Don't swimmers worry about water getting into their ears?

Swimmers generally do not worry about water entering their ears.

Under normal circumstances, a small amount of water may enter the ear canal while swimming, which is considered normal. However, the amount of water is usually minimal and tends to drain out naturally when shaking the head, without penetrating deep into the ear. This is primarily because the outer ear contains the eardrum, a thin layer of connective tissue that protects the ear by separating the ear canal from the middle ear. When speaking, the eardrum helps transmit sound waves into the middle ear, resulting in clearer hearing. During swimming, it also acts as a barrier to prevent water from entering deeper parts of the ear. Additionally, due to surface tension, water molecules tend to stick together and are less likely to separate and penetrate into the ear canal. For these reasons, swimmers generally do not fear water entering their ears.

If a small amount of water does enter the ear after swimming, it can usually be dried using a towel or cotton swab. Although water entering the ear during swimming is typically not a concern, the eardrum is relatively delicate. Therefore, it's important to avoid using hard objects to clean the ears in daily life to prevent damaging the eardrum.