Hold the ear lobe or outer ear and wiggle it.

Do you feel any pain or does the pain you already have get worse?

Yes No

Yes?

Continue

Push on the little "bump" in front of your ear.

Is there any pain or does the pain you already have get worse?

Yes No

No?
You may want to see a doctor if you think you have swimmer's ear.

Swimmer's ear is infection of the external ear and pushing on this area should give you some kind of discomfort.

Continue

Are you experiencing itching in your ear canal?

Yes No

No?
Hmmm. Swimmer's ear symptoms usually include itching in the ear canal.

Continue

What about feeling of fullness inside the ear?

Yes No

No such feeling?
Usually with swimmer's ear, accumulated debris in the ear gives you a feeling of fullness in the ear.

This is especially so when they trap water inside hence the name swimmer's ear.
If you think it is swimmer's ear, then let's Continue.

Continue

If answer is yes so far, suspect swimmer's ear infection.

If you are thinking swimmer's ear, most of the time you will have to see a doctor. You will need some kind of antibiotic, steroidal or acetic acid ear drops and even removal of the debris in the ear.

Let's see how bad it is and determine the best course of action to take.

Continue

Seek urgent care or call the doctor.

Urgent Care Continue

Does the ear appear red or swollen?

Yes No

Seek urgent care or call the doctor.

Urgent Care Continue

Do you have fever with this ear pain?

Yes No

Seek urgent care or call your doctor.

Urgent Care Continue

What about severe pain that goes to your face or neck?

Or side of the head?

Yes No

Seek urgent care or call your doctor.

Urgent Care Continue

Are you experiencing swelling in the lymph nodes in your neck?

Yes No

Seek urgent care or call your doctor.

Urgent Care Continue

Is your ear canal completely blocked?

Yes No

Seek urgent care or call your doctor.

Urgent Care Continue

Doctors classify swimmer's ear infection into mild,  moderate and advanced.

If you answered No to the questions so far, then you do not have the advanced stage of progression. At least not yet.

Let's see if we are looking at the moderate stage of swimmer's ear infection.

Continue

This is a symptom of a moderate stage of swimmer's ear infection.

Continue

What about partial blockage of your ear canal by swelling or fluid?

Yes No

Yes?
This is a sign of a moderate stage of swimmer's ear infection.

Continue

Is the itching getting more intense?

Yes No

Yes?

Continue

What about increasing ear pain?

Yes No

Yes?

Continue

Is your hearing muffled and reduced?

Yes No

Yes?

Continue

Alright.
Those were the signs and symptoms of a moderate stage.

The moderate case of a swimmer's ear infection require professional care. You should seek urgent care or call the doctor if you think you are looking at one.

We are talking about an infection here, and it will become worse the more you delay treatment. You need to get started on some antibiotics, steroidal ear drop or something to dry out the fluid.

Would you like to see the nearest urgent care clinic to you or Continue?

Urgent Care Continue

Continue

Are you seeing drainage of clear, odorless fluid

Yes No

Yes?
This is a sign of a mild case of swimmer's ear infection.

When you start seeing yellow to yellowish green pus, then you will be looking at a moderate case.

Continue

Are you experiencing a mild pain made worse by pulling on the ear?

Yes No

Yes?
If the pain is not intense, then you are probably looking at a mild case.

Continue

Is the ear canal slightly red?

And itchy?

Yes No

Yes?
Probably looking at a mild case of swimmer's ear infection.

Continue

Those were signs and symptoms of a mild case of swimmer's ear infection.

If you think it is a swimmer's ear infection, if mild or not, we strongly recommend you see the doctor as soon as possible to avoid further damage to the ear.

The keyword here is infection. So you will need an antibiotic ear drop.

Would you like to visit the nearest urgent care clinic or see what a pharmacist recommend you do for swimmer's ear until you can see a doctor?

Urgent Care Continue