Tuesday, March 26, 2024

How To Stop An Ear Infection From Getting Worse

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What Else Can I Do To Keep My Gums In Good Shape

How to CURE EAR INFECTIONS at Home 10 Ways (2021)

If you currently use tobacco products , then cutting down or better yet quitting is a great way of improving gum health. Smoking causes people to have more dental plaque. It also lowers the level of oxygen in the bloodstream. This means that gum infections dont heal well, making gum disease worse. 9

Ear Infection Symptoms Treatment

Middle ear infection is a bacterial or viral infection that may cause earache, temporary hearing loss, and fluid discharge.

Middle ear infections occur mainly in early childhood, although older children and adults also get these kinds of infection. It is estimated that one in four children will develop an acute ear infection before they turn 5 years of age. Children should always be taken to a doctor if they have earache.

How To Prevent Ear Infections

This article was co-authored by Payam Daneshrad, MD. Dr. Payam Daneshrad is a board certified Otolaryngologist, a board eligible Facial Plastic Surgeon, and the Owner and Director of Daneshrad Clinic in Los Angeles, California. With over 19 years of experience, Dr. Daneshrad specializes in adult and pediatric Otolaryngology-head and neck surgery, packing-less nasal surgery, minimally invasive sinus surgery, and snoring treatment. He also uses the newest surgical ENT techniques for tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, thyroidectomy, and parathyroidectomy. Dr. Daneshrad graduated with a BS and the highest honors from the University of California, Berkeley. He earned his Doctor of Medicine from Tulane University School of Medicine, where he was accepted into the AOA, the medical honor’s society, and the Tulane University School of Public Health. Dr. Daneshrad received his medical training from the University of Southern California, where he currently serves as an Associate Clinical Professor. Dr. Daneshrad is the Otolaryngologist and Facial Plastic Surgeon for the Los Angeles Sparks and the athletic teams of Loyola Marymount University.There are 15 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 10,595 times.

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When To See Your Doctor

If you or your child is having symptoms of an acute ear infection, like ear pain, fever, and trouble hearing, you should see your doctor. Getting an acute ear infection treated promptly can help prevent a chronic ear infection. You should also see your doctor if:

  • you have been diagnosed with an acute ear infection but its not responding to treatment recommended by your doctor
  • you have been diagnosed with an acute ear infection and experience new symptoms, or if the symptoms get worse
  • if your child shows symptoms of a recurring ear infection

Chronic ear infections require medical treatment. However, home treatments can help relieve your symptoms. Home treatments include:

  • holding a warm or cool washcloth to the painful area
  • using numbing ear drops
  • taking an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen

What Is Gum Disease And What Causes It

How to CURE EAR INFECTIONS at Home 10 Ways (2021)

When you dont brush your teeth for a while, youll notice a yellowish sticky paste forming. This stuff looks like food debris, but its actually a biofilm of bacteria called plaque.

Many of the bacteria that live in our mouths are harmless. But others happily munch away at the same food youre eating and then excrete toxins and enzymes using the grooves where your tooth meets the gum as a toilet of sorts. Bacteria thrive in plaque and multiply until they make up nearly 100% of the mass of the plaque. It takes about 24 hours for plaque to form fully. This is why you should remove it from all tooth surfaces once a day.

They may look pretty under a microscope, but not all bacteria are friendly!

Gum disease is painless. As a result, most people are unaware that they have it. Over time, the bone which anchors the teeth in the jaw is gradually lost, making the teeth loose. If this is not tackled, the teeth may eventually fall out or have to be taken out because of pain.

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Risk Factors For Ear Infections

Ear infections occur most commonly in young children because they have short and narrow Eustachian tubes. About of children develop an acute ear infection at some point.

Infants who are bottle-fed also have a higher incidence of ear infections than their breastfed counterparts.

Other factors that increase the risk of developing an ear infection are:

  • altitude changes

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Though an earache might be something most people remember from childhood, adults are not immune from them.

Ear pain in adults is less likely to be caused by an ear infection than ear pain in children.

In adults, the pain is more likely caused by one of a variety of issues:

  • Arthritis of the jaw
  • Ear injury from pressure changes
  • Hole in the eardrum
  • Object stuck in the ear
  • Short-term ear infection
  • Tooth infection

Symptoms of an earache can include pain, fever, ear drainage, nausea, and vomiting.

When an adult has an earache, its important to treat the root cause of the problem, even if that problem isnt directly related to the ear, such as arthritis of the jaw.

If you experience ear pain that doesnt go away or gets worse within 24 to 48 hours you should call your doctors office.

Also call your doctor if you have severe pain that suddenly stops. This could be a sign that your eardrum has ruptured.

