via health.usnews.com: Study: Swimmer's Ear Costs $500 Million Annually
GMM: The link above is a great report if you've ever suffered from ear infections. I used to get ear infections all the time.
When I was an age group swimmer (specifically 12 and under), my ears would become so inflamed the canals would swell shut. The pain tormented me. I used to sleep on the floor with my ear resting on the vent. The air conditioning blowing on my ear all night long was my only relief.
Several doctors told my mom and dad I couldn't swim anymore without permanently damaging my ears. Thankfully my parents didn't listen to them. They kept going to more doctors until we found one that said I could swim. This doctor was my savior. I remember my dad getting a little teary-eyed when the doc shrugged nonchalantly, Your boy's fine. He can keep swimming. He just needs to prepare before getting his ears wet. He was sort of a goofy looking guy, this doctor that I came to rely on so much. His was hair longer and unkempt, clothes disheveled. He joked a lot more than most doctors too. As a matter of fact, I think he may be my most favorite doctor of all-time...I just wish I could remember his name.
Anyway, I was in a bad place. My ears were routinely getting infected and swollen shut. So the doctor created a prevention plan for me that included stuffing my ears with cotton, wax putty, then Vaseline, all encased in a thick rubber swimcap, the kind your grandma used to wear. It worked. More accurately, it allowed me to grow and mature a few more years, long enough to do what most smart swimmers do: clear, clean and dry your ears after practice with a solution of vinegar and rubbing alcohol... That's the method I still use to this day.
GOLD MEDAL MEDIA
(I swam, I swim, and as a swimmer I love swimming)
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