When the infection gets to this stage, a doctor's treatment is needed. This is also true if glands in the neck become swollen. However, the entire sequence of events can be easily prevented if you use antiseptic eardrops whenever you feel that water is trapped in your ears. Such eardrops are inexpensive and are sold without prescription under various trade names such as Aqua Ear, Ear Magic, Swim Ear, etc. If your ear doctor says you have normal eardrums, and if he says it is safe, you could make up your own eardrops to use after swimming.
Many doctors recommend rubbing alcohol as an important ingredient.
It absorbs the water, helps dry out the ear, and may even kill the bacteria and fungi that cause swimmer's ear. If your ear feels moist or blocked after swimming, hairwashing, showering, etc., put your head over with that ear up, put the ear upwards and backwards and instill the eardrops into it. Wiggle your ear to get the drops to go all the way down in, and then turn your head to let them drain out. An itchy ear is a maddening symptom. Doctors often prescribe an oily or cortisone-containing eardrop to use at bedtime whenever the ears itch.