The sun is shining, the temperature is rising, and you’re heading to the beach or pool to cool off. While this quintessential summer pastime may stir fond memories or anticipatory relief from the heat, it’s not always sunshine and popsicles.
Let’s be honest: an ear infection in summer is no fun. And when you’re spending your summer days at the pool or beach, it’s not all that uncommon to experience an ache or pain in the ear. After all, the culprits—sand and water—are plentiful. The good news: We have answers to your top summer ear infection questions, including how to prevent them.
Think about all those times you or your kids dove deep into the water to try and touch the bottom or played in the warm sand. Trips to the beach and pool create many opportunities for sand in the ear and water-based ear infections for both children and adults.
If sand ends up in your ear while you’re at the beach, don’t fret. Getting sand in the ears can happen to anyone. But is sand in the ears dangerous or can sand in the ears cause infection, you ask? Yes, if not addressed right away.
Particles not cleaned out right after your swim can cause issues. Sand in ears symptoms include:
Sand in ear removal may be easier than you think. Try these tips, and if the issue persists, talk to your doctor for an alternative sand in ear treatment.
If tilting the head is ineffective, try saline or ear drops, which you may already have at home (if not, these are easily found at your local pharmacy).
With a solution in hand, tilt the head to the side so the affected ear faces upward and add a few drops, following the directions on the package. After the specified amount of time, turn the ear downward so the solution can drain, hopefully bringing the sand along with it. Use a clean towel or washcloth to dry the area.
Like using drops or saline, hydrogen peroxide can help remove sand in ears by adding drops, waiting a few minutes, and draining the solution out of the ear.
If opting for this remedy, consult with your doctor or pharmacist about the correct dosage of the antiseptic. Again, use a clean towel or washcloth to dry the area when finished.
If beach sand gets stuck in your ear, avoid using cotton swabs or sharp objects, as these can push the sand deeper and cause injury. Instead, tilt your head to the side and gently pull on your earlobe while shaking your head to help the grains fall out. You can also rinse the ear with clean, body-temperature water using a bulb syringe.
If the sand doesn’t come out, or if you experience pain, fullness, or hearing loss, see a healthcare provider to have it removed safely.
Sand in the ear is a common annoyance, especially after trips to the beach. For most people, small grains that enter the outer ear canal will work their way out naturally within a few hours or a day, thanks to the ear’s natural cleaning process involving earwax and tiny hairs that push debris outward.
However, if sand becomes trapped deeper in the ear or behind earwax, it can stay for several days. Leaving it in the ear for too long may cause irritation, inflammation, or even infection.
It’s important not to try removing it with cotton swabs or sharp objects, as this can push the sand further in or damage the eardrum. If the sand doesn’t come out on its own, a healthcare professional can safely remove it.
A sand-like substance in the ear is often dried earwax that has broken into small particles. Sometimes, it may also be dried skin or debris from swimming or the beach. If it’s accompanied by itching, pain, discharge, or hearing changes, it could be a sign of an ear infection or another condition that needs medical attention. Avoid using cotton swabs, as they can push material deeper.
If the sensation persists or worsens, consult a hearing care specialist or doctor for safe removal.
Hearing a “sand-like” or gritty sound in your ear when moving your jaw is usually caused by the way your jaw interacts with the ear’s structures. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), which connects your jawbone to your skull, sits very close to the ear canal. When you open or move your jaw, tiny shifts in this joint can create a crunching, popping, or grinding sound.
So, the “sand” sound isn’t actually sand—it’s the combination of small particles or tissue surfaces moving and scraping lightly against each other. It’s similar to the way rubbing two dry grains of sand together makes that faint, crackly noise.
Yes. While short-term ear pain after swimming can be common, being in unclean or contaminated water—whether a pool or natural body of water—can lead to infection and discomfort.
When contaminated water sits in the ear for a prolonged amount of time after a swim, bacteria can build up and affect the skin. This is also known as swimmer’s ear, about which you’ll find more information below, along with how to prevent ear infections after swimming.
When water gets trapped in the ear canal, it can disturb the delicate structures in the inner ear, which are responsible for balance. The inner ear contains fluid-filled canals that detect head movement; if water causes pressure changes or mild irritation, it can make you feel off-balance or dizzy.
Usually, the dizziness goes away once the water drains naturally or the ear canal is gently dried. If vertigo is severe, persistent, or accompanied by hearing loss, ear pain, or discharge, it’s important to see a healthcare professional, as this could indicate an infection or other ear condition.
Whenever you submerge in water, the outer ear canal fills with water, and typically, when done swimming, the water drains. Ear pain after swimming can happen if that water doesn’t properly drain or you swam in unclean water. If the pain lingers, this could be a sign the ear is infected and requires treatment.
Water in pools and other recreational water venues are full of germs, one of the most frequent causes of swimmer’s ear.
Swimmer’s ear, as mentioned above, occurs when water gets in the ear and stays there for a prolonged period, allowing germs to grow in the outer ear canal. An ear infection after swimming in a pool might be swimmer’s ear. Symptoms—including itchiness, redness and pus—are usually mild at first but can grow more intense the longer the infection goes untreated.
Swimmer’s ear usually heals within 7 to 10 days with proper treatment. Treatment typically involves ear drops containing antibiotics or antifungals, sometimes combined with steroids to reduce inflammation. Mild cases may improve in just a few days, while more severe infections might take up to two weeks.
It’s important to keep the ear dry during recovery, avoid inserting objects like cotton swabs, and follow the full course of prescribed medication to prevent recurrence.
Ear pain after swimming in cold water is also known as surfer’s ear and occurs because of prolonged exposure to cold water that causes benign bone growth in the ear canal. To help prevent this growth and pain, wear earplugs and a bodysuit with a neoprene hood to keep cold water out of the ear canal.
When determining the right ear pain after swimming treatment, consider your symptoms.
To prevent an ear infection after swimming, consider these pre- and post-swim tips:
Determining how long to avoid swimming after ear infection depends on when the pain has stopped. Once it’s gone, wait three more days before jumping back in the water.
Learn about prevention in our centers
