Usually, you don’t have to do anything before swimming, but make sure you dry the inside of your ears well. If water stays in your ears for a long time, the skin in your ear canal will get soggy, and they can get infected more easily. If you go swimming a lot, it’s a good idea to get swim plugs made for your ears to try and keep the water out of them. Find out more.

Ear wax actually helps protect your ears from water, so it’s worth knowing should you remove all your ear wax before you swim. For more tips on keeping your ears healthy in and around the water, visit our Swimming & Surfing Ear Care hub.