A new report by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta reports that Americans spend in the neighborhood of $500 million a year in doctors visits to treat swimmer’s ear.
According to their statistics, in the United States, swimmer’s ear results in roughly 2.4 million doctors visits per year, at an around $200 per visit.
Swimmer’s ear is an infection that happens when water sits in the ear-canal and provides an ideal breeding ground for harmful bacteria. The summer swimming season tends to be the worst time of year, given that public pools usually have heavier concentrations of these bacteria.
Aside from the financial toll, the competitive losses are similarly staggering. The pain from swimmer’s ear is unbearable, and the treatment usually involves several weeks out of the water. In the middle of a swim season, total absence like that can ruin performance. Not only that, but the infection can linger for months, which makes swimming an unpleasant experience and gives swimmers bad memories of their time in the pool.
Prevention is the key to a safe, healthy, happy summer in the pool. Get your swimmers into a healthy ear regiment early. Treat swimmer’s ear prevention like any other thing you do in practice. Much like stretching, it’s an important step to take care of your body, and if treated as such it can be an easy fix.
For more tips on how to prevent swimmer’s ear, check out this article.
