The goal of treatment is to stop the infection and let the ear canal heal.
Cleaning the outer ear canal helps ear drops get to all infected areas.
A healthcare professional will use a suction device or ear curet to clean away discharge, clumps of earwax, flaky skin and other debris.
Most often, ear drops that have a mix of the following can treat the infection:
An acidic solution to help restore the ear's natural defenses.
A steroid to reduce swelling and irritation, called inflammation.
An antibiotic to fight bacteria.
An antifungal medicine to fight infection caused by a fungus.
Ask your healthcare professional about the best way to put in ear drops.
Warm the drops by holding the bottle in your hand for a few minutes.
If possible, have someone help you put the drops in your ear.
Lie on your side with your infected ear up for a few minutes after you put in the drops.
During treatment, keep your ears dry to help them heal.
Don't swim or go scuba diving.
Don't wear an earplug, a hearing aid or earbuds until pain and discharge stop.
Don't get water in your ear canal when showering or bathing.
Use a cotton ball coated with petroleum jelly to protect your ear during a shower or bath.
If the infection doesn't get better with treatment, your healthcare professional might take a sample of discharge or debris from your ear and send it to a lab.
That's to look for what's causing the infection.
If the infection is more advanced or ear drops don't clear it up, your healthcare professional might prescribe antibiotics that you take by mouth.
Pain relievers that you can get without a prescription might ease the discomfort of swimmer's ear.
These include ibuprofen, naproxen sodium and acetaminophen.