According to the Center for Disease control 6.2 million cases of swimmer's ear occurs every year in our country. Both children and adults in Southwest Florida are included in that number and will experience its painful symptoms.

Ciara Richard has a unique way to tell if she has water in her ear after a long day of swimming. "If you go like this, it sounds like a trampoline. I usually go underwater."

Excessive water in the ear canal can break down the protective barriers and allow bacteria in, which in turn can cause an infection known as swimmers ear. Ciara says that "it hurt really bad in my ear. And it was sore."

Pediatrician Emilio Del Valle says that you can take action to prevent it. "What we recommend to parents is that if they're going underwater all the time in the summer, that they rinse their ears a lot when they're going inside the house."

Dr. Del Valle also says that you can rinse your child's ear with two simple ingredients mixed together---and you may even have them in your home already. "Get the mixture of alcohol and white vinegar, or even buy it and put it in the canal when they're going in for the night to dry out the water and to kill the bacteria in the canal."

Before using any form of eardrops in an infected ear, check with your physician to be sure that the eardrum has not been perforated.

Pediatricians recommend that patients with swimmers ear refrain from swimming for one week or longer after treatment for this condition.