If you experience pain or inflammation in the ears, you should not delay treatment, as this can lead to serious complications. There is even a risk of hearing loss.
Pathology associated with soreness in the ears is commonly called otitis media. This disease has several forms. The symptoms of the disease are familiar to many, especially children. At a young age, the manifestation of otitis is the greatest danger. Therefore, it is worthwhile to carefully study the main varieties of this pathology and decide on a possible therapy.
Otitis externa
As a rule, such a pathology manifests itself against the background of the fact that the skin of the auricle was infected with a fungus or bacteria. According to statistics, more than 10% of all people have suffered from such manifestations at least once in their lives.
A variety of factors can lead to the development of otitis externa. For example, if a child walked for a long time in the cold, then due to hypothermia, an ailment could develop in the auricles. Mechanical damage and improper removal of wax from the ear canals also lead to a similar result.
Harmful microorganisms spread perfectly in the ear canal, as in itthere is a humid environment. Because of this, bacteria multiply very quickly. It is worth noting that this pathology can be diagnosed in each person.
Ear wax appears not at all to cause inconvenience to a person, but to block unwanted substances that may fall inside the human body. That is why this liquid performs important bactericidal functions. Improper removal of earwax leads to the likelihood that a person will get otitis media.
Typically, otitis externa is a type of skin disease. Therefore, most often it is treated and diagnosed, as well as dermatitis, candidiasis and furunculosis. This means that streptococci and staphylococci, as well as various fungal bacteria, can cause otitis media.
Inflammation of the middle ear
This defeat of the auditory canal is one of the most dangerous. In this case, patients complain of hearing problems, pain and vestibular disorders. Antibiotics are the only effective treatment for otitis media. In this case, it makes no sense to try folk remedies, as they will be powerless. Therefore, it is better not to risk it.
The fact is that otitis media can lead to the death of the auditory nerve if the pathology is in an advanced stage. In addition, the patient may develop complications such as brain abscess, encephalitis, meningitis and other serious pathologies that can even lead to death.
Talking about the symptoms and treatment of otitis media in adults and children,it is worth paying attention to the varieties of this pathology. In this case, otitis media happens:
- Catarrhal. By and large, it is the initial stage of the disease. Patients get stuffy ears, noises appear.
- Exudative. This type of inflammation of the middle ear is characterized by the appearance of a special inflammatory secret, which differs in viscosity. Manifested in the form of increased pressure, stuffy ears, noise and pain.
- Purulent. This is the most severe form of otitis media. Patients experience severe pain, congestion, fever, and purulent discharge.
Features of otitis media in children
In children, the symptoms of inflammation of the middle ear are much more common than in adults. First of all, this is due to a more weakened and not fully formed immunity. In addition, it is worth noting that the structure of the auditory tube of babies is slightly different. In it, stagnant processes take place. It also often leads to inflammation of the middle ear in a child.
Babies during the first 12 months of their lives are most often located in a horizontal position, which is why stagnant processes occur in the middle ear. In this case, you should pay attention to how the child behaves. If he becomes whiny, sleeps badly and refuses to breastfeed, then this may be one of the manifestations of inflammation of the middle ear.
If we are talking about childhood otitis, then treatment must be carried out immediately, since the pathology can become chronic and constantly make itself felt throughout the life of the baby.
Cause of otitis media
To determine how to treat inflammation of the middle ear, you need to understand why this pathology appeared in a person. Typically, otitis media is caused by bacteria. If this happens, the doctor prescribes antibiotic therapy. Slightly less often, otitis media is formed against the background of influenza, SARS and other viral diseases, as well as respiratory infections. In this case, we are talking about the most common forms of the disease, which appear much faster.
Too much use of antibiotics can also lead to the development of otitis media. This leads to the fact that the fungus appears in the ears. It is also worth paying attention to the factors that stimulate the development of the pathogen in the human body.
First of all, if the patient does not treat nasal infections for a long time, this leads to a large accumulation of harmful bacteria. If at this time the person does not begin the necessary treatment, then the lesion will gradually begin to move into the mucous membrane of the middle ear.
It is also worth paying attention to the diameter and duration of the Eustachian tube. In this case, children are more susceptible to pathology, since their organ is much wider and shorter. This makes it much easier for pathogens to get in.
