These are terrible stories.

I was a mug. I developed an ear infection swimming in a pool in France this summer. I left it until I got home.

Antibiotic sprays and steroids or something. Took about 10 days to clear. Did nothing for the first 3 days.

I had the same thing years earlier also in France from swimming in the sea. My ears closed up completely and wept horribly.

The local French Doc was brilliant. He gave me some anti-inflammatories (like ibuprofen) which popped my ears open in about 30 minutes.

Then rinse with Alcool Borique in the saturee version which has white crystals of Boric Acid sitting at the bottom of the 70% alcohol. This drains off all the gunk and wax onto a tissue, and you can see it.

Then some antibiotic drops which, IMO, weren't the main event. I felt better within an hour.

You can't get alcohol/Boric Acid in Britain. Some alleged issue with it damaging the eardrum. So we get all this almond oil/olive oil/steroid/antibiotic nonsense. But when I had the same thing in Greece, the local Pharmacy went out of their way to make some Alcool Borique for me. Wouldn't even charge me. Worked like a charm.

But the main thing, IMO, is to dry your ears after exposure to water.