Ear infection treatment in Bang Tao
Three days of swimming and now one ear is throbbing. It hurts to lie on that side, tugging your earlobe makes you wince, and the pain has kept you awake since two in the morning. This is swimmer’s ear, and on a beach holiday it is one of the most common problems we treat. Ear infection treatment in Bang Tao usually means antibiotic ear drops, and the pain settles within a couple of days.
Outer ear or middle ear
The two are treated completely differently, which is why an examination matters more than guessing from symptoms.
Outer ear infection — swimmer’s ear — affects the canal itself. Water softens the skin lining the canal and lets bacteria in. The canal looks red and swollen, and the giveaway is that pulling the earlobe or pressing the small flap in front of the ear hurts sharply.
Middle ear infection sits behind the eardrum, usually follows a cold, is far commoner in children, and does not hurt when you tug the ear. Drops do very little for it, because the medication cannot reach behind an intact eardrum.
Why Bang Tao produces so many of these
Days in warm sea water, then a pool, then a humid environment where the canal never fully dries. Warm and damp is close to ideal for the bacteria involved.
Add cotton buds, which strip out the protective wax and scratch the canal lining, and the conditions are close to perfect. Wax is not the enemy here — it is mildly acidic and antibacterial and it is actively protecting you. Cleaning it out before a week of swimming makes swimmer’s ear more likely, not less. See ear wax removal for when wax genuinely does need clearing.
How it is treated
Outer ear infections are treated with antibiotic ear drops, often combined with a steroid to reduce swelling. Drops work considerably better than tablets for this because they reach the infection directly and in high concentration.
If the canal is too swollen for drops to penetrate, a small wick is placed to carry the medication through — uncomfortable for a moment, and it makes the difference between the drops working and not.
Pain relief matters and is often underdone. This is genuinely painful, and paracetamol or ibuprofen should be taken regularly for the first couple of days rather than only when it becomes unbearable. Improvement is usually clear within 48 hours, and drops are continued for the full course even once it feels better.
Keeping water out while it heals
This decides whether it clears in three days or drags on for two weeks.
No swimming and no diving until it has settled. When showering, keep the ear dry — a smear of petroleum jelly on a cotton ball at the entrance of the canal works well and is far more effective than trying to keep your head at an angle.
Do not put anything into the canal to dry it, including cotton buds. Tilt your head and let it drain, and dry the outer ear only.
When to come back the same day
Return, or go to a hospital, if there is:
- Swelling or redness spreading onto the skin behind or below the ear
- A fever alongside the ear pain
- Sudden loss of hearing
- Dizziness or a spinning sensation
- Facial weakness on the same side
- Pain worsening despite two days of drops
Redness and tenderness over the bone behind the ear can indicate mastoiditis, which needs hospital treatment rather than stronger drops.
Preventing the next one
People who get swimmer’s ear once frequently get it again on the same trip, and a few habits prevent that.
Dry your ears after every swim by tilting your head to each side and letting water run out, then drying only the outer ear. Leave the wax alone entirely. If you swim daily, well-fitted swimming earplugs are the single most effective measure and are worth buying.
Drying drops containing alcohol and acetic acid, used after swimming, help people who are prone to it — but never use them if the eardrum might be perforated or if the ear is currently painful, because they sting severely and can cause damage. Ask before using them rather than after.
If you are diving, do not return to the water until the canal has fully settled. A swollen canal or an inflamed eardrum will not equalise, and diving on one risks perforation and a considerably longer problem — worth confirming before booking, particularly if a medical certificate is involved.
Frequently asked questions
How much does treatment cost?
A consultation plus ear drops is inexpensive, and one course usually resolves it. You are quoted the total before the medication is dispensed.
How soon can I swim again?
Usually about a week, and only once the pain has gone and the canal has settled. Returning to the water too early is the main reason these infections recur.
Can I dive?
Not until it is fully healed. A swollen canal or inflamed eardrum will not equalise and diving risks perforation. Ask for a check before returning to the water.
Can a doctor come to my hotel?
Yes. A doctor hotel visit carries an otoscope and can examine the ear and supply drops in your room.
Are ear infections contagious?
No. You cannot pass swimmer’s ear to anyone else, though several people swimming in the same water can each develop it independently.
My child keeps getting ear infections. Is that different?
Children more often get middle ear infections, which follow colds rather than swimming and are treated differently — usually with pain relief and sometimes oral antibiotics rather than drops. It needs examining to tell which.
Come in, or we come to you
Take Care Medical Clinic Bang Tao is open open 24 hours, 7 days a week on Bandon Road in Cherng Talay, a few minutes from Bang Tao Beach and Laguna Phuket. Walk in without an appointment, call +66 81 718 9080, or message us on WhatsApp. If you would rather not move, ask for a doctor hotel visit and we will come to your room.