Improve Your Sleeping Position
Another great way to boost your odds of getting a good nights sleep is to select the right position for your sleep that will help to reduce the pressure on your infected ear.
Due to our anatomy, the ideal position for maximizing the ability to decongest the ear canals is to sleep on your stomach. But the position you sleep in is not without its negatives that can affected ear pain and the quality of your sleep.
Sleeping in the back can be very demanding on your back and neck. Many people find that sitting in this position can typically result in back pain, spinal misalignment discomfort, and even poor sleep. The position for sleeping is not recommended for women who are pregnant.
The position of lying on your back is not a good idea, as it could increase pressure on your ears.
Another option is to lie down on your back. Make sure you rest on the healthy ear since this could assist in elevating the infected ear further and boost drainage.
What Causes An Ear Infection
Ear infections happen in the middle ear. They are caused by a viral or bacterial infection. The infection creates pressure in the Eustachian tube. This tube does not work properly when filled with drainage from the nose or mucous from allergies, colds, bacteria, or viruses.
A childs adenoids sometimes can block the opening of Eustachian tubes because they are larger in young children.
Why Are Ear Infections Worse At Night
Ear infections tend to be more painful at night due to an increased immune response and an increase in pressure in the ear due to lying down.
Cortisol levels in our blood decrease at night making it easy for the white blood cells to detect the infection and attack the causative agent .
This immune response results in symptoms like chills, congestion, fever, or sweating, thereby making the infection feel worse at night time.
In addition to this, during the day our head is positioned vertically which allows air to freely flow through the narrow lumen of the Eustachian tubes.
But at night, the lumen becomes narrower because we are in the lying position so the air ventilation becomes difficult which can cause pain.
Also, the presence of a pressure gradient in the middle ear because of fluid or pus buildup can make you feel worse during the night.
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Ouch: How To Help A Child With An Ear Infection
Apr 10, 2017 | News
According to the National Institute of Health, five in six children will have at least one ear infection by their third birthday. Theyre painful, theyre stubborn and they can be tough for a young child to cope with. If your child is suffering, there are a few things you can do to help ease their discomfort.
Get A Pillow That Makes Headphone Listening Easy
Anyone whos tried sleeping with headphones on for a full eight hours knows it can get painful.
Almost all pillows werent designed for devices as cumbersome as headphones. They can press against the earcups, which, in turn, press against your ears and cause discomfort.
Also, the extra pressure on the headphones can cause damage to the electronics.
Luckily, there are some special pillows that can make listening and sleeping far more enjoyable.
The Original Pillow With a Hole
This pillow was originally made for people who need to relieve ear pain after ear surgery or are suffering from ear discomfort.
As you can tell by its name, The Original Pillow With a Hole has a 4-inch x 4-inch hole in the middle to provide just the right amount of space for one of the earcups to go through.
Its a great pillow for side sleepers because it relieves pressure from the earcup thats pressing against the pillow.
Theres also a zip that lets you add or remove stuffing to make it softer or firmer according to your liking.
Travel Pillow
Travel pillows are the best friends of people on the go.
It can be used to relieve pressure on the headphones in two ways. One is when youre sleeping upright or sitting down, and second is when you sleep on your side.
When youre sleeping during a flight or a road trip, you obviously lose control of your neck. This causes your head to sway in all directions and the weight of the headphones even adds more momentum.
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Is A Dog Ear Infection An Emergency
If your dog’s head is tilted or it seems to be hearing less than usual, it is possible that the infection may have migrated into the middle or inner ear and the tympanic membrane may have ruptured. This is therefore a more urgent condition.
A swollen, red, warm ear is also more worrying, as it could be an ear hematoma.
Such symptoms should be discussed with a vet.
How To Prevent Earaches
There are several practical things you can do to prevent earaches or ear infections. The first is to never poke the inside of your ear with an object like a q-tip. If an earache is a result of the flu, a flu shot could help with prevention. You can prevent pressure earaches by chewing gum before you board a plane and when the plane is about to descend.
The best preventative measure you can take is to see your doctor once a year for your annual check up. Make sure you mention to your doctor if your are experiencing any pain in your ears that does not go away. The sooner you identify the problem, the sooner you will get the help you need.
