It blew my ear. What to do if you have a blown ear - how and what to treat. Treatment of internal otitis

Inflammation of the middle or outer ear – frequent illnesses, especially in conditions strong winds. Children are most susceptible to them due to the peculiarities of the anatomy of the hearing organ. After hypothermia, when the ear “blew out,” the patient’s general well-being worsens, and fever is common. The best solution would be to refuse and consult a doctor.

Types of diseases

Inflammation of the ear develops against the background of reduced immunity and local hypothermia. - its most common variant. The most common pathogens are cocci bacteria (,),. With diffuse external otitis, you can see a narrowing of the lumen of the ear canal and feel a putrid odor emanating from there. The patient feels a pulsating character.

otitis media

With otitis media, symptoms can be quite varied. In general, shooting pain and swelling are noted. In the initial stages of the disease, patients may hear their own voice and complain of tinnitus.

Sometimes erysipelas transferred to the organ of hearing. Its causes are streptococci and staphylococci. It manifests itself in swelling, redness and soreness of the entire ear.

The same bacteria cause concomitant hypothermia. Patients feel that not only the ear hurts, but also the area of the teeth and neck. The sensations become more intense when pressing on the tragus, talking, or chewing. In this case, boils ripen on the ear and in the ear canal, which may not be visible to the naked eye.

The outer ear can be affected by microscopic fungi, in which case the disease is called. Symptoms increase gradually. The patient is worried severe itching, feeling of fullness ear canal.

How to determine if a child has a blown ear

Children most often suffer from otitis media. At an early age, they may not yet be able to communicate symptoms, which can make it difficult to identify the cause of anxiety. You need to contact an ENT specialist if you have the following symptoms:

A child up to one year old refuses to take the breast, or takes it, and then abruptly, with a cry, throws it away.
Digestion is impaired, loose stools are possible.
The baby sleeps a lot and feels depressed.
The temperature is often high – 39°-40°.
Pain when pressing on the tragus.
After six months, a child may try to scratch his ear with his hand or rub it on any surface.

Diagnostics

In addition to collecting anamnesis (interviewing the patient, identifying clinical manifestations) the doctor can conduct the following tests:

Examination of the ear using an otoscope. It is quite difficult to see all affected areas without a special device due to the tortuous ear canal.
Study of separated liquid contents. Bacterial culture pus from the ear will help determine the type of pathogen and identify its sensitivity to antibiotics.
General blood analysis. Helps to understand at what stage the inflammation is, what caused the symptoms - viruses, fungi, bacteria or allergies.

Treatment of ear inflammation

Pharmacological drugs

Since the most common cause of ear infections is bacteria, your doctor will most likely prescribe antibiotics. Staphylococci and streptococci can block the action of some drugs, so it is necessary to use products with a special component - clavulanic acid: amoxiclav, arlet, amovycombe, augmentin. In some cases it turns out sufficient application local drugs - with an antibiotic ( otipax, uniflor, candibiotic).

Important! Accept local drugs Contraindicated for cracks and ruptures in the eardrum. In the book “Otolaryngology” authored by Palchun T.M. stated: “[Such procedures] have unpleasant consequences: severe pain occurs, ... in addition, the edges of the perforation become calloused, the perforation does not heal.”

Children in the ear mandatory bury vasoconstrictors . They are more likely than adults to develop granulations of the eardrum as a result of otitis media, which can impede the outflow of fluid. As a drug, you can use a solution of adrenaline 0.1%, naphthyzin. If the outflow is still difficult, a puncture is made in order to ensure the evacuation of liquid secretions.

For otitis of a viral nature, administration of immunoglobulin is indicated(a protein substance that activates the patient’s immune system) intramuscularly. It is also possible to prescribe interferons. These compounds stimulate antiviral immunity. Similar drugs include arbidol, cycloferon, viferon.

As a last resort, a puncture is performed to administer the medicine directly into the ear cavity. This is how antibiotics are taken, antihistamines to relieve swelling.

Physiotherapy is prescribed at an early stage of the disease. An important condition is the absence high temperature and purulent discharge from the ear. During therapy, the diseased ear warms up, the activity of the immune system increases, and patients feel relief from their condition. Laser irradiation promotes healing of punctures in the eardrum after medical procedures.

For severe pain, it is recommended to take analgesics. A well-proven drug is solpadeine. It relieves pain, reduces swelling and temperature. Can also be taken (every 6 hours during peak illness) ibuprofen or paracetamol.

Home remedies and methods

It can be done by heating. It is best to carry it out using homemade ones.

If your ear is blown, but still didn't show up alarming symptoms in the form of fever, discharge of pus, You can use the following recipes:

Alcohol compress. To apply it, you need to moisten gauze folded in several layers in the solution. It is allowed to use both pure alcohol and regular vodka. The ear is threaded through a slot in the compress; it is wrapped in polyethylene to prevent leakage. You can additionally tie a scarf on top.
Oil compress. The manufacturing technology is similar. It is preferable to use camphor oil. The wearing time of these two compresses is about 4 hours. If you agree with your doctor, you can leave them for a longer time.
Microcompress according to Tsytovich. Important! It can be installed only after consultation with a doctor. Mix 70% ethyl alcohol and glycerin in equal parts. After this, resorcinol (a chemically synthesized antiseptic) is added at a rate of 1:50. A strip of gauze or a thin cotton pad is moistened in the solution and inserted into the ear canal. A piece of cotton wool is generously smeared with Vaseline and plugged into the ear hole. The compress is worn without removing for up to 24 hours.
Warmer. Water at a temperature of 35°-40° is poured into it and applied to the sore ear until it cools (about 30 minutes). Such a measure would be appropriate when it is known for sure that the patient has a cold in the organ of hearing, but there are no first symptoms of the disease yet.

Prevention of otitis media

To prevent inflammation of the middle and outer ear, it is recommended to follow these tips:

Diseases associated with the organ of hearing always contain a risk of complications in the form of or. In childhood, this can lead to developmental delays due to insufficient stimulation of certain areas of the brain. Competent prevention and timely visits to an ENT doctor are the main measures to prevent such consequences.

Video: what does “blown” mean - Dr. Komarovsky

If your ear is blown, the reason for this is often not the cold, but swimming in a cold river, wind or a draft in the room.

If the disease has affected a child, then you should not try to cure the ear yourself. It is recommended to seek help from a specialist for diagnosis and prescribing appropriate treatment. If an adult has a blown ear, self-therapy is allowed.

1 Symptoms

If a person has a blown ear, the disease manifests itself after three hours. In such cases, the following symptoms appear:

Pain syndrome. This symptom indicates the presence of development inflammatory process called "otitis". In the evening there is an increase in pain syndrome, which leads to sleep disturbance. The pain has different character: aching, pulling, shooting and pressing.
Ear congestion, accompanied by partial deafness. Sometimes the patient has ringing in the ears or a constant noise. The symptom appears very first, which people rarely pay attention to, which leads to the development of the disease.
Discomfort while swallowing. When a person swallows liquid, his throat hurts and his ear becomes blocked at the time of swallowing. There is also pain in the jaw during exacerbation of the pain syndrome. This indicates the presence of purulent inflammation in the ear canal.
Lymph nodes increase in size.
Pain in the temples. This kind of pain can develop into a more severe form - migraine. Also created false feeling that a person has toothache.
Low-grade body temperature. If the disease progresses, the inflammatory process spreads not only to the ear, but also to the entire body, which causes the temperature to rise to thirty-eight degrees Celsius.
Malaise, weakness and increased fatigue.

