Ears are a very sensitive part of the body. They’re delicate, so they need to be taken care of properly in order to avoid any pain or discomfort. This is why it’s important to clean and dry your ears after getting them pierced. You may have heard that you shouldn’t swim right after getting your ears pierced. Some say this because water can cause infections in your ear, while others think it’s because swimming causes the water to get into your ears and cause pain or other issues.
If you’ve got your ears pierced and still want to know if you can swim right away, read on for the answer!
Can You Swim After Getting Ears Pierced?
Swimming after getting your ears pierced is something you should think about because of the risk of infection. The reason that people say you shouldn’t swim right away is that the water can get into your ears and cause an infection.
If you’re going to get your ears pierced, do it in a medical setting where they’ll clean and dry your ears for you. If you want to go swimming right after, then go ahead and do so but be careful not to get any water in your ear!
What’s The Deal With Swimming After Getting Your Ears Pierced?
1. You can swim right away
There are some people who say that you shouldn’t swim right after getting your ears pierced because water can cause infections in your ear. This is simply not true and there is no scientific evidence to back up this claim. If you’re worried about getting an infection, just make sure to clean and dry your ears properly after getting them pierced!
2. You can’t swim soon after getting your ears pierced
Some people also think that you shouldn’t swim soon after getting your ears pierced because the water will get into the wound and cause pain or discomfort. Again, this is a myth. Swimming doesn’t cause any extra pain or discomfort when compared to other activities, so you should be able to go swimming as soon as you want!
3. You shouldn’t swim for X days/weeks
Some people also think that you need to wait for a certain amount of time before swimming after getting your ears pierced, but this isn’t true either. You can get into the water as soon as you want, even if it’s right after getting your ears pierced.
4. You shouldn’t swim if you have a cold
Even if you have a cold, you should be able to swim as long as your ears are healthy. There is no evidence that swimming causes any extra pain or discomfort when you have a cold, so don’t worry about it!
5. Swimming won’t hurt your ears
If you’re worried about getting an infection in your ear or feeling pain from swimming because of your ears, don’t be! The only thing that will cause pain or discomfort is improper cleaning and drying of your ear piercing. Make sure to clean and dry your ears properly after getting them pierced and then go for a swim!
How Does Water Get Into Your Ears And Cause Pain Or Discomfort?
When water gets into the outer ear canal it causes pain and discomfort in a few ways:
- It can irritate the skin in the outer ear canal by causing excessive dryness or by introducing new bacteria or viruses to the area which may cause infection.
- It can irritate the eardrum by increasing pressure on it and potentially causing damage to it. This is especially true if you have been diving or swimming in deep water.
- Water that gets into your ears can cause an increase in pressure, which can cause damage to your ears if you are flying, scuba diving, or driving in a car at high altitudes.
- If water gets into your ears, it will also increase the amount of pressure on the eardrum, which can cause pain and discomfort.
- Water that gets into your ears will also cause a buildup of pressure in the middle ear, which can cause pain and discomfort.
- Water that gets into your ears can also cause changes in the temperature of your ears, which can also cause pain and discomfort.
- Water that gets into your ears can cause infections to occur in the outer ear canal or on the eardrum because water is a breeding ground for bacteria and viruses, which can irritate the skin in your outer ear canal or on your eardrum.
- Water that gets into your ears can cause your swimmer’s ear to flare up and start hurting again if you already have a case of swimmer’s ear.
- Water that gets into your ears can cause you to have a ringing in your ears, which is called tinnitus, which can be very annoying and cause you to not be able to sleep at night or concentrate during the day.
- Water that gets into your ears can also cause the skin in the outer ear canal to become darker than it normally is because water causes the skin in the outer ear canal to lose its elasticity and shrink, which will make the skin in this area look darker than normal for a period of time after swimming or showering.
How To Care For Your Ears After Getting Pierced?
1. Clean your ears with alcohol
A couple of minutes after getting your ears pierced, gently wipe the area around your ear with some alcohol to clean off any excess blood and crusties. This will help prevent infection. You should also clean your ears with alcohol every few hours for the next few days to keep them clean and dry.
2. Rinse out your ears with water
You may want to use a cotton swab or q-tip to gently rinse out your ear piercing every few hours for the first day or two. This will help keep it very clean and reduce the risk of infection.
3. Keep them dry!
It is very important that you keep your ear piercing as dry as possible for at least the next two weeks so that it can heal properly and reduce the risk of infection. Avoid going swimming, taking hot showers, sleeping on damp pillows, etc., while they are healing because they can all cause damage that could delay or even prevent proper healing.
4. Use an earring back if you’re going to sleep
If you’re going to be sleeping for more than a few hours, put on an earring back so that your ear piercing doesn’t get squished and damaged while you are sleeping. This can cause your ears to heal very slowly or even prevent them from healing properly.
5. Don’t change the jewelry right away
It is usually recommended that you don’t change the jewelry in your newly pierced ears until after the first week or two, but this is not true at all! You can change the jewelry as soon as you want to – even if it’s on the same day that they are pierced. Changing the jewelry will help reduce infection and irritation because it will keep your earrings out of your hair and off of your neck and will make cleaning easier so that they stay dry between wears.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important to keep water out of your ears because water can cause a variety of problems to occur in and around your ears. Water can irritate the skin in your outer ear canal and on your eardrum. It can also cause infections to develop in these areas, which will cause you pain and discomfort. It can also cause the skin in the outer ear canal to become darker than it normally is because water causes this area of the skin to lose its elasticity and shrink, which will make the skin in this area look darker than normal for a period of time after swimming or showering.