Prevent and treat ear infections

The article was professionally consulted with Specialist Doctor II Nguyen Van Thai - Ear, Nose Throat Doctor - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Danang International General Hospital.

Children are more susceptible to ear infections than adults. This is one of the dangerous diseases for children. If not treated in time, the disease can leave many sequelae in the child's hearing or brain.

There are different types of ear infections, and a middle ear infection (acute otitis media) is an infection of the middle ear. Middle ear infections are affected by otitis media with fluid. Although this condition is a frequent cause of pain in infants and children, it can affect adults as well.
Middle ear infections (the space behind the eardrum where small bones vibrate and transmit sound into the ear) are often accompanied by the common cold, flu, or other respiratory infections. This is because the middle ear is connected to the upper respiratory tract by a small channel called the Eustachian tube. Germs that are growing in the nasal cavities or sinuses can travel up the Eustachian tube and into the middle ear to start growing.
If left untreated, middle ear infections can lead to serious complications including mastoiditis, hearing loss, eardrum perforation, meningitis, facial nerve paralysis, and possibly in adults. Meniere's disease.

Your doctor will initially determine the type of disease by asking about your symptoms and doing a physical exam. An ear infection will then be diagnosed by otoscopy to examine the eardrum and see if there is any pus in the middle ear.
Antibiotics are not usually needed for middle ear infections because the body's immune system can't clear the infection on its own. But sometimes antibiotics like amoxicillin are needed to treat severe cases or cases that last more than two to three days.
For mild middle ear infections, your doctor may recommend waiting or delaying antibiotic use. This can give the immune system time to fight off infections.
Ear infection treatments:
● Pain relief: If the child does not feel better after 2 days of rest, give the child plenty of fluids and use pain relievers. Your doctor will prescribe a typical pain reliever, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), which will also help reduce fever. Children younger than 6 months of age only give acetaminophen. Children 6 months and older can take acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Aspirin should be avoided in children because of the threat of Reye's syndrome, a rare condition that can cause swelling of the brain or liver.
● Antibiotics: If the doctor decides to treat with antibiotics, the patient must strictly follow the doctor's instructions. Take all doses, even if your child feels better. In case the child shows symptoms of illness from the drug, it is necessary to consult a doctor to have a remedy.
Without following your doctor's full treatment regimen, the infection can return and become resistant to more treatments.
Removal of fluid in the ear: If the infection is causing serious complications, the fluid remains in the ear for a long time, or the child has recurrent ear infections, the doctor may perform an eardrum extraction. . The doctor will make a small hole in the eardrum so that fluid such as water, blood, or pus can drain. In many cases it is possible to put in a tube so that these liquids will not go back inside. This tube usually falls off on its own in about 6-18 months, allowing fluid to drain and air to circulate to keep the ear dry.
In order for a child to use this tube, a minor surgery takes about 15 minutes. This surgery rarely leads to infection or scarring and is usually long-lasting. If the tubes drift out and the infection returns, see your doctor for better treatment.
● Natural remedies: A number of natural remedies can be used to ease the symptoms of an ear infection, including:
○ Warming: Warm compresses can be used to relieve discomfort. bear.
○ How to feed your baby: If your baby eats from a bottle, stand up, not put the baby down to eat.
Gargle: In older children or adults, salt water will help soothe the throat and may clear the Eustachian tubes.
○ Stand tall: Keeping your head straight can help with middle ear circulation.
○ Fresh air: Smokers should avoid smoking indoors or anywhere near young children.

Prevent ear infections by trying to stay healthy.
● Be sure to be fully vaccinated and get a yearly flu shot. Also get the pneumococcal vaccine to protect against Streptococcus pneumoniae, a common cause of middle ear infections.
● Always wash your hands.
● Breastfeed exclusively until your baby is 6 months old and continue to breastfeed for at least 12 months.
● Stay away from secondhand smoke and other harmful fumes.
Treatment of ear infections in particular or ENT infections in general requires the intervention of a specialist, whether it is an ear infection in a child or an adult. Absolutely do not arbitrarily give children anti-inflammatory antibiotics because that will affect the child's development later. Ear infection is a disease with a high probability of recurrence, so it is necessary to regularly monitor and re-examine at medical facilities to prevent recurrence of the disease.
BSCK II Nguyen Van Thai was formerly a Doctor of Otolaryngology and Head and Neck Surgery at the Department of Otolaryngology - Hue Central Hospital with more than 17 years of treatment experience, especially in the field of Head and Neck Surgery. Currently, he is an Otolaryngologist at the Inter-Specialist Clinic of the Department of Medical Examination and Internal Medicine, Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.
Customers wishing to visit and treat diseases at Vinmec can directly go to Vinmec Health System facilities nationwide or contact for an appointment HERE.
References: cdc.gov, webmd.com.
SEE ALSO:
Otitis media in children Why is otitis media easy to recur? Adults can also get otitis media