An important feature is that all symptoms worsen in the evening and at night, which does not allow a person to sleep normally. Against this background, mental discomfort arises, which is why the healing process occurs much more slowly.

If the above symptoms are detected, you should carefully examine the ear canal for the presence of purulent infiltrate.

This is necessary to differentiate otitis from the inflammatory process in human teeth.

Why does my ear hurt and what to do at home?

2 First aid

If a person has a blown ear, the best solution there will be a visit to the doctor. If the patient does not have the opportunity to see a specialist, then first aid should be provided at home independently.

The first thing to do is to eliminate all possible sources of wind or draft, and then apply alcohol compress to the ear. Instead of alcohol, you can use any other alcohol with a strength level of more than forty degrees. Cotton wool is soaked in an alcohol solution and placed in the ear canal. Wrap the sore ear with a scarf over the cotton wool and leave for one to two hours.

Even in cases where a positive result is observed, do not forget about professional medical assistance. After pain relief, you should consult your doctor as soon as possible. The doctor will conduct diagnostic measures, on the basis of which complex treatment will be prescribed.

In addition to relieving an attack of pain, it is necessary to undergo a course of treatment to avoid the development of complications such as suppuration or complete hearing loss.

What to do if your ear is blocked: treatment at home

3 Drug therapy

When visiting a doctor, a number of medications are prescribed that help reduce pain and eliminate the root cause of the inflammatory reaction. Such means include:

Ear drops. They reduce pain in the ear and improve the patient’s well-being. Drugs such as Otinum, Otipax, Ototon, Sofradex, Miramidez and Fugentin are often prescribed. These medications contain antibacterial components and painkillers.
Anti-inflammatory drugs and painkillers help relieve pain. Paracetamol, Aspirin or Ibuprofen are prescribed. Do not forget that such drugs do not cure the disease, but remove the symptoms.
Compress. One of the most effective remedies is a warm compress made from warm sunflower oil or an alcohol solution (for adults). Such compresses should be applied before bed to provide warmth to the ear.

Upon appointment drug treatment For a pregnant girl, the doctor is very limited in the choice of medications. To avoid harm to the child, Otipax or Nurofen is often prescribed. In addition, it is recommended to take remedies from medicinal herbs and medicinal oils.

Causes of pain in the ear and jaw

3.1 Hydrogen peroxide

When treating otitis media, experts often classify hydrogen peroxide as a separate group. The advantage of this substance is that it is equally effective in the fight against:

fungal phenomena of the middle and outer ear (otomycosis);
purulent discharge in the ear canal;
otitis

If the ear is blown, a three percent solution of hydrogen peroxide is used. If a solution with a higher concentration is used, there is a risk chemical burn outdoor and inner ear.

For treatment, a piece of cotton wool is taken and soaked in peroxide, after which the turunda is inserted into the ear canal. Cotton wool absorbs the formed pus, and therefore it should be changed as it becomes dirty. When there is no purulent discharge on the cotton wool, the procedure is stopped. After this, it is recommended to remove foamy clots from the ear and dry the ear canal with clean cotton wool.

Do not forget that hydrogen peroxide solution has a number of contraindications:

Kidney pathologies.
Liver pathologies.
Hyperthyroidism. The solution is strictly contraindicated when there is an increased concentration in the human blood of hormones synthesized by the thyroid or parathyroid gland.
Herpes of pemphigoid etiology. If there are rashes on skin people should refrain from using the solution.

This drug has proven itself both in medical practice and in home use. It is worth understanding that peroxide is not a medicine that will completely cure a blown ear. It must be supplemented with medications prescribed to the patient by the attending physician.

4 Treatment at home

When treating at home, you must follow several rules in order not to harm the body. These rules are:

exclude from recipes herbs to which the patient may develop an allergic reaction;
Apply compresses or infusions only when heated;
using medicinal herbs to prepare anything, you should buy them at a pharmacy, and not collect them yourself.

The main rule when using folk remedies is a preliminary consultation with a doctor.

This treatment method is popular among pregnant women and breastfeeding. This is due to the fact that during pregnancy or during breastfeeding, mothers try to minimize the intake of chemical medications into the body so as not to harm the child.

4.1 Warm-up

Warming the sore ear helps relieve pain and reduces inflammatory reaction. A UV (ultraviolet) lamp is often used for heating.

If it is not available, pour rice or large salt crystals into the frying pan, after which the frying pan is heated. The warmed components are wrapped in gauze or a towel and applied to the blown ear once an hour for ten minutes. A heating pad is also used for warming up.

If the presence of purulent exudate is noted in the auditory canal, then heating is strictly contraindicated. In such cases, it can cause complications and worsen the healing process.

4.2 Bay leaf

From bay leaf A tincture is produced that can effectively and quickly relieve pain. To prepare, you need to chop three bay leaves and pour the powder into half a liter of boiling water. After this, the vessel is tightly closed and left for two hours. After two hours, the contents of the vessel are filtered.

The resulting liquid should be instilled into the sore ear, five drops before going to bed, in a heated state. After instillation, it is recommended to tie a scarf around your head to cover your ear.

4.3 Garlic and propolis

Garlic has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, so patients often use it at home. The garlic is pre-grated and then mixed with six drops camphor oil. Apply the mixture to the gauze in an even layer and roll it into a roller. Place the swab in the ear canal and leave it there until a burning or tingling sensation occurs. Then remove the gauze and drip in a few drops of an anti-inflammatory solution or dill tincture.

Bee propolis has a similar effect. The tincture is mixed with alcohol solution, for example, with vodka, in a ratio of 1:10, then diluted with an equal amount of water. A gauze swab is soaked in the resulting solution and placed in the ear before bed. This method is ineffective in complicated cases, but helps relieve pain in the early stages of the disease.

4.4 Bow

Onions have a large number of medicinal effects that help with a blown ear. Experts recommend using one of the following onion treatment methods:

1. The top part of the onion is cut off and a recess is formed. A small amount of cumin is placed in it, after which the onion is wrapped in foil and baked. After baking, squeeze out the onion juice, strain and drip at least five drops into the sore ear.
2. Finely chop the fresh onion, put it in cheesecloth and wrap it in a roller. Place a gauze swab into the ear canal for thirty minutes. To increase efficiency, the procedure is repeated every two hours.
3. Bake a fresh onion and immediately wrap it in cheesecloth. Apply a warm swab to the sore ear.
4. Grate fresh onion, squeeze out the juice and dilute it with three tablespoons of alcohol. Soak a cotton or gauze swab in the solution and place it in the ear before bed.

Fresh onions have antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects. Onions also reduce pain if the process does not have serious complications.

4.5 Wax and honey

In order for the effect of night instillation to increase, doctors recommend seeking help from bee products. You should melt the wax in a steam bath, moisten gauze in it and wrap it in a roller until the wax hardens. After hardening, the gauze swab is placed in the patient's ear, and the head is wrapped in a woolen scarf. This procedure enhances the effect of medicinal drops and is an excellent prevention of otitis media.

The pain syndrome can be easily relieved with a mixture of flour and bee honey. For a tablespoon of first grade flour, take one tablespoon of honey. The components are mixed until a homogeneous structure is obtained. Place the mixture on cheesecloth, then roll the cheesecloth into a turunda. The tampon is placed overnight, for several hours, or until pain is completely relieved.

