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Article: Swimmer's Ear.
- Article from:
- Pediatrics for Parents
- Article date:
- April 1, 1998
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1998 Pediatrics for Parents, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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"Ouch! My ear hurts, Mom." And it's the middle of summer. Chances are your child is suffering from otitis externa. Known also as "swimmer's ear," otitis externa is an infection of the ear canal. Although this condition can occur throughout the year, it usually arises in the summer because of the higher humidity, increased perspiration, and ... swimming.
The ear canal is the narrow tube-like structure leading to the ear drum. Its main function is to direct sound waves toward the eardrum. To do this, the ear canal must remain open and infection-free. The ear canal accomplishes this in a number of ways: it has a self-cleaning mechanism that prevents keratin (a ...