Ear still blocked two days after the hotel pool in Unawatuna — pharmacy drops first or find a clinic?
Swam in the hotel pool, not the ocean. Next morning one ear felt full; still muffled now, mild discomfort, no fever. Travel forums scream infection. Should I start with pharmacy swimmer drops and waiting, or go straight to a clinic in Galle? Not asking for a prescription — just the usual traveler sequence.
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3 Answers from travellers
Full muffled ear after pool water is often trapped water or early irritation — pharmacy saline or swimmer-style drops and keeping the ear dry for a day is a common first step if there is no fever, severe pain, or discharge. If pain climbs, hearing drops sharply, or you feel unwell, go to a clinic rather than self-escalating random antibiotics. Do not jab cotton buds deep. I will not invent a drug name as gospel; ask the pharmacist what they recommend for water-trapped ears and when to escalate. Ocean or pool, the sequence is similar: dry care first, clinic if it worsens.
Pharmacy drops after a hotel pool, kept it dry, cleared in a day. Clinic only when a friend got real pain.
Buying drops this afternoon and skipping the ocean until it clears. Clinic if pain shows up.
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