What Other Treatment Options Are Available
Depending on your symptoms and how severe your ear pain is, your doctor may recommend a wait and see approach. Your bodys immune system can usually fight off middle ear infections on its own, and you may not need to take anything, the Mayo Clinic says. It also depends on the cause of your infection, Dr. Litt says. Viruses dont get better with antibiotics, she points out.
But, if you have a more severe ear infection or your pain has lasted longer than two to three days, your doctor may recommend that you are treated with antibiotics to get relief. Ear infections are typically treated by antibiotics based on the location, Dr. Kozin says. If the infection is located in the outer part of the earthe ear canaltopical antibiotics drops may be used. If the ear infection is behind the eardrum, oral antibiotics are generally used.
Tips To Reduce The Earache:
- After taking shower, use a hair dryer to blow onto your ear gently on a low setting. Do not use for more than 5 minutes.
- Whenever you go outdoors, wear a scarf which helps to cover your ears from wind.
- When youre in a plane, the change in pressure can cause pain. Chew gum or candy that will activate the muscles that send air into the inner ear and equalizes the pressure.
- Yawning helps to cure ear pain as it opens up the Eustachian tube.
- Prevent the cold, flu and other allergies.
- Gently rub lavender oil around your ear to get soothing effect.
- Avoid swimming until you get relief from the earache. Or simply coat your ear with a few drops of mineral oil before head.
- Avoid taking antibiotics as it harm to your body. Dont give aspirin to your children as it leads to another health problem.
- Quit smoking and drinking alcohol as it can increase your earache.
If the pain not cured in 3- 4 days or if the earache is severe then consult doctor. Take the advice of your doctor whether to use these remedies for children.
Have you tried any of the above home remedies for ear infection? Do you know of any we havent mentioned? Share your experience with us!
Are you interested in home remedies for plugged ears? Let us know in the comments below!
Uncommon Home Remedies That You Didnt Know Off
Did you know that besides olive oil, tea tree oil, and peppermint oil, you can also use mullein oil to help cure ear infections and the pain associated with it? Mullein is a flower from which oil is extracted and converted into herbal ear drops. This herbal ear drops work towards curing the ear infection while also numbing the pain and making it bearable.
Another home remedy, though uncommon, is using hydrogen peroxide for reducing the earache. Hydrogen peroxide is used topically on cuts and wounds and can also be used effectively to cure ear infections.
It is also quite useful in removing excess wax from the ear and thus works as a double cure for both wax and an ear infection at the same time. Dilute hydrogen peroxide with water and soak a cotton ball in it. Carefully place the cotton ball inside the eardrum plugging it. When the liquid is absorbed by the ear, it will effectively remove excess wax and also cure the infection. There might be a slight stinging sensation when the liquid falls in the ear.
After around 10 minutes, the ear should be bent down and any excess liquid should be drained out. Repeating this exercise for 10 days will show results by reducing infection and pain considerably.
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Remedies For Inner Ear Infections
Do you need antibiotics?
If you have a bacterial inner ear infection, you may need an antibiotic. However, most inner ear infections are caused by viruses, not bacteria. Antibiotics arent effective against viral infections. For viral infections, your doctor will suggest treatment options to control your inflammation and help with your symptoms.
What treatments can help?
If you have a viral inner ear infection, your doctor may prescribe a steroid treatment to reduce inflammation or antiviral medication to attack the virus.
What are some inner ear infection home remedies?
Besides medication, there are steps you can take at home to ease the symptoms of an inner ear infection. For example:
- Keep your head upright as much as possible. Sitting or standing can help to drain the ear.
- Apply a warm compress to the affected ear to relieve pain.
- Avoid smoking and drink as little alcohol as possible.
- Reduce your stress levels, since tension can worsen symptoms.
For labyrinthitis, specifically, to combat dizziness and nausea, you can try:
- Resting in a dark, quiet place
- Drinking plenty of water, especially if your nausea leads to vomiting
- Keeping your vision focused in one place instead of glancing around at your surroundings
- Going for walks as soon as you feel you can, with someone for support until you get your balance back
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How Is It Treated
Most ear infections go away on their own, although antibiotics are recommended for children younger than 6 months of age and for children at high risk for complications. You can treat your child at home with an over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen , a warm cloth on the ear, and rest. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 18. Your doctor may give you eardrops that can help your childs pain. Be safe with medicines. Read and follow all instructions on the label.
Your doctor can give your child antibiotics, but ear infections often get better without them. Talk about this with your doctor. Whether you use them will depend on how old your child is and how bad the infection is.