The type of earache you have determines the best treatment:

  • For a general earache. Take over-the-counter pain relievers, rest in an upright position instead of lying down, and put a cold pack on the outer ear for 20 minutes
  • For ear pain from pressure change. Swallow hard or chew gum
  • For earaches caused by other medical issues. Visit your doctor to determine the best treatment on a case-by-case basis. This includes causes such as excess wax buildup, object in ear, sinus infection, sore throat, and tooth infection.

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Symptoms Of Ear Infections

Intense pain in your childs ear is usually the first sign of an ear infection. Young children can tell you that their ear hurts, but babies may only cry. Your child may repeatedly pull on the ear that hurts. The pain is usually worse at night and when your child is chewing, sucking a bottle, or lying down. Thats when the pressure is at its greatest. Other symptoms include a runny nose, cough, fever, vomiting, or dizziness, and hearing loss.

When Should I See A Doctor About A Fungal Ear Infection

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Fungal ear infections usually cause a fair amount of discomfort and discharge so most people want to see a doctor soon after the condition starts. There are some eardrops available from pharmacies, but the best they can do is reduce the inflammation a bit. In fungal infections, they don’t usually have much effect.

See a doctor sooner rather than later if:

  • You are in a lot of pain.
  • Your ear produces a lot of discharge.
  • You feel generally unwell or develop unusual symptoms such as dizziness.
  • You have a high temperature.
  • The outer part of your ear looks very mucky.
  • Your hearing becomes muffled.
  • You’ve bought some treatment from the chemist which hasn’t worked.

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How Is An Acute Middle Ear Infection Treated

Many doctors will prescribe an antibiotic, such as amoxicillin, to be taken over seven to 10 days. Your doctor also may recommend over-the-counter pain relievers such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, or eardrops, to help with fever and pain.

If your doctor isnt able to make a definite diagnosis of OM and your child doesnt have severe ear pain or a fever, your doctor might ask you to wait a day or two to see if the earache goes away. The American Academy of Pediatrics issued guidelines in 2013 that encourage doctors to observe and closely follow these children with ear infections that cant be definitively diagnosed, especially those between the ages of 6 months to 2 years. If theres no improvement within 48 to 72 hours from when symptoms began, the guidelines recommend doctors start antibiotic therapy. Sometimes ear pain isnt caused by infection, and some ear infections may get better without antibiotics. Using antibiotics cautiously and with good reason helps prevent the development of bacteria that become resistant to antibiotics.

If your doctor prescribes an antibiotic, its important to make sure your child takes it exactly as prescribed and for the full amount of time. Even though your child may seem better in a few days, the infection still hasnt completely cleared from the ear. Stopping the medicine too soon could allow the infection to come back. Its also important to return for your childs follow-up visit, so that the doctor can check if the infection is gone.

What Is The Outlook For A Fungal Ear Infection

Providing you’re otherwise fit and well and your immune system is working properly, the infection should respond fairly quickly to antifungal treatment. However, if you have a long-term condition that makes you prone to getting repeated infections it may well come back or become persistent. Also if you’re exposed to whatever it was that caused the infection in the first place , it’s likely to return.

The problem with fungal infections is that once the ear canal is infected the defence system protecting the ear may not return to normal and a vicious cycle is set up. This explains why frequently poking around inside your ear with a cotton bud prolongs the condition.

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What Is An Ear Infection

Ear infections can be either bacterial or viral infections. They can occur in your middle ear, the part of your ear just behind your eardrum, as well as the outer and inner ear. They often clear up on their own but can be painful due to inflammation or fluid buildup.

Ear infections can be chronic or acute. Acute ear infections are painful but short in duration. Chronic ear infections either dont clear up or recur many times. They can cause damage to the middle and inner ear, which is infrequently permanent.

Keep reading to learn about ear infections, including causes, symptoms, and treatment options.

Common symptoms of ear infections include:

  • mild pain or discomfort inside your ear

Ear infections can also develop from infected adenoids. Your adenoids are glands on the roof of your mouth behind your nose that help protect your body from infections. Infections can spread from these glands to the nearby ends of your Eustachian tubes.

Otitis Media In Adults

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Otitis media is another name for a middle ear infection. It means an infection behind your eardrum. This kind of ear infection can happen after any condition that keeps fluid from draining from the middle ear. These conditions include allergies, a cold, a sore throat, or a respiratory infection.

Middle ear infections are common in children, but they can also happen in adults. An ear infection in an adult may mean a more serious problem than in a child. So you may need additional tests. If you have an ear infection, you should see your healthcare provider for treatment. If they happen repeatedly, you should see an otolaryngologist or an otologist .

What are the types of middle ear infections?

Infections can affect the middle ear in several ways. They are:

Who is more likely to get a middle ear infection?

You are more likely to get an ear infection if you:

  • Smoke or are around someone who smokes
  • Have seasonal or year-round allergy symptoms
  • Have a cold or other upper respiratory infection

What causes a middle ear infection?

