Water in the ears - the concept is rather vague. For example, moisture can enter the external auditory canal. You can determine this by the following symptoms: you notice extremely unpleasant sensations in the ears, feel that something is gurgling inside, pouring out. Not surprisingly, many of them fall into a real panic: did the liquid get into the brain? And if the above signs do not pass when trying to tilt your head to one side and shake it to extract moisture, a person finally becomes convinced that it has "settled" deep in the depths of the skull. It should be emphasized that there is not the slightest reason for such fears: water in the ears can not penetrate beyond the ear canal.
Anatomical details
Water entering the ear - a problem unpleasant, but not fatal. In order to see this, it is enough to recall the basics of anatomy. As you probably remember from the school lessons of biology, each person has not two ears, but six. On both sides of the head is the outer ear, the middle and inner. External consists of the auricle and auditory canal. It is in it that water is collected. However, she will not be able to penetrate any further, since she will come across an obstacle in the form of a tympanic membrane. It is followed by the middle ear, and, accordingly, behind it - the inner ear.
Pain syndrome
Water in the ears can behave quite aggressively: in this case, even after its safe removal you will experience constant noise in the ears;possibly, a sudden decrease in hearing will follow, as well as a feeling of stuffiness. The reason may be that the sulfur cork has swelled from the water. Increasing in size, it blocked the ear canal. Doctors warn: do not try to extract it yourself: your manipulations with cotton buds will lead only to the fact that it penetrates even deeper. It is better to contact LOR - he will professionally do the washing and save you from the deposits of sulfur.
Inflammatory process
Water in the ears can also cause inflammation of the ear canal. In this case, to constant noise, acute pain, itching and characteristic discharge are added. As in the previous version, self-medication is not worth it - in order to kill the infection, you may need antibiotics.
Middle ear
In the ear water: what to do? This question is often asked by frightened patients of the otolaryngologist. If the liquid does not reach the middle ear, there's nothing wrong with that. However, the problem is that the insidious moisture can "go around" and seep through the Eustachian tube - a long channel connecting the middle ear and the nasal cavity. This situation is typical for fans of diving, which "swallow" the water with a nose. In this case, the treatment will require time and effort. You will need special ear drops that can eliminate inflammation.
Solving the problem
There are three ways to extract fluid from the external auditory meatus: jump on one leg while shaking your head vigorously;lie on your side and do a few swallowing movements;carefully insert a thin cotton wool into the ear: it must quickly absorb water.