Ear Infection in Alanya: Ear Pain After Swimming or Flying
Ear pain on holiday is usually one of two things: a middle ear infection behind the eardrum, or swimmer’s ear in the ear canal. Both are painful and both are treatable. Pain relief helps immediately; whether antibiotics or ear drops are needed depends on which one it is, and that requires looking inside the ear.
What it is
Acute otitis media is an infection of the middle ear, behind the eardrum. It usually follows a cold, is most common in children, and causes deep, throbbing pain, often worse lying down, with fever and muffled hearing. Small children who cannot explain it pull at the ear, wake screaming and refuse to feed.
Otitis externa — swimmer’s ear — is an infection of the ear canal itself, caused by water sitting in the canal. The pain is worse when the outer ear is pulled or pressed, and there is often itching and discharge. It is treated with ear drops, not tablets, which is exactly why it matters that someone looks in the ear before treating.
A third cause is barotrauma from flying or diving with a blocked nose — pressure damage rather than infection.
Symptoms
- Ear pain, often throbbing and worse at night
- Reduced or muffled hearing on that side
- Fever, especially in children
- Discharge from the ear — which usually relieves the pain, and means the eardrum has perforated
- In babies and toddlers: pulling at the ear, unusual crying, poor feeding, disturbed sleep
- In swimmer's ear: itching, and pain when the outer ear is touched
Clinic hours: 09:00–19:00, seven days a week
House calls: 24/7
What helps before you are seen
- Painkillers. Paracetamol or ibuprofen at the correct dose for age and weight. This is the single most effective thing you can do, and it works within an hour.
- Keep the ear dry — no swimming or diving until it has been assessed.
- A warm compress against the ear can ease the pain.
- Sleep propped up rather than flat.
Do not put oil, warmed drops or anything else into an ear that is discharging or might have a perforated eardrum, and do not use cotton buds. Do not use leftover ear drops from a previous illness — the wrong drops in a perforated ear can cause real harm.
When to call a doctor
- Severe pain, or pain that is not controlled by painkillers
- Fever above 38.5 °C with ear pain
- Any discharge of pus or blood from the ear
- Ear pain in a child under two
- Swelling, redness or tenderness of the bone behind the ear, or an ear pushed forward — seek help urgently
- Dizziness, severe hearing loss, facial weakness, or a stiff neck — call 112
- Symptoms not improving after 48 hours
112 is the emergency number in Turkey — free from any phone, answered in English.
Prevention
How to avoid it
- Dry the ears after swimming — tilt the head each way and dry the outer ear gently
- Do not put cotton buds in the ear canal
- Do not dive or fly with a heavily blocked nose
- Swallow, yawn or chew during descent on a flight; for children, a drink or a dummy helps
What we do
Getting seen in Alanya
Oguzhan Care sees this at the clinic in Oba and on house calls to hotels and apartments across Alanya, 24 hours a day. The doctor examines you, treats what can be treated on the spot, and writes the report your insurer will want.
FAQ
Ear Infection (Otitis Media): common questions
No. Many middle ear infections in older children and adults settle with pain relief alone, and delaying antibiotics for 48 hours is a recognised approach. Antibiotics are more clearly indicated in children under two, in severe infection, and when both ears are affected.
It means the eardrum has probably perforated and released the pressure. The pain relief is real, but it does need to be examined, and the ear must be kept dry.
No, not until it has healed. Water makes both types worse, and swimming with a perforated eardrum risks a much more serious infection.
Yes. The doctor carries an otoscope, so the ear is examined and treated in your room.
Read next
Related pages
Medical disclaimer. This page is general health information, not a diagnosis and not a substitute for a consultation. If someone is unconscious, struggling to breathe, bleeding heavily or having chest pain, call 112 — the Turkish emergency number — immediately.
Written and medically reviewed by Dr. Oğuzhan Özkan, physician, Alanya. Last reviewed: 11 August 2026.
Feeling ill in Alanya right now?
A doctor can be at your hotel within the hour. Call or message — we answer 24/7.