What you'd be seeing inside that swimmer's ear is a classic case of otitis externa, an infection better known—not surprisingly—as swimmer's ear. All it takes to come down with a stubborn bout of swimmer's ear is a set of ears and unrelenting moisture. "It's like keeping your hands in dishwater. The skin gets macerated and leathery," says Brian W. Hands, M.D., an ear, nose, and throat specialist in private practice in Toronto. "The ears are constantly bathed in water—swimming, showering, shampooing. Then people try to dry the ear with a cotton-tipped swab. That takes the top layer of skin off, along with protective bacteria. Then the bad bacteria win." Swimmer's ear begins as an itchy ear. Left untreated, it can turn into a full-blown infection. The pain can be excruciating. Once infection sets in, you'll need a doctor's help and a round of antibiotics to squelch it. But there are plenty of things you can do to keep the pain from getting worse, and even more to stop it before it starts. Blow-dry your ears. Eliminate the moisture in your ears, says Dr. Hands, every time you get them wet, whether or not you suspect an infection. Pull the flap of your ear up and out to straighten the ear canal and aim your hair dryer into your ear from 18 to 20 inches away. Use either a warm or cool setting, but let the dryer blow for 30 seconds. That will dry the ear, eliminating the moist conditions bacteria and fungi find most attractive for growth. Try an over-the-counter remedy. Most drugstores carry eardrops that combat bacteria. If ear itchiness is still your only symptom, one of these preparations might snatch it back from the brink of infection, says Dan Drew, M.D., an avid swimmer and family physician in Jasper, Indiana. Use it each time your ears get wet. Plug up the problem. Telling an avid swimmer that he can't go in the water is almost like telling someone to quit breathing, says John House, M.D., an associate professor of clinical otolaryngology at the University of Southern California School of Medicine and an otologist for United States Swimming, which selects Olympic competitors. Go ahead and swim, he says, but wear earplugs to keep the water out. Wax or silicone plugs that can be softened and shaped to fit your ear are available at most drugstores. And don't forget to wear those plugs while shampooing or showering, says Dr. House. Keeping the ears dry is especially important for people who are prone to ear infection. Swim on the surface. Even if you are battling swimmer's ear, you can keep on swimming, says Dr. Drew. Swim on the surface of the water. It allows less water in the ear than when you break the surface. Use a painkiller as a temporary measure. If your ear hurts (indicating an infection), an over-the-counter painkiller such as aspirin or acetaminophen will tide you over until you can see the doctor, Soothe away pain with heat. Warmth—a towel fresh from the dryer, a covered hot-water bottle, a heating pad set on low—also will help ease the pain. Leave your earwax alone. Earwax serves several purposes, including harboring friendly bacteria, say Dr. Kamerer and Dr. House. Cooperate with your natural defenses by not swabbing the wax out. Wax coats the ear canal, protecting it from moisture. Keep it dry. Since the irritation of swimmer's ear wears away earwax, you can manufacture your own version using petroleum jelly. Moisten a cotton ball with the jelly, says Dr. Hands, and tuck it gently, like a plug, just in the edge of your ear. It will absorb any moisture, keeping your ear warm and dry. Take a drop. Several fluids are great for killing germs and drying your ears at the same time. If you're susceptible to swimmer's ear or if you spend a lot of time in the water, you should use a drying agent every time you get your head wet. Any of the following homemade solutions works well. A squirt of rubbing alcohol. First, put your head down, with the affected ear up. Pull the ear upward and backward (to help straighten the canal) and squeeze a dropperful of alcohol into the ear canal. Wiggle your ear to get the alcohol to the bottom of the canal. Then tilt your head to the other side and let the alcohol drain out. A kitchen solution. Eardrops of white vinegar or equal parts of alcohol and white vinegar will kill fungus and bacteria, says Dr. House. Use it the same way you would alcohol. Mineral oil, baby oil, or lanolin. These can be preventive solutions before swimming. Apply as you would the alcohol. Causes Swimmer's ear is an inflammation of the external ear canal. The result may be itching, pain or temporary hearing loss. After swimming or showering you may notice your hearing is fuzzy, which indicates water in the ear. There may also be an infection in the outer ear, too, that appears later. Use this simple test to see if you have swimmer's ear: grab your ear and pull it forward gently, and wiggle it. If the pain increases you more than likely have an ear problem that can be helped with one of the following remedies. If the pain stays the same, you may have a middle ear problem which will need medical attention. Other symptoms of an inner ear infection are: hearing loss, a yellowish or milky discharge from the ear, or a sudden, sharp pain in the ear. Remedies Folk Alcohol, rubbing Rubbing alcohol not only kills germs but causes water trapped in the ear to evaporate. See the remedies below under vinegar. Apple cider vinegar If you notice water stopping up your ears, put three or four drops, diluted in equal parts with water or alcohol, in your ear after showering or swimming. This is a good preventive measure against future infection. Hair dryer Use the warm (never hot!) setting of your hair dryer and place it about an arm's length from the ear and slowly move it back and forth. Test it on your wrist after it has been running a while before using it on the ear. The warm air will evaporate any trapped water. Vinegar (distilled white) Put 2-3 drops of full strength white vinegar into the ear every two hours. This will be effective against any bacterial or fungal infection. * Another similar remedy is to make a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and warm water and apply four drops in the ear three times a day for three days. However, the water can harbor bacteria and fungus. One of the other two vinegar remedies is preferred. Pull on the earlobe to straighten out the ear canal. This will get the drops to their destination. The alcohol may sting, but this needs to be done. * A third vinegar remedy is to make a 50/50 mixture using equal parts of rubbing alcohol and distilled white vinegar. Put the mixture in a clean eyedropper bottle. The alcohol will kill germs and evaporate any water that's trapped in the ear. Use several drops after swimming. Tilt your head and pull your earlobe to get the mixture into the ear canal. This will help cure swimmer's ear or prevent it from happening in the first place. See the caution warning below. These remedies can be mixed up in a clean eye dropper bottle. CAUTION: Consult with your doctor before using these remedies if you have ever punctured your eardrum or had ear surgery (including having tubes inserted). Tips Keep your ear dry while it is healing. Use ear plugs or Vaseline-coated cotton balls when swimming or showering. CAUTION: If you have an earache, fever, chills or discharge from your ear, see your doctor immediately. Treatments for Swimmer's Ear Once your child has swimmer's ear, it is not the time to put alcohol based ear drops, which are often used to prevent swimmer's ear. They will likely burn and make your child's ear feel even worse. Instead, swimmer's ear is usually treated with antibiotic ear drops, either with or without added steroids (which some experts think can reduce inflammation and make symptoms go away faster). What You Need To Know * Swimmer's ear is usually caused by an infection with the Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus bacteria. * You can often prevent swimmer's ear by keeping water out of your child's ears. * Pools that are poorly maintained are more likely to spread swimmer's ear. * Swimmer's ear can be treated with prescription antibiotic drops, either with or without steroids. * Once your child is better, you should continue to use his ear drops for an additional two or three days, during which time he stays out of the water. * Ear wax may be protective against swimmer's ear, so don't aggressively remove wax from your child's ear. Cleaning your child's ears with a cotton-tip applicator may also put them more at risk for swimmer's ear. * In addition to swimming, kids can be at risk for getting swimmer's ear if they get water in their ears when bathing or showering. * Oral antibiotics are rarely needed to treat uncomplicated cases of swimmer's ear. * Malignant otitis externa is a rare complication of swimmer's ear. * Fungal infections and noninfectious disorders, including eczema, psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, and allergic contact dermatitis, can also cause otitis externa, and should be suspected in chronic cases of swimmer's ear.