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Regardless of your age, the telltale symptom of an ear infection is pain in the inner ear, close to the eardrum. But you can also suffer ear infections as an adult-especially if you have allergies or a cold. swimmer’s ear symptoms What are the symptoms of an ear infection?Įar infections are very common, especially in children. Additionally, the related causes, symptoms and prevention techniques vary for each. That’s because they are both ear infections, they just affect different parts of the ear. What’s the difference between an ear infection and swimmer’s ear?Īn ear infection and swimmer’s ear can feel very similar-pain, itching, redness and discharge. We’re here to answer your questions and provide help. But, what’s the difference between an ear infection and swimmer’s ear? What causes each? What symptoms should you look out for? How can you alleviate symptoms? Don’t worry. Is it an ear infection or could it be swimmer’s ear?Īs we move into summer, many of us will be spending more time at the swimming pool or beach and that means we may experience swimmer’s ear. Sometimes it’s hard to know what’s going on. Your ear itches where you just can't scratch it, you can’t hear well, you feel stuffed up and it’s hard to sleep. The doctor may prescribe an antibiotic to kill the bacteria and recommend pain medications or prescription ear drops.Ear aches-they’re so annoying and painful. When left untreated, an ear infection can lead to a more serious infection, permanent hearing loss, and problems with speech and language development - so speak to your doctor right away if you think you or child have an ear infection. Other types of ear infections include otitis externa (an outer ear infection, or swimmer’s ear) and otitis interna (an inner ear infection). If you do get infections, you may have a Eustachian tube that genetically doesn’t work correctly, Dr. Adults get fewer ear infections than kids because their Eustachian tubes are bigger and more angled. Otitis media, an ear infection of the middle ear, occurs when the mucosa (the lining of the upper respiratory tract that secretes mucus) swells because of a cold, respiratory infection, or allergy, and the Eustachian tube (3) gets blocked.

Adults and children get ear infections for the same reasons.