Minor surgery to put tubes in the ears may help if your child has hearing problems or repeat infections.
Sometimes after an infection, a child cannot hear well for a while. Call your doctor if this lasts for 3 to 4 months. Children need to be able to hear in order to learn how to talk.
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Easy Ways To Cure Ear Infection
Ear infections are relatively common in both adults and children. Indeed, one in ten adults gets an ear infection at least once in their life, with more women getting it than men. The problem is estimated to affect nine in ten children before their third birthday. Also known as otitis media, ear infection is caused by bacteria or viruses in the ear canal. The infection causes pain due to fluid buildup and increased pressure against the eardrum. How to deal with it?
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Anatomy Of An Ear Infection
The ear is divided into the outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear. Infection can occur in any of these areas, but bacterial infections of the inner ear are extremely rare.
Bacteria, viruses, and fungi can cause infections in the ear. Infections can be brought on by an illness, such as a cold or allergies.
Ear infections generally occur when bacteria, viruses, or fungi gain entry into one of the three areas of the ear and cause infection.
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What Causes Middle Ear Infections
Most middle ear infections occur when an infection such as a cold, leads to a build-up of mucus in the middle ear and causes the Eustachian tube to become swollen or blocked.
This mean mucus can’t drain away properly, making it easier for an infection to spread into the middle ear.
An enlarged adenoid can also block the Eustachian tube. The adenoid can be removed if it causes persistent or frequent ear infections. Read more about removing adenoids.
Younger children are particularly vulnerable to middle ear infections as:
- the Eustachian tube is smaller in children than in adults
- a child’s adenoids are relatively much larger than an adults
Certain conditions can also increase the risk of middle ear infections, including:
- having a cleft palate a type of birth defect where a child has a split in the roof of their mouth
- having Down’s syndrome a genetic condition that typically causes some level of learning disability and a characteristic range of physical features
How To Use Them
The dosage, type, and frequency of doses depend on the type of medication, the age of the person, their weight, and other mitigating factors such as medical history.
If a child is under age 2 or has never taken this medication before, contact their healthcare provider before administering it.
For children and adults, follow the directions on the package carefully.
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What Is My Doctor Looking For
Your doctor will ask you about any symptoms youâve had. Be sure to come to the office with any notes you might need and questions on your mind.
She will look at the eardrum with an instrument called an otoscope for signs of infection. This is a tough task with a fussy infant, so be ready to help calm the little one if itâs your child with the earache.
Signs of infection include a red eardrum or a bulging eardrum with fluid behind it. The fluid may be thin like during a cold, or thick like pus. It is located in the middle ear, just behind the ear drum. Otitis media means inflammation of the middle ear. A puffer attached to the otoscope blows air to see if your thin eardrum moves. With fluid in the middle ear, the eardrum is more rigid and doesn’t move back and forth.
She might also look for signs of infection with another instrument. Itâs called a tympanometer, and it uses sound and air pressure to check for fluid in the middle ear.
How Are Ear Infections Diagnosed
Your doctor will usually want to inspect your ears to make a proper diagnosis. That includes using a tool called a pneumatic otoscope, which allows your doctor to look at your ear and see if theres fluid behind your eardrum, the Mayo Clinic explains. When your doctor uses this, they gently puff air against your eardrum. If your ear is healthy, it should move if its filled with fluid, your doctor will see little to no movement, the Mayo Clinic explains.
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What’s The Difference Between The Middle Ear Infections We Get As Children Versus The Middle Ear Infections We Get As Adults
Dr. Wang: The underlying causes are usually different. They are more frequent in children because their shorter, more horizontal Eustachian tubes are more likely to get blocked. Also, their adenoids are larger compared to the rest of the throat and can interfere with the opening of the Eustachian tubes. And finally, children’s immune systems are immature and colds and viruses are often passed around day care and school.
Hot Salt Wrapped In A Cloth
Salt is one of the most readily available home remedies for dealing with pain in the ear. All you have to do here is take a small cup of salt, heat it properly, then wrap it in a cloth and seal the end of the cloth by tying a knot.
Now, lay down and place the cloth with hot salt on the affected ear for a couple of minutes .
Repeat this process a few times daily to relieve you from the pain and swelling in the ear. Alternatively, you could also use rice in place of salt for the same purpose.
