You’ve just taken a shower or a bath. Do you ever feel your ears clogged up? Do sounds seem muffled to you? You might have water inside your ears.

Even earbuds can cause sweat to get trapped in the ear canal. You can get an infection called swimmer’s ear if you do not take action soon. If water is left in your ear canal for a long time, the bacteria can multiply. This will lead to an infection.

You must get the water safely out. If you do it incorrectly, you may increase your chances of getting swimmer’s ear. You have to dry your ears with extra care if you have a eardrum that has ruptured.

How to remove water from your ears

Follow these steps if you have water in the ears to safely remove it:

• With a soft cloth or towel, dry your outer ear. Do not stick the cloth in the canal.
• To help drain water, tilt your head over to the side. Gently pull on your earlobe. Straightening your ear canal will help water flow.
• Blow your hair dryer toward your ear. Keep it at least one foot away.
• Try using over-the counter drying drops.

Do’s and don’ts to get water out of your ears

The wrong method of removing water from your ears may cause your ear canal to be scratched or earwax to get stuck in the canal. Avoid these methods to dry out your ears. You will increase, not decrease, the risk of infection. For Ear wax removal, consider www.earwax.co.uk/

• Avoid cotton swabs. Cotton swabs can cause earwax to be packed into your ear canal. They may also remove the protective wax, disturb the bacteria that live in the ear and irritate your thin skin.
• Do not stick your fingers or nails in your ears. The delicate skin in the ear canal can be scratched.