Ear problems can occur not only in adults, but also in children. Of course, in such a situation, it is necessary to take measures for treatment. A compress on the ear may well help. If everything is planned correctly, the pain and discomfort will go away.
The doctor who will make the appointments is the otolaryngologist. However, there are situations in which it is completely forbidden to perform warm compresses on the ear. This includes inflammatory processes with purulent contents. Their rewarming leads to breakouts and abscesses. Everyone should try and approach this issue with all seriousness. In this article, we will take a closer look at how you can make a compress on your ear with your own hands.
Types of compresses
The first thing you need to know is what products are best for compresses. When there is pain in the ear caused by inflammatory processes, two types of compress are used - dry and wet. Each tool has its own effect. They are usually divided into alcohol and oil.
It is the alcohol compress on the ear that is used most often. The process itself should be done in the evening. In order for the compress to bring maximum benefit, it is advisable to wear a headdress over it. Such procedures are an addition to the main treatment. Many do it well with improvised means and at home. You need to know how to apply the compress layer by layer. Note that during treatment it is necessary to avoid drafts as much as possible.
Procedure sequence
Before you make a compress on the ear, the main remedy is selected. In addition to it, you need to prepare the following materials:
- Gauze or any other soft fabric. Many use a wide bandage. Any medical devices are considered more reliable because they are sterile. A minimum of three coats is required.
- Plastic film or something similar.
- Wadding.
To make the compress on the ear useful, it is made multi-layered. Most often, after visiting a doctor, patients themselves make such a lotion at home. Do not come up with your own solutions, otherwise you will not be able to get rid of the disease.
Fixing the first layer
From any selected fabric (gauze and other) is an overlay on the ear. Next, incisions are made so that the ear itself passes through them. The gauze is then soaked in alcohol or medicated oil and wrung out lightly so that the material is damp rather than wet. The compress is applied to the ear. It remains only to fix it.
A larger canvas is made from polyethylene than the first gauze layer. Then cuts are made, the element is applied to the diseased part of the body, the auricle is brought out. In this case, it should turn out so that the first,the layer soaked in alcohol (oil) was hidden under polyethylene. Only in this way will the compress work effectively.
The final stage of the compress on the ear with alcohol
Next, you need to put cotton wool so that the alcohol does not evaporate quickly and the sore ear warms up. The created medical “construction” must be fixed. A bandage is fine, but a he althy ear should not be covered, otherwise nothing will be heard.
It is always difficult with children because they are active and it is difficult to keep them warm for a long period. Therefore, you should not feel sorry for the bandage, but it is better to wrap it in several layers in order to securely fix the main fabric. Some doctors use a band-aid to fix it, but it is inconvenient to remove, as it sticks to the hair on the head.
To understand if there were any violations during treatment, after half an hour or twenty minutes, a finger is carefully inserted under the bandage. It must be dry and warm. In any case (both for an adult and for a child), pure ethyl alcohol is not used, because it can burn the skin. It is diluted so that no more than 30 percent is obtained in the tincture. The resulting liquid should not be additionally heated.
The compress is placed carefully so that the composition does not get into the auricle itself. For treatment, it is enough to wear a bandage for no more than 3 hours. Therefore, doing it at night is not always advisable.
After the procedure, it is necessary to remove the alcoholized cloth, but you need to put on a hat and wear it for about one hour, since at this time there is still warming up. Reapplying the compress is acceptable after an hour and a half or more.
Which remedies are equally effective?
Many have heard more than once that a compress is also made on the ear with vodka. Can it be done at home? Yes, but in stages. Half a glass is enough for an adult, and less for a child. This component is not used in its pure form. It must be diluted with water in half, it is better for the child to make more water.
Some parents buy ready-made pads from pharmacies, cut the cut to the required size, which helps save time. Vodka should be slightly warmed up, but not too hot, so as not to burn the skin. Then the gasket is wetted, fixed on the sore spot.
Before you put a compress on the baby's ear, mom or dad should try to attach a cloth to your body to check the temperature of the liquid and not accidentally burn the baby's skin.
For fixation, use a bandage or scarf, although a hat or scarf may well be enough.
The effect of such a compress will not keep you waiting long. The pain goes away, a pleasant warmth is felt. According to the time period, it is quite enough to keep the compress for 1-2 hours. If the entire procedure is performed without errors, the fabric remains slightly damp and warm all this time.
Any products containing alcohol can burn the skin slightly. This is manifested by slight peeling on the surface. Therefore, after the procedure, the place behind the ear should be rinsed well with water and any nourishing cream applied with a thin layer.
Is it worth itapply oil formulations?
Compresses with oil give an excellent warming and healing effect. But you need to understand how to apply them. The first is to choose the oil. They use vegetable, but camphor is best. The advantage of this composition is a long period of heat retention, and hence warming up.
Before the procedure, the composition is heated in a water bath, otherwise it is unacceptable. The temperature of the liquid should not exceed 36 degrees. You can leave such a camphor compress in your ear for 7 hours, so you can carry out the procedure before going to bed and leave the product overnight.
The use of camphor has its benefits:
- Maximum warm-up period. One procedure per day is enough, the periods should be discussed with your doctor.
- Benefit from the composition itself.
- Inexpensive.
There is a minus in warming up with oil, because it is difficult to clean the skin from the composition after the procedure. But there is one caveat - camphor is easy to wash with alcohol diluted with water.
Do herbs help?
Many believe that herbal formulations are of great benefit. For this, the following medicinal plants are used:
- Chamomile.
- Basil.
- Donnik.
For a compress, you need to take three tablespoons of any herb per 200 grams, place the raw materials in a container, pour water and bring to a boil. Steep for 40 minutes, strain before use.
The process of performing a compress in the ear is done according to the standard scheme describedabove. Honey helps well, it is slightly melted and heated accordingly in a water bath. There are some disadvantages to using such components. These include the possibility of allergic rashes, so you need to be careful.
Treatment duration
How long can any of the compresses be applied? Most often, this information is given by the doctor, and it is also worth paying attention to the general condition of the patient. When the pain haunts, the execution period can be up to four hours. For children, it is enough to keep the compress for three hours.
What everyone should know?
As already noted, the procedure itself is simple, but many make mistakes. Therefore, there are general rules, as well as conditions in which you should not engage in such treatment. It is completely forbidden to do any compresses on the ear if the patient has:
- Temperature increased.
- There are scratches where the formulations were applied.
- Skin rashes and allergies.
- Headaches and high blood pressure.
- Problems with blood vessels.
Therefore, you should immediately contact a specialist, only after that begin treatment. If there is pus in the ear, there is no need to take risks. Because in some situations, the ears simply cannot be warmed up.
Another mistake is using a cold component. As a result, such a compress will not bring anything useful. The fabric itself should fit snugly on the body, after performing the bandage, you should check with your finger if there is a warming effect.
Pain inear occurs for various reasons, it is important not to delay the process of therapy and immediately visit a doctor. Only a specialist will give an accurate conclusion and prescribe adequate treatment.
So, we figured out how to make a compress on the ear. As you can see, this operation is performed in several ways.
