especially if there are other signs such as:

• Ear infections have not gone away for 10 to 14 days after using antibiotic ear drops
• Hearing loss in the area of ​​the ear that has been drained of water

Don't delay getting checked out so that your doctor can immediately find the most appropriate treatment for you.