Thanks to all for your advice. Yes it hurt just like a knife and really shook me up as I have had no problems before this.
One last potentially dumb question. As I am treating it can I continue with my swim sessions? Normally I would just can them for a few days until I was sure it’s better but I am working with a swim coach twice a month for hourly sessions and my next session is tomorrow. Will my head fall off if I swim another hour with this problem. Thanks
Swimmers ear sometimes hurts like that - like a knife shooting down your ear canal, and going further than you thought possible. Just shake the water out of your ear, and wait it out, the sharp pain will clear and usually won’t come back for the duration of the swim. When it gets bad, it’ll hurt/throb all the time. Either way, the white vineger/alcohol should clear it right up.
Well, just from personal experience, I never had any problems swimming while treating swimmers ear. Most college/HS swimmers pretty much always have some level of swimmers ear. I only had it badly once - one ear canal almost closed up, both ears throbbed constantly, and I was cleaning green stuff out of them. But I was 15, it was the first time I got it, I didn’t know what it was, so I let it go on way to long. what did I do for it? … alcohol and viniger drops (and I think earplugs for a couple days that time). Definately did not stop swimming (4+ hours a day at point). Probably should have seen a doctor that time though : )
Usually when you get the knifing pain, just roar for a while underwater while holding the afflicted side of your head (Well, that is what I used to do anyway ;), then shake the water out… once the initial pain drops, the pain should be much less the rest of practice (this would often happen to me 10-15 minutes into of a 2+ hour practice). When you finish the practice, shake/dry your ears really well (do this everytime you swim… duh), and then put the drops in. If you put drops in pretty regularly (2-3 times a week for me, swimming six days a week) even when you arn’t feeling any pain, you can avoid the problem completely. Of course, you’ll smell like vineger, which can cause other problems. The store bought stuff doesn’t smell as bad, but costs a lot more and isn’t quite as effective (or… maybe it doesn’t seem as effective because it doesn’t smell strongly…).
If it doesn’t improve w/treatment, see a doctor like these other posters are saying. I definately am not a doctor, and I really have no idea why the sharp pain happens like that sometimes, while at other times, swimmers ear is a constant/throbbing pain. You should be pain free in just a couple days of treatment, while continuing swimming.