Featured Myth  

Someone you know shares a health tip with you? Or maybe you’ve heard health information that sounds far-fetched?

In this « Myth or reality? » section, you’ll find beliefs that aren’t always true. Though they can be amusing, they can also be harmful to your health.

To help you see clearly, here are some topics written by PROXIM pharmacists.

Answer:

Swimmer's ear, or acute otitis externa, is an infection of the external ear canal. It can occur at any age, but is found mostly in children and adolescents 5 to 14 years of age.

One of the most frequent causes of acute otitis externa is swimming. In fact, the accumulation of water in the ear canal promotes the multiplication of bacteria. This is why it is better to dry the ears with a tissue or a towel after swimming.

Excessive cleaning of the ear canal also promotes swimmer's ear, because it leads to an excessive withdrawal of vernix. Vernix, or ear wax, helps avoid infections by preventing bacteria from spreading. Moreover, cotton swabs should be avoided when cleaning ears. They may injure the ear canal and push the vernix futher inside. A regular cleaning with a face cloth is enough and will help avoid an excessive removal of vernix.

Other measures can also help prevent swimmer's ear. For more information, don't hesitate to consult a health advisor.