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How To Ease The Pain Of An Ear Infection
Unfortunately, children do not know how to sleep with an ear infection. When an ear infection occurs, there are several things that can be done to soothe your child until you can see the pediatrician.
How Long Do Ear Infections Last
Mild to moderate ear infections tend to start clearing up within 4 days for most patients .
However, severe infections may damage the inner membrane of the ear and it may take up to a week or two to achieve a status of complete recovery.
In any case, I would strongly advise you to visit your doctor for a check-up and an accurate assessment of the severity of your ear infection.
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How To Get A Baby With An Ear Infection To Sleep
This article was co-authored by . Julie Wright is a Marriage and Family Therapist and the co-founder of The Happy Sleeper, which offers sleep consulting and online baby sleep classes. Julie is a licensed psychotherapist specializing in babies, children, and their parents, and the co-author of two best selling parenting books published by Penguin Random House. She created the popular Wright Mommy, Daddy and Me program in Los Angeles, California, which provides support and learning for new parents. Julie’s work has been mentioned in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and NPR. Julie received her training at the Cedars Sinai Early Childhood Center. This article has been viewed 43,677 times.
Children tend to develop ear infections more often than adults do. Unfortunately, if your child is not old enough, he or she may have a hard time expressing the pain he or she is feeling. When you do determine that your child has an ear infection, call your doctor so that you can start treating the condition. While the medicine does its job, you may find that putting your child to sleep while he or she can still feel the pain may be very challenging. When faced with a sleepy child in pain, try to make your child as comfortable as possible, and do everything you can to soothe him or her at bedtime.
Earache Remedies You Can Try
1. Hot or cold compress
The skinny: Grab an ice or heat pack and put it onthe affected ear to help with the pain.
Doctors advice: The temperature you use is up to you. Wrap it in a towel tomake sure its not too cold or too hot. You dont want to cause any burns.
2.Over-the-counter pain relievers
The skinny: Pain relievers work as advertised, helping take the edge off the pain.
Doctors advice:Both adults and kids can rest easier when they take acetaminophen or ibuprofen at the right dosage. These medications reduce pain and fever, making you feel more comfortable.
3. Sleep position
The skinny: How you sleep can affect ear pain. Rest with your head on two or more pillows, so the affected ear is higher than the rest of your body. Or if the left ear has an infection, sleep on your right side. Less pressure = less ear pain.
Doctors advice: It could be effective, though a few inches may not make a big difference in pressure measurement. But if it makes you feel better, go for it.
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Living With An Ear Infection
If your child suffers from several ear infections each year, youll want to look out for symptoms every time they have a stuffy nose or congestion.
Never stick anything in your childs ear to relieve the pain of an ear infection, to remove the tubes or remove a foreign object. See your childs doctor to have it removed.
Signs Of Ear Infection Facty Health
Sleeping tips with ear infection. Choose a pillow with memory foam to sleep with the correct height. A more practical alternative is to choose to sleep on your side. Use childrens ibuprofen or acetaminophen , but never use aspirin for pain, and dont bother using cold remedies.
Use childrens ibuprofen or acetaminophen , but never use aspirin for pain, and dont bother using cold remedies. Double ear infection is when an ear infection affects both ears. Lying down with the upper body elevated is the best way to gain comfort throughout the night. Get quality memory foam mattress. Exercise routines to fall asleep faster.
A heating pad is an excellent way of how to sleep with an ear infection in order to keep the ear from hurting, and it helps bring blood circulation to the infected ear to aid in the healing process. The ear then drains cloudy fluid or pus. Fortunately, there are actions you can take to help soothe your baby to.
The ibproufen works for a couple of days then your body kinda starts to get. Get quality memory foam mattress. Tips on how to sleep with ear infection. So what is the best way to sleep with an ear infection? Rest with your head on two or more pillows, so the affected ear is higher than the rest of your.
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How To Sleep With An Ear Infection
Ear infections commonly plague children, and also affect some adults. The infection typically affects the middle ear . The eustachian tubes inside the ears become clogged with mucus and fluids. The resulting pain and itching can become almost unbearable, causing difficulty sleeping and leaving you even more miserable the next day. If you are at your wits end on how to sleep with an ear infection, here are some useful tips to help ease the discomfort.
