How Can I Treat Earache At Home
You can ask your pharmacist about using over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen to treat the pain. Children under the age of 16 should not take aspirin.
Placing a warm flannel against the affected ear may also help relieve the pain.
Your pharmacist may also be able to recommend over-the-counter eardrops for your earache, but let them know your symptoms and ask for their advice first.
Eardrops or olive oil drops should not be used if the eardrum has burst, and they will not help an ear infection.
If you or your child has an ear infection, you should avoid putting objects in the ear, such as cotton buds, or getting the affected ear wet.
Why Is My Childs Nose Is Always Runny
Cold viruses can cause your child to have a runny nose for an extended period of time. Most children get the viruses while playing with other children at school, in a playgroup, or on a playground. Because viruses do not respond to antibiotic treatment, colds must run their course¾a process that can take many days and sometimes weeks to completely resolve. Allergies also can cause a persistently running nose.
Throat Symptoms: Strep Throat And Other Infections
Strep throat is an infection caused by a form of the Streptococcus bacteria, Jones says. Doctors test for strep when someone has a sore throat because of its dangerous complications, such as heart problems that can happen later if the strep is not treated. Strep throat is most common in children between the ages of 5 and 15, and symptoms of strep include sore throat, swollen tonsils, telltale white patches on the throat, fever, body aches, and even stomach pain. Strep throat should be treated with an antibiotic. Not all sore throats are strep throat if your strep test is negative, your sore throat is probably due to a virus and wont respond to antibiotics.
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Is It Just A Sore Throat Or Is It Strep
Strep throat is a bacterial infection of the throat or pharynx. Kids with strep often have throat pain and difficulty swallowing, and they often show other symptoms as well, including fever, swollen lymph nodes, headache or stomach pain. Usually, strep comes on suddenly without a stuffy nose or cough, which can help distinguish it from the sore throat that often accompanies a cold, Dr. Diercks said.
Not all sore throats are strep, and a diagnosis from a doctor is the only way to know if your child truly has the infection. A pediatrician or ear, nose and throat specialist can perform a strep test in the office, which may be able to provide confirmation of the diagnosis within several hours.
Treating strep throat is extremely important if left untreated strep can lead to serious health complications. For that reason, its important to visit a doctor if your suspect that your child has strep.
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A Problem With Your Jaw
Earache is occasionally caused by a problem with the joint of your jaw bone . This is known as temporomandibular joint pain and can be caused by problems such as arthritis or teeth grinding.
Jaw pain can often be treated with painkillers, warm or cold compresses, and trying not to clench your jaw and grind your teeth.
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Symptoms Of Ear Nose And Throat Infections
Ear, nose and throat infections are often caused by the same kinds of bacteria and viruses. However, the symptoms can be different depending on where the infection is located:
- Ear infections can cause earache, wax or discharge, hearing loss and balance problems.
- Nose infections are likely to cause a runny or blocked nose and sneezing. Infections that reach areas such as the sinuses can also cause other symptoms such as headaches.
- Throat infections can cause a sore or scratchy throat and pain or difficulty swallowing. You may also be able to feel swollen glands in your neck.
All three types of infections can also cause more general symptoms of infection, such as a fever, and it is common for infections to spread between these areas. For example, an infection that starts with a sore throat might start to cause other symptoms such as earache when it spreads from your throat to your ear.
Soothing Measures And Pain Medications
People with viral throat infections that cause significant pain may benefit from soothing measures and/or pain medications.
- Soothing measures: These include sipping on cold or warm drinks, eating cold desserts, or gargling with salt water.
- Over-the-counter painkillers: These include acetaminophen or NSAIDS such as ibuprofen .
- Additional topical pain relief: There are a number of over-the-counter tablets or sprays that contain substances such as menthol, dyclonine, benzocaine, or hexylresorcinol, among others, that provide topical pain relief. These may be tried in adults but are generally not recommended for children.
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Hoarseness That Lasts Longer Than Six Weeks
Weve all experienced hoarseness with the common cold or bronchitis. Yet if it lasts six weeks or longer, it may signify another medical problem such as benign vocal cord lesions, or possibly cancer of the larynx. An ENT can examine your vocal cords easily and painlessly, and determine if more tests are needed.
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How Middle Ear Infections Are Treated
Most ear infections clear up within three to five days and don’t need any specific treatment. If necessary, paracetamol or ibuprofen should be used to relieve pain and a high temperature.
Make sure any painkillers you give to your child are appropriate for their age. Read more about giving your child painkillers.
Antibiotics aren’t routinely used to treat middle ear infections, although they may occasionally be prescribed if symptoms persist or are particularly severe.
