What do Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz and Johnny Weissmuller have in common? Yes, they are all men. They are all swimmers. Certainly, all were Olympic athletes and in fine physical condition (or were, at least in Weissmuller’s case – he died in 1984).

Yes, all managed to capitalize on their Olympics success – Phelps with his many endorsements, Spitz in his famous poster displaying his seven Olympic medals, Weissmuller with a career in the movies playing Tarzan and later appearing as TV’s “Jungle Jim.”

Give up? Well, the extensive time they all spent in the water means they all were more susceptible than the average person to swimmer’s ear, an outer ear canal infection that is most often caused by water remaining in the ear after swimming.

Anyone who spends a lot of time in the water – as most Olympic swimmers do when they train for the gold – are more susceptible to swimmer’s ear. When water clogs the ear canal and can’t be extracted, the warm, moist conditions of the ear allow bacteria to thrive. It’s a painful condition that can lead to serious complications if the ear’s membrane has an opening.

What Causes Swimmer's Ear?

Swimmer’s ear is also known by the names acute external otitis or otitis externa. The infection is caused by bacteria that enters the skin inside the ear canal, which can be damaged by poking the ear canal with fingers, cotton swabs or other objects. This breaks the thin skin lining the ear canal and allows harmful bacteria to enter.