Ear wax acts as a physical barrier, actually keeping bacteria away from ear surfaces.Even taking a Q-tip to clean out wax can scratch the ear canal and cause an infection.Įar wax protects the ear from infection in three main ways: Anything that causes the protective barriers of ear wax to break down can lead to an infection. Though it's called swimmer's ear, children can get this infection whether or not they've been swimming. 'If the pain worsens when you pull on the ear, it may be a sign of an external ear infection.' What causes swimmer's ear? 'Swimmer's ear can cause very severe pain due to significant swelling in an area with many nerves,' says Felicity Lenes-Voit, M.D., an ear, nose and throat specialist at Children's Health℠. In addition to ear pain, children with swimmer's ear may experience muffled hearing or fluid that drains out of the ear. It's caused when bacteria or fungi break into the soft tissue and begin to grow and spread. Swimmer's ear (otitis externa) is an infection in the soft tissue of the outer ear, which is the part of the ear you can see outside of the eardrum. Resources for Transgender Youth and Their Families.Pediatric Clinical Trials & Experimental Medication.Nursing Transition to Practice Programs.Child Life and Music Therapy Training Opportunities.Fellowship and Subspecialty Training Programs.Children’s Health is proud to become the first pediatric health system in the country to offer Amazon Lockers, self-service kiosks that allow you to pick up your Amazon packages when and where you need them most – 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Home remedies for ear infection