Read more about treating middle ear infections
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Why Do Children Get Many More Ear Infections Than Adults Will My Child Always Get Ear Infections
Children are more likely than adults to get ear infections for these reasons:
- The eustachian tubes in young children are shorter and more horizontal. This shape encourages fluid to gather behind the eardrum.
- The immune system of children, which in the bodys infection-fighting system, is still developing.
- The adenoids in children are relatively larger than they are in adults. The adenoids are the small pads of tissue above the throat and behind the nose and near the eustachian tubes. As they swell to fight infection, they may block the normal ear drainage from the eustachian tube into the throat. This blockage of fluid can lead to a middle ear infection.
Most children stop getting ear infections by age 8.
Tonsillectomy For Recurrent Throat Infection
If youve had strep throat six or more times in one year, you and your doctor may need to consider removing your tonsils. This can also help if youve had strep more than three or four times a year for several years in a row.
If you receive antibiotics for strep several times and it keeps recurring, discuss a tonsillectomy with your ENT doctor.
A tonsillectomy is usually an outpatient procedure that lasts about 20-30 minutes. Its performed under general anesthesia, so youll be asleep the whole time.
A tonsillectomy leaves no visible scare, since the tonsils are removed through the mouth. But there will be some scabbing in the throat while the area heals.
Youll also need to be careful to stay hydrated after the procedure. Youll want to stick to soft foods until your throat is feeling better.
Most cases of strep throat involve the tonsils, so this surgery can drastically cut down on the number of sore throats you get each year.
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Nose Problems: The Scoop On Sinuses
Infected sinuses, also known as sinusitis, can cause facial and headache pain. When yellow or green pus is trapped in sinus cavities above and below the eyes and around the nose your entire head aches, you may experience nasal congestion, and you could have a sore throat or fever. And a number of things could be to blame, such as a virus, bacteria, fungus, or allergies. Whats the best way to treat infected sinuses? Opening them up, Jones says. Using saltwater solutions and irrigating the nose helps talk to your doctor about appropriate techniques. Viral infections generally resolve themselves, while bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics. As with a blocked Eustachian tube, tumors could mimic sinusitis symptoms, especially if symptoms are on one side.
Treatment For A Throat Infection
You can treat many throats infections at home, but if your condition doesnt improve in 1-2 weeks, you should contact a physician. The common cause of throat infections, viral infections, usually only last five to seven days and dont require medical treatment. A course of antibiotics is usually prescribed by a physician if your throat infection is caused by a viral infection. Home treatment options include:
- Gargling with warm salt water
- Drinking plenty of warm fluids
- Avoiding allergens and irritants
- Reducing inflammation with ibuprofen or acetaminophen
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Throat And Ear Pain That Doesn’t Go Away
Throat and ear pain can come and go or can be constant and slow to get better, depending on what is causing the symptoms.
For example, acid reflux is more likely to cause pain that is worse in the morning and gets better later in the day. Seasonal allergies, strep throat, and mono are more likely to come with throat and ear pain that does not go away until the conditions are treated.
Treatments For An Ear Infection
Symptoms of ear infections usually improve within the first couple of days, and most infections clear up on their own within one to two weeks without any medication or treatment. If your symptoms dont improve on their own, your physician will advise you on which treatments for pain from an ear infection. These may include the following:
- A warm compress
- Pain medication
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But Then Why Does Taking An Antibiotic Make Me Feel Better
We get this question a lot. The truth is, they dont. The virus actually is going away on its own thanks to the response from your own bodys immune system.
Remember, antibiotics also can come with side effects such as:
- Loss of appetite
These potential side effects are another reason we dont want you to prescribe an antibiotic unless its absolutely necessary, and its clear it will be effective.
In addition, according to the Centers for Disease Control, about 1 in 15 people will have an allergic reaction to certain antibiotics. These reactions can range from very mild to concerning.
Serious adverse reactions can include a dangerous intestinal infection called C. diff colitis, heart rhythm abnormalities, tendon rupture, blood vessel tear , and throat swelling just to name a few.
While its relatively rare that serious, life-threatening allergic reactions will occur, we want you to contact us if youre having any trouble tolerating an antibiotic so we can keep you safe and healthy.
Finally, when you take an antibiotic, because it kills bacteria, it causes unintended but significant damage to your microbiome. There is still much to be learned about our microbiome and what happens when it is damaged, but more and more research is showing links between damage to the microbiome and the development of chronic diseases like asthma, diabetes, and inflammatory bowel disease.
