After bathing, is it okay for children to have water in their ears?

This is an automatically translated article.

1. Is it okay for children to get water in their ears?

Water entering the outer ear canal after bathing is a common problem for young children, if there is little water in, just tilt your head and pull the earlobe down and gently shake the water will flow out. Part of the water inside the remaining ear will be absorbed by the subcutaneous tissue of the outer ear canal. Water entering the ear canal will cause tinnitus, nausea and make the child feel uncomfortable.
When water enters the outer ear canal, if not handled properly, a lot of ear picking can damage the cuticle that protects the ear canal, creating a favorable environment for bacteria to enter the ear canal. This leads to an inflammation of the outer ear canal with initial manifestations including:
Itching of the ear Pain Soreness of the ear. Tinnitus Because when water enters the ear, the dry earwax meets the water, it expands and presses on the outer ear canal. causing tinnitus, ear discharge, hearing loss and ear pain. In case the eardrum is already perforated due to otitis media, when bathing with water into the ear will recur. At this time, the manifestation of the disease is yellow-green purulent discharge, decreased hearing level. Is it okay for babies to get water in their ears? For babies, when water gets into their ears after bathing, they can't speak like an older child, but only cry. This increases the rate of ear infections and is only detected when the child has severe symptoms. In addition, in case the breastfed baby chokes on milk or sucks in the wrong position, it can cause milk to flow into the ear canal, causing the same situation with water in the ear after bathing.

2. What to do when the child has water in the ear?

After bathing, if water enters the child's ear, parents need to handle it properly such as:
Use a soft and clean towel to dry the outside of the ear canal. Dry the water on the outside of the ear canal, parents need to be careful not to put the towel too deep in the ear canal. Tilt your baby's head to the side, and gently shake and pull the earlobe up and back to let the water out. Have the child lie on his side on the side of the ear with the water in it for a few minutes to let the water flow on its own. Parents can give children a soft cotton towel under the ear to help absorb water. Use a hair dryer on the lowest heat and wind setting, keep a suitable distance for at least 30 minutes to avoid overheating the ear, and then point it towards the ear to dry quickly. Use ear drops that dry out your ears. However, do not arbitrarily buy ear drops if the child's condition has progressed to otitis media or perforated eardrum. In addition, parents should also pay attention to improper handling methods when children have water in their ears such as using cotton swabs to pick their ears because this causes earwax to be pushed deeper inside, and at the same time makes the ears worse. lose the protective cuticle, creating an ideal environment for bacteria to invade.
In short, water in the ear after bathing is a common problem for children. If not handled properly, a lot of ear picking can damage the cuticle that protects the ear canal, creating conditions for bacteria. Bacteria enter the ear canal and lead to an ear infection. Therefore, when children have water in their ears, they need to be monitored and handled properly. If there are abnormal signs such as pain and swelling in the ear, pus draining from the ear, a baby crying a lot, etc., it is necessary for the child to immediately go to a medical facility to be evaluated and treated promptly.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.