How to Safely Remove Water From Your Ear

It is annoying to get water in your ear, which can lead to "swimmer's ear". Swimmer's ear can be associated with; pain, inflammation, crusty skin and a watery discharge. It is a common type of ear infection in adults and should not be confused with otitis media, which is the common type of childhood ear infection. Swimmer's ear can be caused most often by contaminated water in swimming pools, hot tubs, water parks, fountains, lakes, rivers or oceans.

Not Such Good Ideas For Water in the Ear:

These efforts could result in a perforated eardrum or an infection .

1. Shoving a Q-Tip in your ear canal

2. Using a pen, bobby pin, crochet needles or someone's fingers

You might want to not just wait for the water to evaporate and expedite the removal of the water.

Ear Water Removal Methods, According To Dr. Mercola:

1. Gravity — Letting gravity do what it does may be the most practical way to remove water from your ears. Simply tugging or jiggling your earlobe to change the configuration of the tube leading to your ear canal, while tipping your head toward your shoulder, may do the trick.

2. Suction — Create a vacuum by tilting your head to the side and alternately cupping your palm tightly over your ear and away again, several times. This may help move the water or at least loosen it up so it can be pulled out.

3. Evaporation — Experts recommend using a blow dryer for this purpose. Place it on its lowest setting for both force and heat, hold it about a foot from your ear and move it slowly back and forth to distribute the force of the air directed toward your ear. This may help evaporate the trapped water.

Simultaneously, do the earlobe-tugging maneuver. You may run out of hands, though, so you might need someone to help you with this method.

4. Wicking — Similar to the way cellphones accidentally dropped in water can be miraculously resurrected (under the right conditions) by placing it into a bag of uncooked rice, wicking may work to remove water trapped in your ear.

Try using a dry towel or washcloth to clean your ears immediately after bathing. Using a warm-to-hot washcloth as a compress over your ear to drain, soothe and combine several of the above methods may also be helpful.

5. Evaporation plus infection prevention — Combining alcohol and vinegar 1-to-1 in a sterile dropper may have the combined effect of helping the water evaporate while preventing bacterial growth.

Place three to four drops into your ear with your head tilted to the side to let the solution work for a few minutes, then drain.

6. Flushing and draining — A 1-to-1 mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide in a dropper and used the same way may help soften wax and allow trapped water to drain from your ear.

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