Ear Problems: Ear Infections In Adults And Kids
Adults and children get ear infections for the same reasons. Otitis media, an ear infection of the middle ear, occurs when the mucosa swells because of a cold, respiratory infection, or allergy, and the Eustachian tube gets blocked. Adults get fewer ear infections than kids because their Eustachian tubes are bigger and more angled. If you do get infections, you may have a Eustachian tube that genetically doesnt work correctly, Dr. Jones says. Other types of ear infections include otitis externa and otitis interna .
When left untreated, an ear infection can lead to a more serious infection, permanent hearing loss, and problems with speech and language development so speak to your doctor right away if you think you or child have an ear infection. The doctor may prescribe an antibiotic to kill the bacteria and recommend pain medications or prescription ear drops.
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Clean Up Your Environment:
Have you identified and removed possible environmental triggers, such as mold, dust, pet dander, and electromagnetic fields ?
Have you identified and removed possible toxic exposures in the home from purchased products, such as detergents, soaps, lotions, and other cleaning and personal care products?
- Epsom salts baths
What Are The Symptoms Of A Sore Throat
Whenever a sore throat is severe, lasts longer than the usual five- to ten-day duration of a cold or flu, and is not associated with an avoidable allergy or irritation, you should seek medical attention. The following signs and symptoms should alert you to see your physician:
- Severe and prolonged sore throat
- Difficulty breathing
- Swelling of the face or neck
- Blood in saliva or phlegm
- Frequently recurring sore throat
- Hoarseness lasting over two weeks
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Common Ear Nose And Throat Problems
July 28, 2015 By @ENTClinicSydney
There is a saying: common things occur commonly. That is to say that the majority of people are going to experience similar problems, even when it comes to ear, nose and throat complaints. This blog will look at common shared symptoms of ear, nose and throat complaints, as well as common ENT conditions.
Anatomy Of The Throat
The throat, or pharynx, is divided into three parts. The nasopharynx is located behind the nose. The oropharynx is behind the mouth . And the laryngopharynx , or lower section of the throat, is in front of the esophagus this is where the larynx, or voice box, and the vocal cords are housed . The often-infected tonsils and adenoids are found in the naso- and oropharynx. A number of common problems can affect the throat: strep and other infections that cause sore throats, hoarseness, laryngitis, and tonsillitis are just a few.
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Other Causes Of Sore Throat
Seasonal or environmental allergies can cause a persistent sore throat, especially when pollen counts are high. Environmental allergies are a leading cause of sore throats in the spring and early summer.
Sore throats are common with any type of runny nose. The mucus dripping down the back of the throat can result in irritation and pain.
In patients who deal with gastroesophageal reflux disease , their stomach acid causes a burning pain their throat.
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What Causes Chronic Postnasal Drip
When there is an excess of nasal mucus, it can drain from the back of the sinuses , down the throat, and into the stomach where it is digested. During a cold, mucus typically thickens and sticks in the throat, prompting the need to clear the throat or cough. Chronic postnasal drip can result from many causes, including a cold, allergies, infection, or a more serious condition. If you are experiencing postnasal drip that has lasted more than a week, ask your ear, nose, and throat specialist to examine you.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Throat Infection
You may experience throat infection symptoms for several weeks at a time. It is important to remember that if these symptoms subside during treatment of a bacterial throat infection, it does not mean that the infection is gone: you should continue to take your medication as directed. If any of these symptoms become severe, if it becomes difficult to breathe, or if your exceeds 101 degrees Fahrenheit, seek medical attention.
Recurrent Or Chronic Sinusitis
Sinus problems are often mistaken for symptoms of common colds, but they can develop and become more advanced if not treated. If youre prone to bouts to sinusitis, or youve had sinusitis for a prolonged period, we strongly recommend making an appointment with an ENT doctor. Sinusitis can be acute or chronic and it can cause distressing, unpleasant symptoms of sinusitis include:
- Yellow and green drainage from the nose
- Difficulty smelling
There are various treatment options for sinusitis and the method will usually depend on whether the cause is viral, fungal or bacterial.
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Is It Strep Throat Or Tonsillitis
Raleigh Capitol Ear, Nose and ThroatThroat Problems, Tonsils
Mom, my throat hurts.
This is a very common complaint among school-age children. Parents may wonder, is it time for antibiotics, or is this a virus that has to run its course? Its difficult to determine the cause of a sore throat:It could be the result of anything from allergies to heartburn. However, two of the most common causes of throat pain are strep throat and tonsillitis. These two diseases have similar symptoms but are treated differently.
Tonsillitis is often caused by a virus, and antibiotics will not be effective against it. Strep throat is an infection that, if not treated, can cause serious problems that affect the heart and lungs.
So how can you tell the difference? Only a doctor can make an accurate diagnosis, but here are some helpful guidelines.