It is especially important not to instrument ears when the skin is saturated with water, as it is very susceptible to injury, which can lead to external otitis. Avoid swimming in polluted water. Avoid washing hair or swimming if very mild symptoms of acute external otitis begin
Although the use of earplugs, when swimming and shampooing hair, may help prevent external otitis, there are important details in the use of plugs. Hard and poorly fitting earplugs can scratch the ear canal skin and set off an episode. When earplugs are used during an acute episode, either disposable plugs are recommended, or used plugs must be cleaned and dried properly to avoid contaminating the healing ear canal with infected discharge.According to one source, the use of in-ear headphones during otherwise "dry" exercise in the summer has been associated with the development of swimmers ear since the plugs can create a warm and moist environment inside the ears. The source claims that on-ear or over-ear headphones can be a better alternative for preventing swimmers ear. Treatment
Medications
Effective solutions for the ear canal include acidifying and drying agents, used either singly or in combination. When the ear canal skin is inflamed from the acute otitis externa, the use of dilute acetic acid may be painful. Burows solution is a very effective remedy against both bacterial and fungal external otitis. This is a buffered mixture of aluminium sulfate and acetic acid, and is available without prescription in the United States.Ear drops are the mainstay of treatment for external otitis.
Many chromium-containing products, including chromium chloride, chromium citrate, chromium(III) picolinate, chromium(III) polynicotinate are sold as non-prescription dietary supplements. Government-approved health claims
In 2005, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a Qualified Health Claim for chromium picolinate with a requirement for very specific label wording: "One small study suggests that chromium picolinate may reduce the risk of insulin resistance, and therefore possibly may reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. FDA concludes, however, that the existence of such a relationship between chromium picolinate and either insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes is highly uncertain." In 2010, chromium(III) picolinate was approved by Health Canada to be used in dietary supplements. Approved labeling statements included: "...provides support for healthy glucose metabolism." The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) approved claims in 2010 that chromium contributed to normal macronutrient metabolism and maintenance of normal blood glucose concentration. See also
Chromium toxicity

References
Further reading
A "possible resolution of controversies in chromium biology" is suggested by Wolfgang Maret in chapter 9, pp 246–248 of Essential Metals in Medicine: Therapeutic Use and Toxicity of Metal Ions in the Clinic. edited by Astrid Sigel, Eva Freisinger, Roland K. O. Sigel and Peggy L. Carver; de Gruyter GmbH (publisher), 2019 Berlin. "Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Chromium". Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Retrieved 24 February 2013. Chromium in glucose metabolism


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