With the arrival of the summer months, people generally prefer the pool or the sea to cool off and have fun, said Ear Nose Throat and Head and Neck Surgery Specialist Op. Dr. Hüsamettin Olgun, “However, the microbes and moist environment found in these waters can cause ear infections. Ear infections can cause discomfort and pain and can ruin your holiday. Fortunately, it is possible to prevent ear infections in the pool or the sea with some simple precautions.”
IT CAUSES HEARING LOSS
Noting that the most common complaints that otolaryngologists receive in the summer are external ear canal infections caused by the sea and swimming pools, Op. Dr. Hüsamettin Olgun said, “Bacteria and fungi that accumulate in the external ear canal cause severe ear pain, discharge, and sensitivity in the auricle. Patients especially apply to us with complaints such as severe ear pain, swelling and discharge in the ear, tinnitus, hearing loss, and dizziness.
“The contaminated water taken from pools and seas spreads rapidly in the outer ear canal and affects the eardrum, causing severe pain, blockage and hearing loss. If the inflammation progresses, it can perforate the eardrum and reach the middle and inner ear, and even the brain, causing meningitis and encephalitis. This situation is even more important for patients who have previously had a perforation in their eardrum, because contaminated water can directly reach the middle ear, inner ear, ear nerve and brain. If care is not taken and precautions are not taken, the inflammation can progress and become chronic. It can also result in permanent deafness,” he said.
“WE SHOULD NOT STAY IN THE SUN FOR TOO LONG”
Hüsamettin Olgun, who stated that middle ear pressure trauma, allergic rhinitis, sinusitis, throat and esophagus, stomach and intestinal infections due to unhygienic food consumption also increase in the summer season, said, “We should not go into pools or the sea in places we are not sure are clean. We should not go into pools disinfected with chlorine. We should not consume unhygienic foods. We should not stay in the sun for too long. We should have a balanced diet and drink plenty of fluids. We should do sports and pay attention to our sleep. We should not pick our ears with random objects. When otitis media develops in the outer ear canal, an ENT specialist should be consulted urgently before it progresses.” (İHA)