4.6 Mumiyo

The therapeutic effect of mumiyo tincture has been proven by many specialists. It is used when severe pain occurs in the ears when a person has had a blown ear. A tincture is made from three grams of mumiyo and a tablespoon boiled water. The solution is heated in a water bath, stirring from time to time.

When the solution reaches a volume of 150 ml, it should be mixed with Albucid eye drops and boric alcohol in a 1:1 ratio. Instill the resulting tincture into the affected ear five times a day, ten drops. Before use, the product must be warmed up. If the mummy tincture is instilled before bedtime, then the ear is covered with cotton wool and a woolen scarf.

Do not forget about the consequences of a blown ear, such as partial or complete hearing loss in the absence of appropriate treatment. If symptoms of the disease are detected, you should immediately consult your doctor, without using folk remedies before consultation.

In case of inadequate treatment of the disease in children early age possible development of developmental delays . This occurs due to low brain stimulation and exposure to toxins.

Ear pain is a rather unpleasant sensation. Most often it occurs with a cold. Getting a cold in the ear is quite simple, but treatment requires some time. Fortunately, if the pain is not severe, you can eliminate the problem at home.

Causes of the disease

Any person should know how to treat a blown ear at home, since there can be many reasons, and among the complications is otitis media, which turns into purulent form, neck injuries and pathologies leading to long-term disability. In this case, inflammation can take months to be treated without success. Also among the consequences:

partial inability to control your body;
diseases of the inner ear;
pathologies of the vestibular apparatus;
hearing loss;
mastoiditis;
meningitis;
encephalitis.

In particularly severe and advanced cases, the disease cannot be cured, which can lead to disability. Therefore, it is important to start therapy immediately.

The expression “blown the ear” is a collective one. In fact, the reason that it is cold may not only be the wind. Here are the most common prerequisites:

prolonged stay under air conditioning or fan;
being at low temperatures without a hat;
driving a car with an open window;
being in a draft, even in hot summer weather;
swimming in a cold pond;
dousing with cold water.

With any hypothermia of the ears, they can easily get cold. Before starting treatment, you need to identify the disease, and then decide what to do.

Clinical picture

If your ear is inflated, the following symptoms may appear:

congestion;
monotonous noise in the ears;
shooting pain sensations. As a rule, they give it to whiskey;
partial hearing loss;
sometimes there is pain in the muscles and shoulders;
swollen lymph nodes;
strong headache, which gives to the teeth;
as the disease progresses, the patient’s body temperature rises;
weakness throughout the body.

If fluid is released from the ear, it means that the pathology is rapidly developing. In this case, you need to visit a doctor for accurate diagnosis and prescribing appropriate treatment.

If the patient has a cold in the ear, but the disease has not yet progressed, then you can get rid of the problem yourself.

Home treatment

The first thing to do if a patient has a cold in the ear is to immediately warm it up. For this purpose, sources of artificial heat are used:

warmer;
calcined salt;
heated cereals: buckwheat, rice or peas;
warm scarf made of natural wool.

It is advisable to treat not only the ear, but also the neck, since there is a high probability that it is also cold, and the symptoms will appear later. The neck can be lubricated with any pharmacy warming ointment.

Boric alcohol is instilled into the ear 2-3 times a day, and the top is insulated with woolen cloth. It is important that this only applies to adult patients. Boric alcohol can damage a child's eardrum. If fluid is released from a sore ear, warming it up is strictly prohibited.. This can lead to increased inflammation.

To prevent the disease from appearing, you must follow the rules of prevention:

Avoid self-administration of antibiotics. They can cause a significant blow to the human immune system.
In the cold season, insulate your ears.
In hot weather, it is prohibited to be under air conditioning or a fan.
Windows should not be opened wide in vehicles.

If everything is not fine with a person’s ear, and for some reason he cannot visit the hospital, then it is worth using traditional therapy.

Traditional treatment for sore ears

Treatment folk remedies possible with the help different methods. The most effective is heating. Pour salt heated in a frying pan into a clean sock. If the salt is too hot, then wrap the sock in a towel and keep it on your ear for about 10 minutes. It is better if a person lies down and covers himself with a blanket so that the hot salt does not cool down. After 10 minutes, remove the sock and lie under the blanket for another five minutes so that you don’t feel it. sharp drop temperatures

Warm-ups are carried out every hour. In addition, there are many more folk ways to treat a cold ear:

Mix flour with honey in a 2:1 ratio. Place the resulting homogeneous mass on gauze and apply to the ear. This should be done before bed. To make the treatment more effective, the ear can be wrapped in a woolen scarf.
Mix propolis tincture with vodka in a ratio of 1:10. Thoroughly moisten the gauze in the resulting liquid, squeeze it out, and place it in the affected ear before going to bed. In the morning the gauze is removed. Typically this treatment takes 2-3 days.
Pour 500 ml of boiling water over four large bay leaves, cover with a lid and leave for 4-5 hours. Then drip 4-5 drops of warm infusion and close the ear canal with cotton wool. It is advisable to carry out this procedure 2-3 times a day.
This recipe is more suitable for people who live in private homes. You need to light a fire and bake a small onion in the resulting ash. When it becomes soft, wrap it in a small scarf and apply it to your ear. Keep the compress for 20–30 minutes, wrapped in a woolen cloth. This treatment is carried out twice a day.
Grind 4-5 bay leaves, add 500 ml of water, boil for 10 minutes and let it brew under the lid for 4 hours. The resulting medicine should be instilled into the ear, 3-4 drops three times a day.
Pour a teaspoon of chamomile into 250 ml of boiling water, leave for 3-4 hours, strain. The sore ear is washed with the medicine three times a day.
Finely chop a medium onion, place it in gauze and insert it into the sore ear for 30 minutes. Repeat the procedure four times a day. You should carefully monitor your sensations, since onion juice should not get on the eardrum.
Cut off the top of the onion without completely removing the skin. Cut out the center of the onion through the cut top, adding cumin seeds inside. Cover with the onion top, wrap in foil and bake in the oven until soft. Then squeeze out all the juice and drop 5 drops into the affected ear every day before going to bed.
Heat any vegetable oil and drop four drops into your ears twice a day. It is very important that the oil temperature is comfortable. A hot product will easily leave burns, while a cold one will lead to complications.
Dissolve 3 g of mumiyo in a tablespoon of boiling water. Pour the liquid into a metal container and add water to a total volume of 100 ml. Mix a teaspoon of the resulting liquid with the same amount of boric alcohol and albucid. Apply the product warm, 10 drops five times a day.
At night you can make a compress of vodka. To do this, slightly heat the vodka, moisten a piece of gauze in it, place it around the ear, and cover the top with cling film. All this needs to be insulated with woolen fabric. The compress is removed in the morning.

A separate question is what to do during pregnancy. During this period, any intervention can harm the patient’s body. Therefore, you should immediately consult a doctor. Self-medication using traditional medicine is unacceptable.

How to treat an ear if a child has a blowout? Childhood disease The doctor should also study it. An organism that has not yet formed can suffer greatly due to self-medication.

If the patient is an adult and knows exactly how to treat a blown ear, only then can one get involved in traditional medicine.

Ear and toothache are considered the most intense. The occurrence of ear pain does not depend on the time of year. Contrary to popular belief, it can blow out in the summer, and, more often than not, this happens. The heat forces you to open the windows of cars and public transport, and this is how otitis media forms due to drafts. Ear pain has an unpleasant tendency to appear at night, when a person is getting ready to sleep.

