I swim daily at my condominium pool for exercise and relaxation. At times, the pool water gets into my ears, despite my putting on ear plugs. I find it very hard to have the water removed from my ear through jumping or using cotton buds. On a few occasions, my ears were infected and they affected my hearing. I would like to seek advice on how to prevent water from getting into our ears and how I can take good care of my ears?
Dr Aw Chong Yin, Specialist in Ear, Nose & Throat Surgery, Raffles Hospital
You may consider getting a pair of custom-made ear plugs, which will provide a better seal to the ears, than non-customised ear plugs. Many hearing aid centres offer this type of service. Getting your ears dry after a swim is a good habit. If there is still water within the external ear canal after the swim (despite ear plugs), you can try drying it with a hair dryer if cotton buds are of no help. Lubricating your ear canals occasionally with baby oil will also be helpful, as it keeps the skin healthy and waterproof.