The middle ear connects to the throat by a canal called the eustachian tube. This tube helps even out the pressure between the outer ear and the inner ear. A cold or allergy can irritate the tube or cause the area around it to swell. This can keep fluid from draining from the middle ear. The fluid builds up behind the eardrum. Bacteria and viruses can grow in this fluid. The bacteria and viruses cause the middle ear infection.

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How To Quit Smoking

Smoking is one of the biggest factors linked to gum disease. But giving up smoking is not easy. Firstly, nicotine is incredibly physically addictive. Secondly, there can be many other benefits, such as feeling more alert and productive, being soothed by the sucking motion, and hanging out with fellow smokers. Consequently, you do need a fair bit of motivation to quit something which offsets the positives of smoking.

When To See A Doctor About An Earache

Dr. Nguyen-Huynh recommends seeing a doctor if:

  • Yoursymptoms remain after twoor three days, even if youve tried over-the-counter or home remedies.
  • Yourear is very painful, oryou have other symptoms that bother you.

Other common conditions, such as temporomandibular joint dysfunction , can masquerade as earache infections. TMJ causes ear pain because the ear canal and the jaw joint share a nerve. If you have ear pain along with trouble chewing, talking or yawning, then you should see a dentist or TMJ expert to be sure youre treating the right condition, notes Dr. Nguyen-Huynh.

The good news? Hot and cold compresses and OTC pain relievers can also help relieve TMJ pain until you sort things out.

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Preventing Infection In Surgical Wounds

When you have an operation the surgical team has strict procedures to try to help avoid infections. Surgical infections are monitored by Public Health England, so that policies can be changed and improved if needed.

There are a number of things you can do yourself to reduce your chances of infection. For example:

  • Have a shower or bath before your operation and wash yourself with soap and water.
  • Do not use a razor to shave the area to be operated on. This makes infection more likely. If the hair needs to be removed, your surgical team will do this with clippers.
  • Remove all jewellery and nail polish before the operation.
  • Keep the wound covered and the area around it clean. You can shower from two days after most operations.
  • If you notice the skin around the wound becoming red or painful, see your doctor or nurse as soon as possible.

Protect Your Loved Ones From Winter Ear Infection 3 Unique Tips

Cure your Ear Pain in Minutes at home

by Victoria ENT | Jan 28, 2021 | News |

An ear infection is a bacterial or viral infection that affects the middle ear. These bacteria are active during the winter season, and most children fall victim to this painful disease however ear infections also are a risk for adults in the winter months. As a parent, you must be wondering, how do I prevent winter ear infection? There are several home remedies you can try to cure a winter ear infection, but these tips can be risky. The best way to prevent winter ear infection is to stop cold air from reaching the ear. You can do so by wearing warm clothes, but everyone does this. So here are our 3 unique ways to prevent winter ear infection and protect your loved ones.

3 Ways To Prevent Winter Ear Infection From Getting Worse

If a family member has contracted an ear infection, there is no better remedy than booking a Victoria ENT. Some people believe ear infections can cure over time, but its a risky bet to play on your loved one. Getting professional medical treatment before things get worse can prevent permanent ear damage and help in quick recovery. Here are 3 ways to prevent a winter ear infection from getting worse.

  • Tugging or pulling at the ear
  • Irritability and crying more than usual
  • Trouble sleeping
  • Fever
  • Fluid draining from the ear
  • Loss of balance

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When To Call A Doctor

Ear pain often gets better in 2 or 3 days on its own or with home care. Often all you need to do is take a pain reliever and be alert for symptoms that get worse. That said, itâs important to know when your discomfort might be a sign of something more serious.

  • You have a high fever, headache, or are dizzy.
  • You believe an object is stuck in your ear.
  • You see swelling behind your ear, especially if that side of your face feels weak or you canât move the muscles there.
  • Youâve had severe ear pain and it suddenly stops .
  • Your symptoms donât get better in 24 to 48 hours.

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How Long It Takes An Ear Infection To Heal In Adults

Ear infection is a common condition with known treatments antibiotics and painkillers. Although these treatments have a time frame for treating ear infections, ear infection healing time may be different from one person to the other.

If you need more information or you have a question regarding Ear Infection, you can discuss it with our HearingSol healthcare professionals, just give us a call on +91-9899437202. We are always here to help you.

Ear infections healing time varies between individual. The recovery time of ear infection based on the age, anatomy, and surroundings of the patient.

Children may experience pain for several days, while adults may heal faster since their Eustachian tube is wide enough.

Normally, the healing time for middle ear infection may vary from 2 days to 3 days, an outer ear infection can last to 2 weeks and inner ear infection can last even up to 2 months until full recovery.

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