Pain from water in the ears

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For years I showered and bathed under the assumption it was good to get some water in my ears to rinse them of dirt. I have noticed though I get a painful, infected feeling in them so I had a bath today differently. I cupped a hand around each ear when washing that part of my hair or head near it. I managed to avoid getting water in them. I feel a lot better.

Apparently water in ears can lead to bacterial infections, due to whatever might be in the water that comes out of the bath faucet.

Here is a relevant article about why ears may be a big deal for people on the spectrum:-

https://epidemicanswers.org/ear-infections-and-autism/

I only got pain in my ears from the water because I had tubes in them. So I had a read to fear showers and getting my hair washed because every time water went in them, it would hurt for the rest of the day and it was like being sick and having a ear infection. No one took it seriously, not even my mother because she would still force me to shower and get mad at me for being anxious and hit me to shape me up. She did get me ear plugs for swimming and would fold my ears down when washing my hair over the tub and have me lean over it. But sometimes she would make me shower. I still went swimming but I never went on any water slides and I didn't go underwater.

Then at age 11 my ears started to drain out liquids every time water did go in them so it didn't hurt anymore. I had that problem until age 14 when the tube was finally taken out. It was always disgusting because I was expected to not have any cottons or tissue in my ear to soak up the fluid so it wouldn't go all over my shirt and hair and down my skin. I certainly wasn't going to walk around with my head tiled sideways so my left ear would be facing the ceiling or the sky. Then my mom finally decided to get it out of my ear.

That article perpetuates the 'mercury in vaccines causes autism' fallacy and is about otitis media. If you have otitis externa, which it sounds like what you are describing, you may have a build up of wax and water gets trapped behind the wax plug in which case a dissolver should help. If it isn't a wax related issue, and you suspect a low grade infection, using acetic acid ear drops (dilute white vinegar works) kills bacteria and using a hair dryer on a low setting can dry the ear canal.