by KYW’s medical editor Dr. Brian McDonough
It's called otitis externa, but most people know it as swimmer's ear, and this clearly is swimmer's ear season.
What really happens in otitis externa is that the tubular canal from the eardrum to the outside world gets infected. It could be a bacterial infection or a fungal infection, and with that infection comes severe pain.
Now people who are prone to the problem can actually help try to prevent it by keeping the ears dry. Another option is to take over the counter drops of dulut, acetic acid or alcohol, putting them in the ears after getting them wet. That also can help prevent the otitis externa, but once you have it, it takes antibiotic treatment to deal with a bacterial infection, and if worse--a fungal infection--it needs even greater attention.
What you need to do is make sure you go over it with your physician, and not let it linger for a while.
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