In a new study, researchers found that trapped water in the ear canal can cause infection and even damage, but one of the most common methods people use to get rid of water in their ears can also cause complications.
They found that shaking the head to free trapped water can cause brain damage in small children.
The research was conducted by a team at Cornell University and Virginia Tech.
The research mainly focuses on the acceleration required to get the water out of the ear lobe.
The critical acceleration that we obtained experimentally on glass tubes and 3D printed ear canals was around the range of 10 times the force of gravity for infant ear sizes, which could cause damage to the brain.
For adults, the acceleration was lower due to the larger diameter of the ear canals.
The team says the overall volume and position of the water in the canal changes the acceleration needed to remove it.
From the experiments and theoretical model, the researchers figured out that surface tension of the fluid is one of the crucial factors promoting the water to get stuck in ear canals.
Luckily, they say there is a solution that does not involve any head shaking.
Presumably, putting a few drops of a liquid with lower surface tension than water, like alcohol or vinegar, in the ear would reduce the surface tension force allowing the water to flow out.
One author of the study is Anuj Baskota.
The study was presented at the American Physical Society’s Division of Fluid Dynamics 72nd Annual Meeting.
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