Blown ear: symptoms

Few people pay attention to the first symptoms, although if you take action in advance, you can avoid excruciating pain and sleepless nights. Such signs include ear congestion and temporary hearing loss. Especially after driving at high speed or spending time in a draft.
The appearance of pain in the ear indicates inflammation, i.e. otitis. The pain intensifies or appears only at night; during the day it is either tolerable and gradually forgotten, or does not appear at all.
According to its characteristics, the pain can be different - pressing, aching, throbbing, or there is a shooting in the ear. By the way, the last symptom is the most unpleasant. The pain can be constant, with periods of fading. When swallowing, the ear may become blocked, which indicates that discharge, possibly even purulent, appears in the middle ear.
Otitis media can also affect general state patient. Most often, weakness is noted, and body temperature may rise.

What to do if your ear blows?

If your ear hurts at night, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. Only after examination and research is it possible to determine the exact cause of the pain.

Ear pain can occur for many reasons. This symptom does not necessarily have any connection with otitis media. Don’t forget, for example, about caries, or its complications – periodontitis. Dentistry and otolaryngology are borderline sciences and have much in common. Of course, the most common cause of ear pain is inflammatory processes, both acute and chronic.

Incorrect diagnosis and, accordingly, incorrect treatment may cause increased pain, especially when moving, when loud sounds. What to do if your ear is blown out, but there is no way to see a doctor?

First of all, you need to warm up your ear using a blue lamp or salt heated in a frying pan (use it like a compress). It is worth remembering that if there is purulent discharge from the ear, you cannot heat it. The presence of discharge indicates an active inflammatory process; heat can significantly worsen the condition.

If there is no discharge and the ear is simply blown out, you can proceed to the next stage of treatment. You need to instill drops. Boric or chloramphenicol alcohol can be used as drops. Before instillation, the liquid must be preheated to 37 degrees. You can use ready-made dosage forms, the indication for use of which is the treatment of otitis media. The most popular remedy is Otipax, but before using it you must consult a doctor and strictly follow the instructions.

After completing all the procedures, you cannot go outside; you must be in a warm room without drafts for several hours. If you simply need to go outside, you should wear a headdress that will completely protect your ears - a scarf or a hat, regardless of weather conditions.

Ear pain: treatment with folk remedies

Except traditional medicine, you can also use folk remedies. A mixture made from honey and flour will help relieve pain and warm the ear. It will require 1 tbsp. l. flour and 0.5 tbsp. l. honey The ingredients must be mixed until smooth, wrapped in gauze and applied to the ear overnight, securing the compress with a warm scarf.
Paraffin turundas can be considered an excellent remedy. You can purchase a ready-made copy at the pharmacy or make them yourself using a bandage and melted wax. Such turunds will allow you to warm up the ear and remove accumulated earwax, which can become an additional factor of inflammation.
Propolis and bay leaves can be used as folk remedies. To do this, use propolis tincture with vodka. Use the resulting solution to wipe the ear area and leave a cotton swab soaked in this solution. The tincture should not be allowed to get into the ear; treatment will only take place in pairs.
To prepare bay leaf drops, you need to brew 2-3 pre-crushed leaves of the product. This solution should sit for several hours, only after that it will be ready. Bay decoction You need to put a few drops in your ears. And after instillation, cover your ears with a cotton pad.
Don't forget about compresses. The simplest and most accessible ingredient for preparing a compress is vodka, boric alcohol. But such measures will be effective only in the early stages of the disease. To prepare a compress, you need to heat the vodka, soak a large piece of cotton wool in it and cover the area around the ear with the soaked cotton wool. In order not to get wet bed sheets, and leave the solution inside; the cotton wool must be covered with a plastic bag and secured with a scarf. This compress should be done at night. You can also use propolis, which, according to some doctors, is more effective.
Chamomile decoction can also treat ear pain. You must first prepare an infusion of 1 tsp. chamomile herbs and 1 tbsp. hot water. The product must be allowed to brew and strain. The resulting infusion should be used to rinse the ears.

Ear pain is unpleasant and its consequences can be quite severe. You should not endure painful sensations; it is best to contact a qualified specialist at the first symptoms. Any disease is easier to prevent than to cure, for these reasons it is necessary to observe basic rules safety and take care of your health.

Ear pain is perhaps the most intense after toothache, and it also occurs regardless of the time of year. This can mainly happen in the summer, when due to elevated air temperatures people are forced to open all the windows in their apartment or car, which is fraught with drafts and diseases such as otitis media. A blown ear has a bad tendency to remind itself late at night, so learning about the means of relieving it will be useful for every person.

Symptoms of the disease

The first symptoms are often not too painful and therefore few people pay attention to them, while with more obvious symptoms, treatment will also not be so easy. The ear may sometimes become blocked for a short time, and at times hearing may deteriorate slightly. When inflammation is present, the pain gradually increases, until the onset of the first sleepless nights.

The variety differs depending on the type of inflammation - from pressing, pulsating and aching sensations, to sudden and quite strong lumbago in the ear. In advanced cases, pus may be released, which will entail the necessary surgical intervention, if you ignore contacting a doctor. A blown ear often affects the general well-being of the patient - weakness, lethargy appears, and body temperature rises.

The primary signs that the ear has blown out are pain in the head and ear pain. Their duration can be periodic, they can be constant or appear in influxes. While chewing, the ear may become blocked. Such sensations indicate that fluid has appeared in the middle ear, possibly a purulent formation. Otitis media is a disease that causes deterioration in health, weakness, and can cause fever.

First aid

After the first sensation of pain in the ear, immediate assistance is necessary. First aid consists of warming the cold area, specifically the ear:

To begin with, you need to take a drug to eliminate pain (Paracetamol), or another substance containing it.
Make a round hole in the gauze, moisten it in a solution of camphor alcohol and water in equal parts, then put the gauze on the ear and wrap it.
It is also possible to warm it up with a special blue lamp, a heating pad, or salt. Warming up in case of temperature rise is excluded.
Twist a cotton swab and soak it in boric alcohol, then insert it into the ear hole. Due to possible damage to the eardrum, it is not recommended to drip boric alcohol into the ear.
And lastly, this is an immediate visit for help to to a specialist.

It happens that the ear blows under the air conditioner. In this case, treatment must be applied. This could be compresses to warm the sore ear or heating with a special lamp. Then you need to visit a specialist for a more detailed examination of the affected area, who will prescribe the course of necessary treatment.

During pregnancy

If a woman is pregnant, especially long term 3rd trimester, the amount in the choice of medications decreases significantly. In this case, they resort to treatment with drugs based on oils and herbal substances, if necessary, together with vasoconstrictor drops. To prevent acute pain, Otipax is prescribed.

Treatment with folk remedies is also possible:

Rinse the sore ear with a syringe (without a needle), or with a microenema, using a warm tincture of chamomile or calendula.
Apply compresses containing camphor alcohol and boiled water in a ratio (1:1), they have a warming effect.

For children

Before visiting a specialist, you can make compresses based on boric alcohol and water in a ratio (1:1). Such compresses are possible if the ear pain is not accompanied by fever or discharge from the ear.

Important! It is contraindicated for children to drip boric alcohol into sore ears; due to the uncertain degree of the disease, the eardrum may be damaged, after which a complication is possible.

Drug treatment

A cold ear can result in unbearable pain, which can be avoided by using an anesthetic drug (Paracetamol). Then make a gauze compress, fold the gauze in several layers, cut out a circle to put on the ear.

