Q: How do people get ear infections?
A: Dealing with ear infections isn’t pleasant. They can manifest as heat, itchiness or pain in your ears, even causing pressure or hindering your ability to hear. Occasionally, fluid may even leak from your ear.
Outer ear infections typically occur after activities like swimming, during which water enters the ear canal and may come into contact with the eardrum. Failure to remove water can create an environment conducive to bacterial growth, leading to infection.
Bacteria may enter the ear through water, especially in natural bodies like rivers or lakes. Alternatively, overgrowth of naturally occurring bacteria on the skin or within the body can lead to infection.
In response, the immune system dispatches white blood cells to combat the bacteria. This leads to inflammation, characterized by swelling and redness in the ear lining, often accompanied by pain.