Ear pain after swimming is often related to water and irritation in the outer ear canal. Sometimes water simply feels trapped and causes temporary pressure or muffled hearing. But pain that worsens when you pull on the outer ear or press the small bump in front of the ear may be a sign of swimmer’s ear, an infection or inflammation of the ear canal.

Because ear pain can also come from a middle-ear infection, an eardrum injury, jaw problems, or another condition, it is not always possible to tell the cause at home. Contact a healthcare professional if you have ear pain, drainage, worsening symptoms, or hearing changes after swimming. Seek prompt care sooner if you have diabetes, a weakened immune system, ear tubes, a known eardrum hole, or prior ear surgery. [1][2]

Why does my ear hurt after swimming?

Swimming, showering, and other water exposure can leave moisture in the ear canal. The outer ear canal is the short passage between the visible part of the ear and the eardrum. Normally, earwax and healthy skin help protect this area. When water remains in the canal, it can soften the skin and create an environment where germs can grow. Scratching the canal or trying to clean it with a cotton swab can further damage the skin and raise the risk of infection. [1][3]

Not every earache after swimming is an infection. However, pain that persists, increases, or occurs with drainage deserves medical advice rather than repeated attempts to dry or clean the ear at home.

Common causes of ear pain after swimming

Water trapped in the ear

Water can temporarily become trapped in the ear canal after swimming or bathing. This may cause a plugged sensation, mild discomfort, crackling, or muffled hearing. It should not cause severe or steadily worsening pain.

If there is no pain, drainage, dizziness, ear surgery history, ear tube, or known eardrum problem, gently tilting the affected ear downward and pulling the earlobe in different directions may help water drain. Dry the outside of the ear with a clean towel. A hair dryer held several inches away on the lowest heat and fan setting may also help dry the ear safely. [1]

Swimmer’s ear

Swimmer’s ear, also called acute otitis externa, is inflammation or infection of the outer ear canal. It often starts after water exposure, but it can also occur after scratching inside the ear, using cotton swabs, wearing earbuds or hearing aids, or having skin conditions such as eczema. It is different from a middle-ear infection. [1][3]

Typical swimmer’s-ear symptoms include:

• Itching inside the ear canal.
• Pain that is worse when the outer ear is moved or the tragus, the small bump in front of the canal, is pressed.
• Increasing ear tenderness or throbbing.
• Redness or swelling around the ear canal.
• A feeling of fullness or blockage.
• Muffled hearing.
• Clear, yellow, cloudy, or foul-smelling drainage.

Swimmer’s ear is commonly treated with prescription ear drops. A clinician needs to look in the ear to help confirm the cause, check the eardrum, and decide which treatment is appropriate. For uncomplicated cases, topical ear drops are generally the recommended initial treatment rather than oral antibiotics. [2][3]

Middle-ear pressure or infection

An earache after swimming is not always caused by the water itself. A cold, allergies, sinus congestion, or a middle-ear infection can create pressure or pain behind the eardrum. This type of discomfort may occur with a stuffy nose, cough, fever, or recent respiratory illness. Pulling on the outer ear is less likely to make middle-ear pain worse than it does with swimmer’s ear.

A healthcare professional can examine the ear canal and eardrum to help distinguish an outer-ear problem from a middle-ear problem. This matters because treatment can be different. [3][4]

Irritation or injury in the ear canal

The skin inside the ear canal is delicate. Cotton swabs, fingernails, bobby pins, ear-cleaning tools, and other objects can cause tiny cuts or push wax deeper into the canal. Chlorinated water, hair products, and poorly fitting earbuds or hearing aids may also irritate sensitive skin. [1][3]

Do not try to remove wax or inspect deep inside the ear yourself. Putting objects into the canal can worsen irritation, push debris farther in, or injure the eardrum. [1][5]

Pressure-related ear pain

Diving, jumping into water, or swimming underwater can sometimes cause pressure discomfort. Pressure changes may be more noticeable when you have nasal congestion or trouble equalizing pressure in your ears. Sudden severe pain, bleeding, dizziness, or sudden hearing loss after a dive or impact should be assessed promptly because these symptoms can signal a more significant ear injury. [5]

What to do for ear pain after swimming

If the discomfort is mild and you suspect water is trapped, the safest first steps are simple:

1. Stop swimming for now. More water exposure can worsen irritation or infection.
2. Let the ear drain naturally. Tilt your head so the affected ear faces down. Gently pull the earlobe in different directions while keeping the ear pointed downward.
3. Dry only the outside of the ear. Use a clean towel. Do not insert a towel, swab, or tissue into the canal.
4. Use gentle air, if needed. A hair dryer on the lowest heat and fan setting, held several inches from the ear, may help dry remaining moisture. Stop if it causes pain or dizziness. [1]
5. Consider an over-the-counter pain reliever if it is safe for you. Acetaminophen or ibuprofen may help with discomfort. Follow the product label. Ask a pharmacist or clinician before using these medicines if you are pregnant, have kidney disease, liver disease, stomach ulcers, a history of gastrointestinal bleeding, take blood thinners, or have been told to avoid either medicine.

If pain is more than mild, lasts beyond a short period after swimming, or comes with itching, swelling, drainage, or muffled hearing, arrange an evaluation instead of relying on home care alone.

What not to put in your ear

When an ear hurts, it can be tempting to try drops, oils, hydrogen peroxide, or a home mixture. But some products can be unsafe when the eardrum is not intact, when ear tubes are present, after ear surgery, or when infection is already developing.