Next, you should prepare camphor alcohol, previously diluted with water, in a 50/50 ratio. Soak the gauze in this solution, squeeze it out and put it on the sore ear, then secure it with a bandage, wrapping it around the head. It is necessary to keep warm; to do this, keep the compress for about an hour.

Otipax

Otipax, this is medicinal product, the main task of which is to have an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect. Very often, for otitis media, all its forms and simple ear congestion, doctors prescribe a course of treatment with this drug. Otipax relieves all inflammatory processes, relieves pain, and ensures recovery. Place 2 drops into the sore ear three times a day for 5 days.

Hydrogen peroxide

To treat an ear cold, you need to clean the sore ear from earwax. Hydrogen peroxide softens wax and facilitates easy removal from the ear canal. The use of hydrogen peroxide is also necessary, especially when purulent discharge, then you need to remove them, then start treatment. Treatment consists of warming the affected area, excluding fever and purulent discharge, then applying drops to the affected ear.

Treatment with folk remedies

Our ears are too closely connected to the vital functions of the brain, so it’s not worth the risk. If you passed medical checkup and the doctor has not identified any complications that need to be treated directly medications and under the strict supervision of a doctor, you can begin to use traditional medicine.

Salt

Warm your ear with ordinary salt. Often, such a compress gives excellent results after just a few uses, with the exception of advanced cases of otitis media:

Heat a handful of regular kitchen salt in a clean frying pan;
wrap in any fabric or gauze folded in several layers and apply to the sore ear several times a day;
keep the compress until the salt has cooled completely.

Instead of salt, you can use a blue lamp if you have one.

IMPORTANT! The warming procedure is strictly prohibited if there is any purulent discharge in the ear, since heat will additionally stimulate the inflammatory process.

After warming up, it is advisable to instill drops; these do not have to be pharmaceutical products; boric alcohol, slightly warmed up beforehand, is quite suitable. If you want to use a more gentle remedy, but with no less effectiveness, check out a number of folk recipes.

Honey

Honey has almost widest spectrum healing properties that are used both internally and externally:

mix a tablespoon of honey with half a tablespoon of flour until a homogeneous mass is formed;
transfer the mixture to gauze folded in several layers and apply to the sore ear, securing with a woolen scarf;
keep the compress on throughout the night.

For the next method of getting rid of ear pain, you will need to purchase paraffin turundas. You can buy them at the pharmacy, or you can prepare them yourself from melted wax by finding instructions on the Internet:

Warm the sore ear with turundas for some time to remove earwax and prevent inflammation from growing.

Bay leaf

This remedy involves using only kitchen bay leaves and propolis:

chop dry leaves, pour a small amount vodka;
leave for several hours, wipe the ear area with the mixture using cotton wool several times a day, periodically leave the cotton wool soaked in the tincture in the ear for a while.

IMPORTANT! Carefully ensure that large amounts of liquid do not get inside; treat only in pairs.

In addition to the tincture, ear drops that are effective in their medicinal properties are made from bay leaves:

Grind a few dry leaves and boil for several minutes;
leave for two to three hours, instill a couple of drops into the sore ear several times a day;
It is recommended to cover the ear with cotton wool or turunda after instillation.

Chamomile

The most ordinary pharmaceutical chamomile It is also quite capable of replacing expensive medications in the treatment of otitis media:

Brew a teaspoon of dry chamomile in a glass of boiling water;
let it brew for several hours, rinse the ear area with the broth several times a day, after straining it.

Of the compresses, the most effective and inexpensive is a compress prepared on the basis of boric alcohol or vodka:

soak a fairly large piece of cotton wool in the product and secure it to the sore ear overnight with a scarf or bandage.

IMPORTANT! This method will give positive effect only at a non-advanced stage of the disease.

Onion

A remedy using onions helps reduce pain and relieve existing inflammation:

Cut a medium onion into not too small cubes;
wrap in gauze, the size should be such that it fits freely inside the sore ear;
keep for half an hour, if there is severe pain, repeat the procedure after an hour.

IMPORTANT! Do not insert the gauze too deep into the ear opening, so as not to onion juice inside.

Next recipe ear drops also implies the use of an onion, but already baked:

cut off the top of one medium onion, without removing the rest of the peel;
Using a knife, cut a small hole on top and pour cumin seeds into it;
Close the hole again with the cut off top, wrap the onion in foil and bake in the oven until soft;
Unwrap, squeeze out all the juice from the bulb, strain if necessary, and instill five drops before bed.

Oil

You can also use any vegetable oil as drops, be it olive, flaxseed or ordinary sunflower:

Heat the oil a little in a water bath, then use a pipette to drop three to four drops in the morning and evening.

IMPORTANT! Make sure that the oil is warm, as cold will only aggravate the inflammatory process, and hot will leave burns inside the ear, which can lead to the most unexpected consequences, including hearing loss.

Propolis and honey

At that stage of a blown ear, when pus has already formed inside, it is recommended next remedy with propolis and honey:

pour a small amount of propolis with half a glass of alcohol and leave for several hours;
add honey to the resulting tincture in a ratio of one to two, stir thoroughly;
drop three drops into the sore ear every evening until the pus completely disappears.

Mumiyo

For sharp, shooting pains, prepare drops based on mumiyo:

Dissolve about three grams of mumiyo in a tablespoon of boiling water, pour into any container and stir, periodically adding water;
increase the volume to 100 ml;
pour a teaspoon of boric alcohol, albucid and the resulting mummy solution into a separate container;
mix thoroughly until a homogeneous consistency is formed;
Place 10 drops in the ear at least four times a day.

IMPORTANT! Before instillation, be sure to heat the mixture, but do not bring it to a hot state.

Garlic

Garlic is no less effective in relieving inflammation and pain, and also has a bactericidal effect, which prevents further development diseases:

Grate one medium clove on a fine grater to a paste;
add four drops of camphor oil and mix thoroughly;
put the mixture on gauze, make a tampon and hold it in your ear until you feel a slight burning sensation;
take out and drop a couple of drops of any vegetable oil, barely heated in a water bath.

Treatment of otitis in young children, especially under five years of age, is highly discouraged using folk remedies, so as not to provoke the development of negative processes that may subsequently affect hearing.

For adults, folk remedies are acceptable until the first opportunity to visit a competent doctor arises, and continuation can only be carried out with his consent. Incorrect self-diagnosis can lead to incorrect treatment, which will take much longer to correct than the primary problem.

The cold process can result in anything; it is necessary to pay timely attention to the problem that has arisen. If your ear is blown and a lump comes out, then this is a consequence of an inflammatory process occurring inside the body, during which the lymph node has enlarged. An immediate visit to a specialist to examine the problem will help avoid complications. The doctor will prescribe a course of treatment, warming, drops, possibly antibiotics, depending on the condition. Treatment is mandatory, otherwise it may end in surgery.

Ear pain can occur due to various reasons and regardless of the time of year. Such pain is quite strong and is often compared to toothache. Often, ear diseases arise from drafts when cold air blows through the head. Against the background of a cold ear, diseases such as otitis media develop. The pain is felt especially strongly at night, which prevents a person from sleeping normally and leads to problems of a nervous nature. To solve this situation, you should recognize the symptoms that indicate that your ear is blown.

