Silicone plugs seal out water, infections

If you’re someone who likes to swim frequently, you’ve got good reason to be concerned about “swimmer’s ear” — an infection in the outer portion of the ear canal.

Triathletes, divers, channel swimmers and indoor/outdoor lap swimmers expose their ears to a lot of water — some of it clean, some not so clean.

Many can avoid problems by simply remembering to dry off well after water exposure or by using earplugs.

But which ones? Some choose the old plastic molded standby.

Others swear by beeswax plugs that can be shaped to cover the ear canal and keep out water.

These days a similarly malleable silicone is plugging up a lot of ears.

Though people like silicone earplugs for sound reduction (muffling your partner’s snoring, motorcycle noises, etc.), they’re also good at sealing water out of the ear canal.

Mayo Clinic’s Web site (mayoclinic.com) discusses swimmer’s ear and lists preventive measures — self-sealing earplugs among them.

I recently tried a siliconebased earplug product called BioEars (Cirrus, $8.98 for six).

The company makes ear plugs for a number of applications, but this one contains an antimicrobial agent the manufacturer claims will inhibit growth of microbes. This is a precautionary plus — regular earplugs can get dirty with use and possibly contribute to an ear infection.

I found the BioEars able to seal out water well and diminish sound (which made for a different swimming experience).

Even during vigorous lap swimming and head turning, they stayed in place. When finished, they go back in the box to be reshaped for another use.

Ask for them at most drugstore chains or visit cir rushealthcare.com/BioEars -C14.aspx for details.