• Do not use cotton swabs, fingers, ear candles, or tools to remove water or wax.
• Do not use ear-drying drops if you have ear pain, drainage, dizziness, a rash in the ear, a known or suspected eardrum hole, ear tubes, or a history of ear surgery unless a clinician specifically tells you to do so.
• Do not use homemade alcohol-and-vinegar drops when you are unsure whether your eardrum is intact.
• Do not put leftover prescription ear drops in your ear unless a clinician confirms they are appropriate for your current symptoms.
• Do not irrigate or flush a painful ear at home.

FDA labeling for over-the-counter ear-drying products warns against use with ear pain, drainage, dizziness, eardrum injury or perforation, and after ear surgery unless directed by a doctor. [6]

When to contact primary care or urgent care

For many people, primary care, pediatric care, or urgent care is an appropriate place to start for ear pain after swimming. A clinician can examine the ear canal and eardrum, assess whether there is trapped debris or swelling, and prescribe drops if they are needed. If the canal is very swollen, a clinician may need to place a small wick to help prescribed medication reach the affected area. [2][4]

Seek same-day or next-day medical care if you have:

• Ear pain that is moderate, worsening, or not improving after gently drying the ear.
• Pain when touching or moving the outer ear.
• Ear drainage, pus, blood, or a bad smell from the ear.
• Noticeable swelling or redness of the outer ear.
• Muffled hearing, a blocked feeling, or new hearing changes.
• Fever or feeling generally unwell along with ear symptoms.
• Symptoms that continue despite treatment or return repeatedly.

Do not wait to seek advice if you have diabetes, are receiving chemotherapy, take medicines that suppress the immune system, have another condition that weakens immune defenses, or have had radiation treatment near the head or neck. These factors can change the risks and the safest treatment approach for an outer-ear infection. [2]

When ear pain after swimming is an emergency

Most swimmer’s-ear symptoms do not require an emergency department visit, but certain symptoms can point to a serious infection, injury, or neurologic problem. Call 911 or seek emergency care now if ear pain occurs with any of the following:

• Severe ear pain with a high fever or rapidly worsening illness.
• Confusion, fainting, severe headache, stiff neck, or repeated vomiting.
• New facial weakness, such as one side of the face drooping or difficulty closing an eye.
• Severe dizziness, trouble walking, or sudden major hearing loss.
• Bleeding or clear fluid from the ear after a head injury.
• Severe swelling, redness, or pain spreading behind the ear, into the face, or down the neck.
• An ear injury caused by diving, a blow to the head, or an object pushed into the ear.

These symptoms need prompt in-person evaluation. Do not put drops or water into an ear that is bleeding or draining after an injury. [5]

How long does swimmer’s ear last?

With appropriate treatment, uncomplicated swimmer’s ear often starts to improve within 48 to 72 hours and resolves over about a week to 10 days. The exact timeline depends on the severity of swelling, whether the medication can reach the canal, and whether another condition is contributing to symptoms. [2][4]

Contact the treating clinician if pain is not beginning to improve within a few days, symptoms worsen at any point, or symptoms remain after the prescribed course. The diagnosis or treatment plan may need to be reconsidered.

How to prevent ear pain after swimming

You cannot prevent every ear problem, but protecting the ear canal from prolonged moisture and injury can lower the chance of swimmer’s ear.

• Dry the outside of your ears thoroughly after swimming, showering, or bathing.
• Tip your head to each side after getting out of the water to help water drain.
• Consider a bathing cap, properly fitting earplugs, or custom swim molds if you frequently get water in your ears.
• Do not insert cotton swabs or other objects into the ear canal.
• Leave earwax alone unless a healthcare professional recommends removal. Earwax helps protect the canal.
• Ask a clinician before using preventive ear-drying drops, especially if you have tubes, previous ear surgery, ear drainage, a perforated eardrum, or frequent ear problems.
• Clean and dry reusable earbuds, hearing aids, and earplugs according to their instructions before using them again.

Swimming in a properly maintained pool is generally safer than swimming in untreated or polluted water, but swimmer’s ear can occur after exposure to any type of water because moisture itself can contribute to the problem. [1][3]

The bottom line

Ear pain after swimming may be as simple as trapped water, but pain that worsens when the outer ear is touched, or pain with itching, drainage, swelling, or muffled hearing, can be swimmer’s ear. Avoid putting objects or unapproved drops into a painful ear. Arrange medical evaluation for persistent or worsening symptoms, and seek emergency care for severe pain with fever, facial weakness, major dizziness, head injury, or rapidly spreading swelling.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing swimmer’s ear. Updated May 28, 2025. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-swimming/prevention/preventing-swimmers-ear.html

2. Rosenfeld RM, Schwartz SR, Cannon CR, Roland PS, Simon GR, Kumar KA, et al. Clinical practice guideline: acute otitis externa. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014;150(1 Suppl):S1-S24. Available from: https://aao-hnsfjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1177/0194599813517083

3. MedlinePlus. Swimmer’s ear. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Updated February 13, 2024. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000622.htm

4. Mayo Clinic. Swimmer’s ear: diagnosis and treatment. Updated May 15, 2024. Available from: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/swimmers-ear/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20351688

5. MedlinePlus. Ear emergencies. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Updated May 20, 2026. Available from: https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000052.htm

6. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Over-the-counter monograph M014: topical otic drug products for over-the-counter human use. September 2021. Available from: https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/omuf/monographs/OTCMonograph_M014-TopicalOticDrugProductsforOTCHumanUse09202021.pdf