To send a link and summary of this article to a friend, click here . Now you can hardly get him out of the pool. But a duck's feathers have built-in waterproofing. Your child's ears don't. All that exposure to moisture can take its toll on the delicate lining of the ear canal, making it angry, red and itchy.
Doctors call the problem otitis externa, or swimmer's ear.
Left untreated, the irritation can develop into a painful infection. Full-blown swimmer's ear infection in children isn't hard for a doctor to diagnose, says Jeffrey Fogel, M.D., a pediatrician in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania, and staff physician at Chestnut Hill Hospital in Philadelphia. Once infection and pain set in, a visit to the pediatrician or family physician is essential, says Dr. Fogel, because you'll need a prescription for antibiotics and cortisone eardrops. The fluid in the drops is acidic, so it helps prevent bacteria from growing,'' he explains. Give it a shake.