Ear problems

[Inspirationdiver]

If it was a middle ear infection then drying the ear canal won't help any.  The infection is not on the outside where water would have been present.  You probably had a block of your eustachian tubes that prevented fluid from draining out.  Many people don't equalize often enough while diving, this can aggravate the soft tissue lining the eustachian tubes and cause swelling.  This makes clearing even more difficult and causes more damage, creating a snowball effect in no time.