Your child spent the whole day doing cannonballs in the Chaweng resort pool, and by bedtime one ear hurts to touch. It is one of the most common evening calls we get from parents on Samui. Child ear pain after swimming almost always has a simple cause and a quick fix, but it does get worse if it is left alone for days.
Here is what is probably going on, what you can safely do in your hotel room tonight, and the signs that mean your child should see a doctor rather than wait it out. Doctor Samui checks children’s ears every day at our 24/7 clinic on Chaweng Beach Road.
Why Pool Days Cause Sore Ears in Kids
Hours in the water leave the ear canal wet, and warm, wet skin is exactly what germs like. The result is swimmer’s ear, or otitis externa, an infection of the canal itself. It is different from the middle ear infections children get with colds. Swimmer’s ear hurts on the outside: tugging the earlobe or pressing the flap in front of the ear brings sharp pain. Kids on Samui are prime candidates because they swim morning to night, in pools and in warm sea water at places like Lamai and Choeng Mon.
Middle ear infections behave differently. They often follow a cold or a flight, the pain feels deep, touching the ear changes nothing, and fever is more common. The two need different treatment, which is one reason guessing with pharmacy drops is risky in children.
What Parents Can Safely Do First
Take a break from swimming, tonight and tomorrow. Tilt your child’s head to let trapped water drain, and gently dry the outer ear with a soft towel. Nothing goes inside the canal: no cotton buds, no tissue twists, no fingers, because they scratch the skin and pack things deeper. Children’s pain relief from a pharmacy can help your child sleep; ask the pharmacist for guidance on what suits your child’s age. A warm cloth held against the ear comforts many kids too.
Do not pour drops from home or from a pharmacy shelf into a child’s painful ear before a doctor has looked at it. If the eardrum has a hole, some drops are unsafe. And if your child has ear tubes or grommets, skip all drops until a doctor advises.
When to Come In (and What We Do)
See a doctor if the pain lasts more than a day, if there is any discharge from the ear, fever, swelling around the ear, or muffled hearing, or if your child is under two, because little ones are harder to judge at home. Come in before any flight home: never let a child fly with severe ear pain until a doctor has checked the ear. Treated early, swimmer’s ear usually settles fast, and most kids are cleared to swim again within about a week.
At Doctor Samui, our English-speaking doctors look in the ear with an otoscope, clean the canal gently if needed, and give the right prescription treatment from our on-site pharmacy. We are open 24/7 in Chaweng, we quote before any treatment, and we bill most travel insurers directly. Too late for a taxi? We do hotel visits.
Sore Ear After Swimming: Parent Checklist
- Pause all swimming until the ear is pain free or a doctor clears it
- Let water drain out and towel-dry the outer ear gently
- Keep everything out of the ear canal, especially cotton buds
- Ask a pharmacist about children’s pain relief for the night
- No ear drops before a doctor has seen the eardrum
- See a doctor for pain beyond a day, fever, or any discharge
- Never fly with a child’s severe ear pain unchecked – get it seen first
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I tell swimmer’s ear from a middle ear infection?
The tug test helps. Gently pull the earlobe or press the small flap in front of the ear. Sharp pain suggests swimmer’s ear in the canal. Deep pain that does not change with touch, especially after a cold, suggests a middle ear infection. A doctor confirms it in minutes with an otoscope.
Can my child keep swimming with mild ear pain?
No, give the ear a rest. More water keeps the canal wet and feeds the infection, turning a mild niggle into real pain within a day or two. Most kids are back in the pool within about a week once treatment starts. A short break now protects the rest of the holiday.
Do earplugs prevent swimmer’s ear?
They help some children, especially kids who get repeated infections, and a snug swim cap over the ears adds protection. Drying the ears after swimming matters just as much: tilt the head each way and towel the outside. Ask our doctors at your visit; prevention advice is part of the checkup.
We fly home in two days and my child’s ear hurts. What now?
Have the ear checked today. Cabin pressure changes are painful on an inflamed ear and can damage the eardrum in a bad infection. With early treatment, many children are comfortable enough to fly safely, and the doctor will tell you honestly if the ear needs more time. We are open 24/7 for exactly this.
Can you use adult ear drops on a child?
Please do not. Some adult drops are unsuitable for children, and no drops should go into a painful ear before a doctor has confirmed the eardrum is intact. A quick otoscope check at our Chaweng clinic removes the guesswork and gets your child the right children’s treatment straight away.
Walk in at Chaweng Beach Road, or message us and we reply in minutes. Doctor hotel visits available anywhere on Koh Samui.
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