As annoying as it is frequent, the otitis externaalso known as “swimmer’s ear”, is a condition that experiences a rebound in cases in summer. Indeed, swimming and the many hours we spend in the water, on the beach or in the pool, can facilitate its development.
“Otitis externa is a external ear canal infectiongenerally due to bacteria or sometimes fungi“, explains Claudio Albizzati, from the Otorhinolaryngology Service of the Multimédica Hospital Group of Milan.
Its development is linked to stagnation of water in the external auditory canal where, thanks to the maceration of the cells that line this canal and the possible presence of residual cerumen, a microenvironment favorable to the proliferation of microorganisms is created.
Although it is true that the presence of earwax can favor its developmentit can also occur in perfectly clean ears if one is submerged in particularly contaminated water.
Then there are exceptions, like the paradoxical case of the Maldives, where the water is spectacular but very rich in microorganisms. “So many that after diving in this crystalline sea it is recommended to wash the ears with fresh water, otherwise it is better to avoid it.”