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Are There Other Types Of Ear Infections That Can Affect Adults
Dr. Wang: There is something called an inner ear infection. Inner ear infections are pretty different from outer and middle ear infections, and much rarer overall. We see them primarily in adults. Inner ear infections typically present with hearing loss, vertigo, dizziness, nausea and vomiting. If you have these symptoms, you should rest, avoid driving, sudden movements and alcohol. Inner ear infections will usually clear up in several days on their own, but if symptoms don’t go away, you should call your primary care provider or ENT doctor. Note: If you have sudden hearing loss in one ear, get in to see your doctor immediately or call 911, because tests need to be performed immediately.
Whats The Difference Between Antibiotic Solutions And Suspensions
Solutions are liquids where the active ingredients are dissolved. Suspensions are liquids in which the particles are suspended, or scattered throughout the liquid, and not quite dissolved. Some medications are stable as a suspension but not as a solution.
The main difference between the two is how irritating they might be. Antibiotic solutions are generally more irritating than suspensions because solutions have a more acidic pH of 3-4, whereas suspensions have a less acidic pH of 5.
Solutions may also contain alcohol to help kill bacteria, but the alcohol can be extremely irritating when these solutions are applied.
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How Do Cotton Swabs Cause Outer Ear Infections
Dr. Wang: Earwax is a natural way for your body to trap and slow the growth of bacteria that may have entered your ear. When you apply cotton swabs, you often wind up pushing earwax further into the ear canal. This impacted wax can then trap water or moisture deep in the canal, setting you up for an infection.
Causes Of Ear Infection In Adults
Outer Ear Infection Causes
Swimmer’s ear is frequently caused by bacteria that is usually found in soil and water. Viral or fungal infections are less common. The following conditions can provoke the bacterial growth in your ear:
- Excess moisture in the ear
- Various sensitivity reactions
- Abrasions or scratches in the ear canal
Middle Ear Infection Causes
Most common causes of the middle ear infection are related to swollen or blocked Eustachian tubes, promoting fluids to build up in the middle ear. Examples of such causes are:
- Colds, flu, and sinus infections
- Allergies
- Smoking or inhalation of irritants
- Overgrown or infected adenoids
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Cat Ear Infection Home Remedies
Ear infections are nasty. Your cat is so dependent on its ears for mobility and navigation that an ear infection for them is much worse than for us. These infections can be caused by a number of different factors, and more often than not, an ear infection is a secondary ailment. Because cat ear infections are very common, there are several home remedies to help owners combat the issue.
Before you apply any home remedies to your pet, make sure to speak with your vet first. It would be best to catch any other ailment before the issues get any worse. If there is excessive blood or discharge, skip the home remedy, and take your pet straight to the vet. For less severe cases, it may be safe to treat your pet at home. Before we get into home remedies for ear infections in cats, lets fully explore what one is.
Articles On Ear Infection Treatments
If you care for children, you likely know already how often they come down with earaches. Adults get them, too, but youngsters have them much more often. Thatâs because they donât fight off viruses and bacteria as well, and their little ears arenât good at draining fluids yet.
You or your child may have a sore throat, stuffy nose, or fever along with an earache. These are signs of a possible infection.
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Healing Time In Different Sections Of The Ear
The infections persist in the middle, the outer and inner part of the ear. Every part has its unique features. As a result healing time also depends on the section of the ear.
- Outer Causes of outer ear infection are different from a middle ear infection. The most common type of infection in the outer ear is bacterial infections. But fungal and viral infections can occur as well. It can last for a week or longer. Its symptoms are severe pain in the ear, purulent discharge, fever, etc.
- Middle The infection shouldnt last more than one or two days. After an ear infection clears up, fluid may remain in the middle ear and cause some of the more mild symptoms and can persist for several weeks to months. This condition is diagnosed as otitis media with effusion. Its symptoms are ear pain, feeling like your ear is clogged, Nausea, Reduced Hearing.
- Inner The infection exists for a long time in this section. Most commonly, viral is the reason for the inner ear infection. These viruses can be most of the flu and cold. Its symptoms are pain, fever, and reduced hearing. Nausea and tinnitus can also occur in an inner ear infection.
The Eustachian tube drains fluid and air from the middle ear. Blockage in the Eustachian tube may cause fluid to build up. This causes pain since it applies pressure on the eardrum. The fluid is also a fertile ground for bacteria growth and this leads to an ear infection.
Top 5 Natural Home Remedies For Ear Infection In Adults & Children
People often have painful sensation and uncomfortable symptoms when suffering eye infection. Ear infection is often healed on their own therefore, the possible treatments may aim to alleviate the pain and control the problem. In severe cases of ear infections, it requires antibiotic medications.
Here are the top natural home remedies for ear infection in adults & children you can follow:
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