Symptoms

If you really have a cold ear, the first symptoms may appear within a few hours. What signs may accompany you in this case:

The ear begins to block, hearing periodically deteriorates, but then recovers again. Such symptoms often go unnoticed, although if measures are taken at this stage, it is likely that severe ear pain can be avoided;
When pain occurs, we can say that an inflammatory process has begun, namely otitis media;
When swallowing, you may notice some congestion in the ear. This is an indication that some discharge has formed there, which may very likely be purulent;
On the side of the diseased ear, the lymph nodes will increase;
Pain in the head appears, which is quite serious and can often turn into a migraine. Pain sensations radiate to the teeth;
As the inflammatory process develops, the patient's body temperature rises and general malaise appears.

Such symptoms develop in the evening or at night. Of course, it may be impossible to visit a doctor at such a late hour, so it is important to know how to provide first aid in case of ear pain.

First aid

If you feel pain in your ear, you should immediately give yourself first aid. The main action in this case should be to warm up the blown ear, for this you need to:

To relieve pain, take paracetamol or a drug containing it;
Take gauze and make a hole in it. After this, take it and soak it in a solution of camphor alcohol and water (in equal proportions), put the gauze on your ear and wrap it around it;
If your body temperature has not risen, you can warm your ear with salt or a special blue lamp; if you have one in the house, an ordinary heating pad will help;
Take a cotton swab, twist it and soak it in boric alcohol, then insert it into your ear. There is a risk of damage to the eardrum, so dripping boric alcohol directly into the ear is not recommended;
At the first opportunity, contact a specialist for help.

In the summer, there is a high probability of blowing out your ear while sitting under the air conditioner. In this case, it is necessary to start treatment as soon as possible. You can make special compresses to warm up the diseased organ. But be sure to consult a doctor who will give the recommendations necessary in your case.

During pregnancy

Pregnancy greatly affects the functioning of the immune system, but at the same time, during this period the use of most medications is prohibited. While carrying a child with a blown ear, self-medication can cause irreparable harm, so it is better to immediately seek help from a professional.

If ear pain develops at night, pregnant women are allowed to put cotton wool soaked in camphor oil in their ear. In cases where the disease is advanced and purulent otitis media develops, the pregnant woman will be observed in a hospital with the use of antibiotics.

Treatment

If you suspect that your ear is blown out, you should immediately consult a doctor to get an accurate conclusion and begin timely treatment. Therapy usually takes place at home. The doctor prescribes antipyretic, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs. In some cases, antibiotics may be needed.

Medication

To relieve swelling, pain and inflammation, doctors prescribe painkillers to the patient, which are likely to be found in the medicine cabinet of every home. Drops are used that differ in their properties, which you need to know if you cannot visit a doctor:

Based on antibiotics. The advantage of such drops is that they simultaneously have not only an analgesic effect, but also an anti-inflammatory effect. Such drops do not have a high price despite their effectiveness. The drugs are prohibited for pregnant women and during lactation;
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drops. This remedy will relieve pain, swelling and have an anti-inflammatory effect on the sore ear. The downside is that the drops do not have antibacterial properties. If the eardrum is damaged, such drugs are prohibited from use;
Combined drops based on glucocorticosteroids. Such drops are highly effective and act quite quickly. The drugs have anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-edematous and antimicrobial effects.

There are many remedies for relieving ear pain, especially drops, but the chosen drug can only do harm. Therefore, try to seek prescriptions from a specialist and only then begin treatment with such remedies at home.

Folk remedies

Traditional medicine for ear pain, as with other problems, has a supply of recipes that will help relieve discomfort and cure the ongoing inflammatory process.

Bulb onions

Onions have many properties, but not everyone knows that they also have an analgesic effect combined with an anti-inflammatory effect. The vegetable retains its medicinal properties not only when fresh, but also when baked. Here are some recipes using onions for ear pain:

Chop the onion, put it in gauze and roll it up so that the swab can be placed in the ear, but not deep. Keep it inside for 30 minutes and then remove. You can repeat the procedure after 60 minutes;
Bake the onion and chop it finely to form a paste. Spread this mixture on gauze in a thin layer, roll it into a tampon and put it in your ear for about half an hour. The onion should be cooled before use to prevent burns.

Vegetable oil

You can use oil from sunflower, flax, pumpkin and others. Before using this substance, the oil must be heated in a water bath, because it should only be used warm. If your ear is blown out, you can drop 3-4 drops of oil into your ear. Carry out the procedure before going to bed, after instillation, plug your ear with cotton wool and wrap it with a warm scarf.

Bay leaf

For ear problems, take a few bay leaves, chop them and pour a glass of boiling water. Let the mixture sit for several hours, then strain it. Just like with vegetable oil, the tincture should be instilled into the ear only before bed in the amount of 5 drops. In the morning you will forget that you were bothered by ear pain.

Let's sum it up

As you can see, when a person’s ear is blown, it really starts to bother them quite a lot unpleasant symptoms which are sometimes impossible to tolerate. Until you see a doctor, you can give yourself first aid and ease the signs of otitis media, but after that, be sure to go to an appointment with a specialist who will prescribe subsequent treatment, which you will carry out yourself at home.

Ear pain may appear unexpectedly. When it occurs, many people get confused and don’t know what to do if they have a blown ear. After all, the ears are a special and “capricious” part of the body. They must be treated carefully. Therefore, it is necessary to understand this issue in advance, carefully studying the symptoms and types of treatment. And after recovery, it is not recommended to allow even the slightest hypothermia or strong drafts, because any mistake made can come back to haunt you for a long time, more than once, and with serious consequences.

Hypothermia can cause pain in the ears.

When the ear becomes hypothermic, the immune system weakens. This leads to the proliferation of fungal bacteria, and the disease process gains full force. In the first stages, the patient may not feel any special changes, but they will certainly appear in the subsequent period.

Main symptoms

Among the pronounced symptoms, it is customary to highlight the following phenomena:

ear congestion;
decreased hearing level;
throbbing or aching pain in the ear;
"shooting";
weakness throughout the body;
pain radiates to the gums and teeth;
temperature increase;
headache.

Attention! If you find at least 1-2 of the listed symptoms, you should consult a doctor as soon as possible. This will avoid the neglect of the process and stop inflammation in the first stages.

Child's ear blew out

Children are most often susceptible to otitis media. The structure of the ear canal at a tender age has its own characteristics and the organs are more vulnerable to various kinds of drafts and hypothermia.

What to do if a child’s ear has blown out. First of all, you need to figure out whether it’s really in the ear. Therefore, it is necessary to study the symptoms of childhood otitis media:

the child refuses food;
there is lethargy in the body, depression;
temperature ranges from 39 to 40 degrees;
painful sensations when pressing on the tragus;
obsessive desire to scratch the ear;
sharp pain.

Important! If you detect at least two of the symptoms, immediately see an ENT specialist. Typically, in this case, the doctor will order a blood test, examine the inner fluid of the ear, and conduct a thorough examination.

First aid

At home, there is little that can lead to instant results, but you can still do something to help yourself and your loved ones. The main thing here is to protect the ear from drafts and relieve acute pain symptoms.

If you have a blown ear, how to treat it at home

make a warm compress from warm vegetable oil, cotton wool, 8 layers of bandage;
make a bandage to protect the ear from drafts and cold air.

These measures will relieve acute pain, “calm” inflammation and allow you to wait for a doctor’s consultation.

