constant ear infections and swimming pools

[justwondering72]

Hi all

I'm looking for advice on battling my ds's ear infections. We are very lucky to be able to spend pretty much all the summer holidays at my parent's holiday house in France, which has a swimming pool. My oldest son, now five, practically lives in the pool when he can. But this year and last he has suffered one ear infection after another. We've taken him to the local Dr, he has had antibiotic eardrops and oral abs to treat the infections. And he had to stay out of the pool when it is bad.

The Dr didn't think it's a problem with the pool water - and all the rest of the family swim in it with no problems. She just said it's something that some people are more prone to than others, that it's down to stagnant water staying in his ear, and options to reduce it include washing his ears out with fresh water, drying then with cotton buds and hankies, using ear plus and a swimming cap. The last two he totally refuses to do, maybe that will change as he gets older. We are trying the above, plus using the ab drops as a preventative.

Any advice on avoiding ear infections fir a water lover? Both DH and his dad suffer ear infections too, I wonder if there is some specific inner ear shape that ds had inherited that makes him more susceptible to infections.

Watching with Interest as ds (6) is the same and gets really really ill with them

My sister suffered like this as a child and the GP recommended drops of olive oil in her ears before swimming which helped her immensely. But I wouldn't take this 30 year old advice without a bit more investigation!!

I don't really have anything to add, just to say that I swam a lot as a child and always had ear infections. It was only ever my right ear and even now, if I accidentally get water in it when showering or swimming I'm likely to get an earache! The ENT consultant I saw said it was because the canal in my right ear has a slight kink from which the water can't escape and then gets infected.

The only thing that has helped me over the years is just being extra vigilant, never allowing water in my ear (I've developed a knack when showering!) and wearing ear plugs when swimming.

I refuse to wear those huge obvious swimming ear plugs you can get and instead use the wax ones (from boots I think) which you can mould to whatever shape/size you want and no one can see them- maybe your DS would be prefer to use those?

With both of mine,I could virtually guarantee that if I took them swimming with the slightest hint of a cold,it would turn into an ear infection,when they were little.

Now we have a problem with swimmers ear at times,which is,as I understand it,to do with the outer ear.

I really believe some are more susceptible to it. I haven't got a crumb of medical knowledge though,this is just my belief.

We use a mixture of avoiding swimming unless completely well,and a couple of drops of warm olive oil in the ear at the first sign of any trouble. But,it was mainly getting to about school age when the problems naturally seemed to get less.

At one point I was told that with some children it's a case of them needing their tubes (presumably eustachian tubes or whatever they're called) to get a bit bigger as they grow.

Thanks all. I've done a bit of reading about olive oil as a preventative, and while I would give it a go, it seems a bit much to be doing it 3 or 4 Times a day for 8 weeks. So we are going to persist with drying them off with tissues and using ab eardrops twice a day. I'll report back!

My sons suffered terribly too. Our solution was from funswimshop: swimming earplugs with a headband to keep them in. Best thing we did for holidays, he is now 9 and is still happily wearing it. The other kids think it looks cool (half the battle!!).