When considering the symptoms and treatment of otitis media, many do not pay attention to nasal congestion. If a person has such a sign that does not disappear for a long time, then this can also provoke otitis media. Sometimes, in addition to a stuffy nose,The person is suffering from hearing loss. This indicates that a strong edema developed in the nasal mucosa, which covered the opening of the Eustachian tube. Because of this, the natural process of outflow of fluid is disrupted.
Types of pathology
If we talk about the duration of the disease, then in this case, acute otitis media is isolated, the duration of which is no more than 1 month and chronic (in this case, the pathology can bother a person for up to 6 months or more). Also, when classifying pathology, it takes into account what kind of fluid appears in the ear canal during inflammation.
Certain symptoms also play a role.
Signs of disease
To determine if a person is suffering from otitis media, it is worth looking out for some common symptoms of otitis media. First of all, it is worth noting intense pain, which manifests itself mainly in the form of lumbago.
Also, the patient may have a severe hearing loss. If a person complains about the appearance of clicks in the ears, that this is due to a change in internal pressure. Also, in the process of development of pathology, general intoxication may appear. It is characterized by chills, fever and fever. If we are talking about a child, then vomiting and nausea may additionally be observed.
If these symptoms of inflammation of the middle ear in an adult are accompanied by discharge with pus and blood, and the person experiences severe pain, then in this caseyou need to immediately contact a specialist, as this is the main sign that a rupture of the eardrum has occurred. It is recommended to visit a doctor if at least one of these signs appears. The sooner a specialist can diagnose a pathology, the faster and more effective the treatment will be.
Traditional Therapy
In this case, a comprehensive treatment of inflammation of the middle ear in adults is considered. The doctor prescribes several types of drugs that will quickly cope with the disease. These include:
- Antibiotics. Means of this type are necessary in order to quickly destroy infections. As a rule, antibiotics are prescribed in the form of tablets or special solutions. However, after such a course of treatment, additional restorative therapy may be required.
- Antiviral agents. This type of treatment is necessary to prevent further spread of the virus.
- Vasoconstrictor drugs. Topical agents will be required in order to reduce swelling in the nasal area. This improves the outflow of fluid from the damaged ear.
- Antiseptics. Means of this type have warming and analgesic properties. As a rule, the doctor prescribes drugs that are instilled directly into the affected ear itself.
Anti-inflammatory. Drugs of this type help to get rid of pain and other symptoms of pathology
Folk remedies
Natural medicines can be usedonly if we are talking about pathology of the external type or inflammation of the middle ear in adults and children. As a rule, in alternative medicine, warming compresses are the most popular. However, before using these recipes, it is necessary to consult with a specialist. If pus has formed in the ear, then warm-up activities are strictly prohibited.
Compresses
Before performing the procedure, it is recommended to treat the area around the ears with baby cream or Vaseline. After that, a clean napkin or a piece of gauze is moistened in heated alcohol, wrung out and applied around the auricle. The compress is left overnight. In this case, you need to ensure that the sink and ear canal are covered. However, this treatment is only suitable for an adult.
If we are talking about otitis in a child, in this case it is worth trying black bread. To do this, cut off the side of the loaf, heat it in a water bath and wrap it with a film. After that, the bread is wrapped in gauze and applied to the child's ear.
Ointments
Also, at home, you can prepare special creamy formulations. For example, with fungal otitis, garlic will help. To do this, you need to grind 150 grams of the product and mix it with the same amount of olive oil. After that, the composition is placed in a jar and infused for 10 days in the sun. After this time, a few drops of glycerin and eucalyptus oil are added to the mixture. After that, the liquid must be poured into a dark glass bottle and removed.into the refrigerator. The result is a very effective ointment.
Also, tincture of Japanese Sophora helps to get rid of otitis media. To alleviate the condition, it is necessary to drip 3 drops of liquid into the burned ear twice a day.
If the patient suffers from shooting pains in the ear, then in this case you can try to drip alcohol-based propolis. For a child, camphor oil is used. If we talk about the effectiveness of such treatment, then doctors agree that folk methods are often very effective.
Prevention
To prevent the development of this disease, it is necessary to promptly treat any inflammatory processes that occur in the oral cavity.
It is also worth being vigilant when even a common cold appears. If we are talking about a child, then it is worth starting hardening procedures that will help his immunity to be more resistant to hypothermia. It is also not recommended to clean the baby's ear passages with cotton flagella and sticks.
In conclusion
In order to timely detect the development of pathology, it is necessary to periodically contact an otolaryngologist. This is especially true for young children, who are most susceptible to this pathology. If any alarming symptoms occur, urgent action must be taken.