Causes Of Ear Infections
Typical ear infections mainly occur due to the blockage of the eustachian tubes followed by swelling. In turn, it causes the buildup of fluid in the middle ear.
Know that Eustachian tubes are small tubes running from the ear to the back of your throat. Some of the causes of blockage in the eustachian tube are
- Colds
- Swollen or infected adenoids
Other conditions related to ear infections
Since the middle ear infection is the center of origin for any particular ear infection, other conditions are associated with it. Some of these conditions are outlined below.
- Chronic effusive otitis media: it is a condition caused by a buildup of remaining fluid accompanied by a bacterial and or viral infection. It is why children are susceptible to these ear infections, which might interfere with their hearing.
- Chronic suppurative otitis media: it is a condition that doesn’t quickly go away with typical ear infection treatment. If not handed in time, it might cause a massive hole in the eardrum hence causing hearing problems.
- Otitis effusive media: it is characterized by buildup of fluid, i.e., effusion and swelling in the middle ear. However, the fluid buildup isn’t accompanied by viral or bacterial infections. Also, this condition may occur due to fluid buildup persistence after an ear infection is gone. On the other hand, it may occur due to noninfectious dysfunctional infections, thus affecting hearing.
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How Can You Stop Earache Fast
The fastest way to stop earache is to take a painkiller like ibuprofen or paracetamol and apply a warm compress.
A warm compress from a heating pad or a warmed gel pack may help you to get quick relief from earache because the warmth from the pack will help to reduce the pain and swelling.
Gargling with salt water may benefit you because most often earaches are associated with symptoms of a sore throat.
You can also take over-the-counter painkillers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to get instant pain relief from your earache.
It is always recommended to visit your doctor for a detailed assessment of the reason behind your earache.
Your doctor may prescribe you appropriate medication in the form of either oral tablets or ear drops or both.
In some cases, your doctor may also refer you to an ENT specialist for conducting additional audiometric assessment which includes tests to judge the extent to which your hearing may be affected.
Sleep In A Different Position
This may seem obvious, but not a lot of people are willing to give this a try because theyre used to the way theyve been sleeping most of their lives.
But if you insist on wearing headphones to sleep and dont want to buy a new pair, you may want to try varying your sleep position.
Sleeping on your back is the easiest way to wear headphones in bed because youre not putting pressure on your ears.
If youre a side sleeper, consider getting a special pillow.
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Exercise Routines That Help You Help You Fall Asleep Quicker With An Ear Infection
Exercise routines that help you help you fall asleep quicker
The jaws movement can help ease the ear pain so that you can sleep faster. The most common activities that are associated with jaw movement are:
Each of these jaw movement actions can cause you to fall asleep quickly since they help reduce the ear pain in your ear and ease the pressure in your ears. This is by the relaxing of your ear muscles.
Also, you can do moderate exercises, such as meditation as it can help reduce stress and inflammation. Engaging in light physical exercises can be extremely beneficial in:
It can also assist in relieving ear pain from ear infections. Small exercises could aid in removing congestion from your eustachian tubes and the inside of your ear. But, as you have a good idea of what an eustachian tubes is, the pressure it exerts on them could result in the development of tension when it is affected ear. The tension can then lead to discomfort in the ear that can be associated with sleep-related discomfort.
How Do I Clean My Dog’s Ears
- Fill the ear canal with an ear cleaner.
- Give the ear a good massage to dislodge the debris and then let your dog shake his head.
- You can then use a cotton ball to wipe debris out of the ear canal.
Ear cleaning products sold in vet clinics are generally made from a solution containing a type of soft alcohol, which allows the ear to dry out after swimming, for example.
Its important to never use cotton swabs/tips, as they push debris towards the back of the ear, which can cause blockages.
Also, be careful not to wash them too often and hold off if you suspect an infection.
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Look For Visible Symptoms
If your child is experiencing ear pain, these signals are especially helpful: With swimmer’s ear, the outer ear may appear red and swollen and have a rash-like appearance. You may see your child frequently scratch at his ear or complain of an itchy ear. Also watch for a foul-smelling drainagecoming from the ear bothering them. Symptoms to watch for with a middle ear infection include fever, pulling or tugging on the ear, decreased appetite, diarrhea or vomiting.