Drug treatment

One of the most common and effective treatments prescribed by your doctor is ear drops. They help reduce pain and improve the general condition of the patient. Most often, the doctor prescribes drops such as Ototon, Sofradex, Otinum, Fugentin, Otipax, Miramidez and others. They contain anti-inflammatory and analgesic substances.

Treatment with hydrogen peroxide

Must be cleaned first inner surface earwax from earwax. Hydrogen peroxide has a softening effect on wax and helps to gently remove it from the ear canal. It is often used specifically for purulent discharge and helps remove it.

You will need a 3% peroxide solution and a gauze pad.
First, thoroughly wet it.
Then, slightly squeezing, insert it into the ear hole with a screwing motion.
As soon as the tampon becomes saturated with pus, it must be replaced.

Do this until the discharge goes away.

Treatment with folk remedies at home

One of the best home treatments is a compress.

You can enhance the effect of treatment by skillfully combining medications with the people. The latter, of course, will not remove all the consequences of the disease, but will significantly speed up recovery. Under no circumstances should you get carried away with this type of treatment; you should not experiment with your health. It's better to go to the doctor right away.

Important to remember! Traditional methods treatments go well with traditional ones, the latter can in no case replace medication.

However, if they are used as an auxiliary element, they provide significant benefits. Today ethnoscience used to treat a large number of diseases, various options otitis is no exception. Alternative medicine applies as various tinctures, compresses, and certain medicinal substances and components of nature.

Warming up

In case of ear inflammation, heating is allowed, but it must be done very carefully. Pus promotes the spread of infection, so it is most effective means will UV lamp, promoting the disinfection of lesions. The lamp is brought to a safe distance and held for about 5-7 minutes. This procedure carried out 3-4 times a day with eyes closed.

Bay leaf - an assistant for otitis media

Lavrushka – effective technique to relieve inflammation in the ear. The main effect is the relief of pain symptoms. Grind the ingredient in a coffee grinder, it turns into a homogeneous mass. Pour into a jar and pour half a liter of boiling water. After two hours, filter the cooled infusion and instill it into the ear hole. The recommended dose is 4-5 drops. Then we secure it with a cotton swab and bandage the ear.

Garlic

We give the garlic the appearance of a paste. Add 3 drops of camphor oil. Spread the mixture on a gauze cloth. We give it the appearance of a tampon and place it in the ear canal. Keep it until there is a slight burning sensation. Carefully remove the tampon and then instill an antiseptic.

Propolis tincture

Honey and propolis are irreplaceable remedies if your ear is very cold. The composition of the mixture has a mild analgesic effect, prevents the growth of bacteria in the intra-ear space, “calming” foci of inflammation. Removes purulent formations. It is necessary to add half a glass of honey to the propolis tincture. To stir thoroughly. Treat the sore spot with three drops, then go to bed.

Onion

Onions will help reduce pain. Make a hole on top of the onion and place the cumin seeds inside. Cover with a “hat” and place in foil in the oven. Under the influence of high temperature, the bulb will produce juice, which, when warm, will need to be instilled 3-4 drops at night.

Wax treatment

Wax candles made at home are a great way to warm up your ear at night. You will need gauze cloth and melted wax. Dip the fabric into it, gently lubricate it, and let the gauze soak. Then twist a small tube and let cool. Then we insert it into the ear and set the turunda on fire on top, first placing a moistened cloth on the face. This is necessary for the safety of the procedure. We cut off the burnt parts of the candle with scissors and place them in a bowl of water so that they do not harm. After the procedure, keep your ear warm and go to bed.

Flour with honey

Flour and honey will relieve pain quickly. Place a spoonful of flour and half a spoonful of honey in a bowl and mix. Place the pulp on a gauze cloth, twist it and insert it into the ear. Then bandage him and get him ready for bed. In the morning, remove the swab and gently wipe the surface.

Shilajit tincture

The oldest recipe that was used by our great-grandfathers. Shilajit tincture relieves pain and reduces the level of inflammation. You will need 3 g mummy and 1 spoon of boiled water 80 degrees. Heat in a water bath, stirring gently. As soon as the volume of the mixture reaches 100 ml, mix it with boric alcohol and drops of Albucid in equal parts. Bring everything to a homogeneous consistency. Treatment must be carried out 4 times a day. One dosage is 8 drops. At night, a cotton swab is placed and the ear is bandaged.

The term “otitis media” usually refers to all kinds of inflammations of the ear, both acute and chronic (from the Greek otos - i.e. ear). How to help a baby whose ears hurt, read this article.

How does the ear work?

Human auditory analyzer includes central and peripheral parts. central part- a collection of nerve fibers
con, through which vibrations are transmitted from the outside to the auditory centers, which are located in temporal lobes cerebral cortex. And the peripheral part consists of the inner, middle and outer ear.

Outer ear- this is what we understand by the word ear in the everyday sense (what birthday people are pulled by), i.e. the auricle and the external auditory canal, ending with the eardrum. In newborns, the external auditory canal is very short and narrows like a funnel. The baby's outer ear reaches its adult configuration by the age of 4.

The eardrum is a thin (no more than 1 mm thick) membrane. During life, its appearance and position change. In a newborn, the eardrum is thicker and located almost horizontally.

Middle ear is located inside the temporal bone and has three sections: the tympanic cavity, eustachian tube(it connects the tympanic cavity and the nasopharynx) and a cave located in the mastoid process of the temporal bone.

The auditory ossicles that we were taught about in school (stirrup, malleus and incus) are located in tympanic cavity, nerves, blood vessels, muscles and ligaments are also located here. Immediately after birth, the tympanic cavity is filled with myxoid tissue, which quickly resolves. The Eustachian tube emerges from the tympanic cavity with the pharyngeal orifice, which opens into the nasopharynx. In infants, the Eustachian tube is wide and short, which increases the risk of infection spreading from the nasopharynx to the middle ear. Thus, the slightest ARVI with a runny nose can lead to inflammation of the middle ear.

The tympanic cavity connects to the cave located in the mastoid process of the temporal bone through a narrow passage, which also changes with age.

Inner ear(labyrinth) is located deep in the temporal bone. The inner ear includes the cochlea and semicircular canals, which house the sound-receiving and vestibular apparatus.

Otitis externa

Inflammation of the outer ear occurs when an infection enters the external auditory canal. This happens when the ears are not properly hygienic or are combed with a dirty comb. Another cause of otitis in children is group A streptococci (so-called erysipelas)

Otitis media

Inflammation of the middle ear can be both acute and chronic

Among all ear diseases, acute otitis media in children. Most common reason otitis in children is a complication after acute respiratory viral infection (infection penetrates through the Eustachian tube, which causes otitis). This disease comes in two types: catarrhal (i.e., caused by inflammation of the mucous membrane) and purulent.

Internal otitis (labyrinthitis)

This disease is extremely rare and not as an independent process, but as a severe complication of otitis media or other serious infectious diseases or injuries. The infection enters inner ear or from the middle (with otitis media), or from meninges(for meningitis), or from the blood - for general infectious diseases(tuberculosis, etc.)

Otitis externa in children: symptoms

When the external auditory canal becomes inflamed, redness of the skin around it, blistering rashes, swelling of the canal itself appear, and sometimes translucent discharge appears. Against this background, the temperature rises sharply (up to 39 0), appetite disappears, the baby becomes lethargic and whiny because he is bothered by pain.

Also, the cause of pain in a child’s ear may be a banal boil or inflammation hair follicle inside (for example, if the ear was injured the day before). The boil may not be noticeable from the outside, but if the baby complains of pain in the ears, which intensifies when touched, chewing, swallowing, if enlarged lymph nodes behind the ears are noticed, this may be the cause. After a few days, the abscess opens and the pain goes away.

