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Swimmer's Ear Prevention Checklist

Swimmer's ear (otitis externa) is an outer-ear-canal infection caused by water trapped in the ear — and it's very preventable. Use this one-page checklist to drain, dry, and protect your child's ears after every swim, so a sore ear never sidelines them from lessons.

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✅ After Every Swim or Bath: Drain & Dry

  • Tilt the head to each side and gently tug the earlobe to let trapped water drain out of the canal.
  • Dry the outer ear with a soft towel — never jam the towel or a finger into the canal.
  • Use a hair dryer on the lowest, coolest setting, held about a foot away, to evaporate leftover moisture in prone swimmers.
  • Make it the same routine every time — pool, lake, or bath — so it becomes automatic.

🚫 Never Do This

  • No cotton swabs, fingers, or hairpins in the ear canal — they scratch the skin and invite infection.
  • Don't remove earwax — it's the ear's natural defense; dry the canal, don't clean inside it.
  • Don't ignore an itchy or achy ear — early treatment keeps swimmer's ear minor.

🏊 Extra Protection for Frequent Swimmers

  • Well-fitting swim earplugs or an ear-covering swim cap keep water out of the canal.
  • Ask your pediatrician about drying drops — only for kids without ear tubes or a perforated eardrum.
  • Choose well-maintained pools with proper chlorine and pH; pack earplugs and a towel in the swim bag.

🚨 Stop Swimming & See a Doctor If You Notice

  • Ear pain — especially pain that worsens when you tug the earlobe or press the ear.
  • Drainage from the ear (clear or pus-like) or a plugged, muffled-hearing feeling.
  • Call promptly for fever, severe pain, or swelling/redness spreading around the ear, face, or neck.
Our after-swim ear routine happens:  __________________________  ·  Pediatrician / after-hours line:  __________________________

Created by WaterWiseKids.com — Free water safety education for families

Sources: CDC Healthy Swimming, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Red Cross. This checklist is educational and does not replace medical care or active supervision. When in doubt about an ear symptom, call your pediatrician.

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