18/04/2026
𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡, 𝐏𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐄𝐚𝐫 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞: 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 🌊👂☀️
Not every health habit starts when something hurts. Sometimes, it starts much earlier — in small everyday details that seem almost too simple to matter: how you dry off after swimming, whether you keep touching your ear, what you do after several swims in the same day, or how you care for a child who has spent hours going in and out of the pool.
When warmer days arrive, the beach and the pool quickly become part of the routine. We remember sunscreen, hydration and sun protection… but one small area is often overlooked: the ears.
And the truth is, ear care in summer does not usually depend on complicated products or “special tricks.” Most of the time, what works best is surprisingly simple: avoid irritation, avoid over-cleaning, and help the ear return to its natural balance after time in the water.
𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 “𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆”
This is probably the most important point of all.
Many people still believe that good ear care means cleaning deeply, removing every trace of moisture or wax, or making the ear feel “completely dry” inside. But the ear does not work that way. The outer ear canal has its own natural protection, and earwax is part of that protection. It is not simply something to remove. It helps protect the skin and maintain a healthier environment inside the ear canal.
That is why one of the best preventive habits is not doing more — it is stopping the habit of putting things inside the ear.
No cotton swabs.
No fingernails.
No rolled-up tissue.
No towel corners.
No “just for a second to dry it.”
Very often, the thing people do to “help” is exactly what causes irritation.
𝑨𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒘𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈: 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑𝒔 💧
After time in the water, there is no need for complicated routines. A few simple steps are usually enough.
The best approach is to gently dry only the outside of the ear with a clean towel. No rubbing aggressively, and no trying to reach into the ear canal. It can also help to tilt the head to one side and then the other to allow trapped water to drain naturally.
That small movement is often more effective than people think.
If someone swims frequently or spends long periods in the water, it can also be helpful to let the ears air out for a few moments before putting on earbuds, headphones, tight caps or anything that creates friction or warmth around the area.
The goal is not to create a complicated “post-swim ritual.” The goal is simply to let the ear recover naturally without unnecessary irritation.
𝑭𝒓𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒘𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔 🏊♀️
Swimming once in a while is not the same as spending several days in a row at the beach or pool. It is also not the same to take one quick dip versus going in and out of the water all afternoon.
The more frequent the exposure, the more helpful it becomes to pay attention to small preventive habits:
✅ Dry the outer ear after every swim
✅ Avoid touching inside the ear, even if it still feels a little damp
✅ Change wet caps or accessories if they stay on for a long time
✅ Let the ears rest between swims if they feel sensitive
✅ Do not share earplugs or personal ear accessories
Summer ear care is often not about treatment. It is about routine.
𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒑𝒍𝒖𝒈𝒔: 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅 🎧
Earplugs can be useful in some cases, but they are not automatically necessary for everyone. Some people do perfectly well without them. Others may benefit from them, especially if they swim often, spend long periods in the water, or have more sensitive ears.
If earplugs are used, they should be:
✔️ Comfortable
✔️ Properly fitted
✔️ Designed for water use
✔️ Clean and well maintained
Poorly fitting earplugs can create friction, discomfort or even encourage more touching and adjusting — which defeats the purpose.
For children especially, comfort matters. If earplugs become a struggle every time, they stop being part of a healthy routine and become a source of stress.
𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒏, 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 👦🏖️
Children do not always notice ear discomfort the same way adults do, and they do not always explain it clearly. That is why the simpler the routine, the better.
Helpful habits for children include:
✔️ Gently drying the outside of the ear after swimming
✔️ Avoiding scratching or touching the ear
✔️ Changing wet clothing or accessories when they have been on too long
✔️ Watching for discomfort when drying hair, brushing or lying on one side
In children, prevention is often about avoiding the usual chain: swimming, trapped moisture, touching the ear, irritation.
And during long summer days, ear care can be treated like sunscreen or hydration — just another normal part of the routine.
𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒐𝒏 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒅𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 “𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉”
Adults often know what they should not do… but habits are hard to change.
“I always clean my ears this way.”
“I’m just drying them a little.”
“It’s only a quick cotton swab.”
But repeated small habits can irritate the ear more than people realize.
After frequent swimming or water sports, it helps to avoid:
✔️ Cotton swabs “just to finish drying”
✔️ Earbuds while the ear still feels damp
✔️ Repeatedly touching the ear because it feels “blocked”
✔️ Ignoring recurring discomfort after beach or pool days
Sometimes the best prevention is simply changing one automatic habit.
𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒖𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒓, 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆
Good ear care at the beach or pool does not require obsession. It requires common sense.
Dry the outside.
Do not invade the ear canal.
Use proper earplugs only when they truly help.
Avoid unnecessary friction and over-cleaning.
Keep routines simple for both children and adults.
At Centro Médico Villar e Ibarra, we believe good medicine also belongs in everyday life — in those small decisions that quietly prevent bigger problems later on. Because many summer discomforts are not avoided with dramatic measures, but with simple habits, repeated consistently and understood well 💙
📌 This summer, while you protect your skin and stay hydrated, take a few extra seconds to care for your ears too. Sometimes, that small habit makes all the difference.