How to treat otitis externa

The baby must be shown to an otolaryngologist, who in such cases prescribes various applications, compresses, and ointments. Elevated temperature knocked down with children's antipyretics. If the condition is especially severe, or the cause of otitis is serious bacterial infection, treatment in a hospital setting with the use of antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs may be necessary.

In any case, the first action of parents is to contact a specialist, and in no case should you try to treat childhood otitis media based on your own assumptions or grandmother’s advice on how to cure otitis media in a child.

Otitis media in children: symptoms

With catarrhal acute otitis media, the child is bothered by a sharp pain in the ear, the body temperature rises, the baby has difficulty falling asleep, he either cries or becomes lethargic due to loss of strength. This torment may also be accompanied by diarrhea and vomiting.

Very quickly, catarrhal otitis media can turn into purulent (during the first day of the disease). Then, to all the above symptoms, the discharge of pus from the sore ear is added. The release of pus to the outside indicates that the eardrum has ruptured (but the pain goes away). Don’t worry too much: with the right and timely treatment a scar will soon form on the eardrum, and this will not affect hearing in the future.

If you notice pus, you urgently need to put a cotton ball into the sore ear, be sure to wear a cap to cover it (ears need dry heat) and go to an appointment with ENT doctor. Due to its purulent nature, you should never warm your ear! Do not use heating pads, etc., based on the consideration that the ear needs warmth. Protection from a fabric cap is sufficient in the summer (or indoors in winter), but the rest of the time, dress according to the weather.

What complications can there be with otitis media?

If you ignore treatment or neglect the disease, complications appear in children after otitis media. The most common is mastoiditis. This is inflammation mastoid process temporal bone, which manifests itself in pain and swelling behind the ears, themselves ears protrude, and the child instinctively tilts his head to the painful side.

Another possible complication of untreated otitis is meningeal syndrome, i.e. irritation of the meninges. It is characterized by seizures, vomiting, lethargy and confusion. Instinctively, the child throws his head back. Also a complication of otitis media is internal otitis (see below).

How to treat otitis media in a child

As soon as your baby complains of ear pain or you suspect that his anxiety is related to ear inflammation, you should immediately call a pediatrician or, if the temperature is not high, go to the medical center. institution for an appointment with an ENT specialist. The sooner treatment is started, the less the baby will suffer, and the higher the chance of avoiding complications.

The child will be prescribed antibiotics in tablets or injections (if purulent otitis) course 5 – 7 days. This will prevent complications. The doctor will also prescribe you vasoconstrictor drops in the nose and local procedures.

For catarrhal forms, warming compresses (semi-alcohol or vodka) and cotton wool pads, into which drops for otitis media are instilled, will be prescribed for children. How to make such compresses correctly, as well as how to handle ear drops and turundas, the doctor will tell mom.

If the form is purulent, you will also need to regularly empty the ear canal of pus and clean the ear with a 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide. Additionally, the doctor may prescribe physiotherapy: ultraviolet irradiation ( ultraviolet irradiation), UHF (ultra high frequency currents), laser irradiation, mud therapy.

We deliberately do not provide names of drugs and descriptions of methods in this article in order to protect mothers from the temptation to prescribe treatment for otitis media in children on their own. Only a specialist can choose the medications the child needs and adequate dosages. Even if a child has already encountered otitis in his life, one cannot voluntarily repeat the treatment prescribed to him in the past. Now it may not help, but only mask the main process and complicate diagnostics in the future. Only a consultation with a doctor in this case will give the correct prescriptions.

And even more so, based on everyday advice, it is impossible to bury boric alcohol in a child’s ears. This can cause additional suffering to the baby and worsen the picture: this substance irritates the skin in the ear, it begins to peel off, and the exfoliated pieces form plugs.

With timely contact with a qualified specialist, acute catarrhal otitis media can be cured in a week, and purulent otitis media in a little more than 2.

In particularly difficult cases and in the presence of complications, therapeutic treatment may not be enough, and then the child will need hospitalization and surgical intervention.

Chronic otitis media

In the case of general low immunity, rickets, diabetes mellitus, frequent acute respiratory viral infections and adenoids, as well as in children born prematurely and raised on artificial feeding, as well as with individual characteristics of the shape of the nasal septum acute otitis media can go to chronic form. In this case, the hole in the eardrum remains permanent and pus oozes from time to time. All this leads to hearing loss and, the longer the disease lasts, the more severe it becomes.

Symptoms of internal otitis

The child complains of tinnitus, dizziness, hearing loss, nausea, vomiting and problems with balance. If the outcome is unfavorable due to the accumulation of pus in the inner ear, the child completely loses hearing. For diagnosis, a blood test is performed and X-ray examination temporal sinuses.

If the child is prescribed adequate treatment, which he and his family comply with, gradually the exudate (inflammatory fluid that accumulates in the cavity of the inner ear) resolves, and it is possible to do without surgical intervention.

Treatment of internal otitis

Such a serious disease as inflammation of the inner ear can only be treated by a qualified otolaryngologist.

Therapy involves IVs, antibiotics and bed rest. If the doctor determines that these measures are sufficient, treatment is carried out at home. In especially severe cases, surgery is performed on the labyrinth and middle ear. Naturally, such treatment is carried out only in a hospital setting, and after discharge continues at home. In any case, inflammation very rarely reaches the inner ear; it is usually possible to extinguish it at previous stages of development.

Otitis media in a baby

Otitis media in infants has the same symptoms as in older children.

Difficulty in diagnosing otitis media in children infancy The problem is that they cannot yet express their feelings in words, and it is difficult for the mother to determine whether it is ear pain that is bothering the child.

But there is characteristic features, indicating otitis. The child cries a lot, screams, grinds his teeth, rubs his ear on the crib, it is difficult for him to fall asleep, his sleep is weak, intermittent, and when he wakes up, the child cries bitterly. The baby may want to eat, but after the first sip he refuses. Sucking and swallowing cause him additional pain. A mother can more accurately determine that her ears (or one of them) are hurting by pressing on the tragus, a piece of cartilage that protrudes in front of the beginning of the external auditory canal. If this action causes the baby to scream even more, it means that his ear is definitely inflamed on this side (such pressure on the sore ear causes severe pain).

Babies are the most vulnerable, since their auditory tube is wide and short, which makes it easier for infection to enter the ear, so it is especially easy for them to get otitis media after an acute respiratory viral infection. Otitis media also develops in infants because in the first 6 months they mostly lie down all the time, which makes it difficult for mucus to flow out; as a result, it accumulates in the nasopharynx and is quickly transmitted to the middle ear.

Infants are treated according to the same scheme as older children, naturally, choosing drugs adjusted for age.

Bathing with otitis media

While you are treating your baby for otitis, doctors do not recommend bathing him. It is enough to limit yourself to wiping the entire body with a soft damp sponge or wet wipes. Avoid hypothermia and water getting into the ears - these are now the greatest dangers for the child and can aggravate his illness.

Despite the restrictions on bathing, it is necessary to carefully observe the hygiene of the baby’s genitals. Every morning and evening, as well as after each bowel movement, wash your child with warm running water.

If the mother recognizes otitis in the child in time, and soon a specialist prescribes treatment for him, otitis, as a rule, can be cured without severe complications and transition to a chronic form.