Dr. Lynn Cates
Specializing in pediatric infectious diseases and childhood immunizations.
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 Ask Dr. Cates
Swimming with an Ear Infection | | | QUESTION | | | Dear Dr. Cates,
How long after an ear infection is it safe to go into a pool?— Wiley G. in Parker, AZ. | | | ANSWER |
July 2, 2001 | | | Dear Wiley G.,
As long as your child's eardrum is not perforated, it is just fine to go swimming with an ear infection. His healthcare provider will be able to see if there is a hole in the drum when she makes the diagnosis. I will add, however, that when children without perforations are allowed to dive under water, they sometimes find that the increased pressure is painful. If this is the case, you should simply limit your child's diving and being submerged according to whether or not it causes pain.
That said, sometimes the perforation of the eardrum does occur later in the course of the infection. You should suspect a hole in the eardrum if the ear seems to be leaking fluid (sometimes it will look whitish or yellowish and may be slightly tinged with blood), if there is a spot on the pillow, or if there is crusting around the ear when your child gets up in the morning. If you have any suspicions that the eardrum may be perforated, you should check with your child's provider before taking him swimming.— by Lynn Cates, M.D., F.A.A.P. |
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