“Can swimmer's ears cause deafness?”
Is it possible for one to become deaf because of swimmer's ear??
12 Answers
A swimmer's ear can cause a loss of hearing if the canal becomes swollen shut or filled with debris from the infection. This hearing loss will completely recover once this infection resolves. In very rare circumstances, the infection, if untreated or if a severely immunocompromised state is present, could progress deeper into the skull. At this point, permanent hearing loss could result.
Not complete deafness, but temporary muffled hearing until the infection has resolved.
Dr. Joni K. Doherty
Ear-Nose and Throat Doctor (ENT) | Otology & Neurotology
Los Angeles, California
It is very unlikely for swimmer's ear, which is an outer ear infection (i.e., involves the ear canal rather than middle or inner ear) to cause permanent hearing loss, but it may cause blockage of your ear canal due to debris or pus. If you spend a lot of time in cold water, then your ear canal may already be narrowed by overgrowth of the bone lining the ear canal - this is called exostoses or "surfer's ear" and sometimes requires surgery to remove the bone overgrowth.
Hello,
No, it shouldn't unless it is an extreme case in diabetics called Malignant Otitis Externa.
Dr. D
No, it shouldn't unless it is an extreme case in diabetics called Malignant Otitis Externa.
Dr. D
No, but it can cause a decrease in hearing if the ear canal swells shut.
Marc Kerner, MD
Marc Kerner, MD
No, only outer ear inflammation and mild hearing impairment.
Temporary hearing loss can happen from “swelling” of the ear canal skin and infectious discharge of “swimmer’s ear”. Permanent hearing loss is not related to this condition.
Usually not permanent hearing loss, only temporary with the infection
No other than swelling of the canal that obstructs the sound from getting to the middle and inner ear
Swimmers ear is by definition an infection of the external ear canal; you can get swelling of the canal which can be so severe that you may not hear out of the ear until the swelling goes down. Sometimes a wrong diagnosis can be made or confused as swimmers ear such as a tumor in ear canal, a cholesteatoma of the mastoid, etc., may need an ENT surgeon to evaluate if there is hearing loss following resolution of swimmers ear.
Only if the swimmer has a perforation of the tympanic membrane and the contact with the water starts a serious infection of the middle ear that extends into the inner ear
Not a cause of persistent decreased hearing. May have some temporary decrease if eardrum/ear canal is inflamed.
