It is proposed to allow the sale, without prescription, of a medication that physicians currently prescribe to treat the common ear inflammation called swimmer' s ear   The principal objection is that most people lack the expertise for proper self-diagnosis and might not seek medical help for more serious conditions in the mistaken belief that they have swimmer' s ear  Yet in a recent study, of 1, 000 people who suspected that they had swimmer' s ear, 84 percent had made a correct diagnosis -- a slightly better accuracy rate than physicians have in diagnosing swimmer' s ear
Thus, clearly, most people can diagnose swimmer' s ear in themselves without ever having to consult a physician
Cases in which swimmer's ear progresses to more serious infections are very rare.