What causes water in the ear?
Water in the ear can result from a variety of activities and environmental factors:
- Swimming: A frequent cause of water entering the ear canal, particularly during the summer.
- Showering or bathing: Routine hygiene practices can also result in water becoming trapped in the ear.
- Environmental factors: High humidity or immersion in unclean water heightens the risk.
Why does water get stuck in your ear?
Usually, water accumulates in the ear during a shower, bath or through swimming. The water flows into your ear duct and can sometimes generate the characteristic muffled sound.
This is because water floods the ear canal and settles in the ear.It works its way through the slightly sloping ear canal to the eardrum. Due to trapped water, the eardrum cannot move properly and no longer transmits sound completely. That's why you only hear muffled noises accompanied by a low gurgle.
What signs indicate water in the ear?
You will typically hear it rushing and gurgling through the ear canal until it reaches the eardrum. At that point, you will only hear on that side as if through a cotton wool ball. The sounds are muffled and you may also feel dizzy.
