Treatment of inner ear infection

•  Ear infection treatment 
•  Tips to relieve ear infection symptoms
•   Reasons to see a doctor 

Ear infection treatment 

The treatment of any ear infection begins with monitoring it to see if it will improve on its own. As approximately 80% of cases of otitis media recover on their own without the need for antibiotics ,  and in cases that need treatment, the doctor prescribes therapeutic medications depending on the cause of the inflammation , and here comes a statement of the options used to treat otitis media according to their type:

 

• Treatment of otitis externa

It takes recovery from otitis externa without resorting to treatment for a period of up to several weeks, so the doctor usually prescribes therapeutic ear drops to speed up recovery, and the patient needs to use these drops several times during the day and for about a week in most cases and it should be noted that the doctor may re-examine the ear after the end of treatment and the stability of the patient’s health status in order to detect any problem that may have contributed to the occurrence of inflammation, such as; The presence of an abnormal eardrum, or a perforated eardrum, and it is indicated that there are four basic types of ear drops used in the treatment of otitis externa, namely:

• Antibiotic drops: These drops treat the bacterial infection that causes inflammation.
•  Antifungal drops: These drops treat the fungal infection causing the inflammation. 
• Cortisone drops: They help reduce swelling.
• Acidic ear drops: These drops help kill bacteria.

Sometimes the drop may contain a mixture of the components mentioned above, and the doctor may resort to a set of other treatments if the need arises, including the following:

•   Oral antibiotics such as tablets and capsules to treat severe infections, and the antibiotic Flucloxacillin is preferred in these cases. 
• Strong pain relievers that require a prescription, such as codeine, for severe cases.
•  Treatments for skin problems that may exacerbate otitis externa, such as seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, or eczema.
•  Incision and drainage, which is a procedure in which the doctor pierces the boil when it appears inside the ear, using a sterile needle to drain the pus, and it is worth warning that the patient does this operation himself without resorting to the doctor.

Treatment of otitis media

 Most cases of otitis media occur during the winter and at the beginning of spring, and most cases recover without using any medication, but it should be noted that it is necessary to obtain appropriate medical treatment in the event of persistent pain or suffering from fever,  Treatments for otitis media include the following: A wait-and-see approach:

 The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Family Physicians recommend using the wait-and-see approach as a treatment option in some cases. Otitis media, because symptoms usually improve within two days of the onset of inflammation, while most cases of otitis media recover within one to two weeks on their own without treatment, and cases for which this method is recommended for treatment include the following:

[6] The child is between 6 and 23 months, with mild pain in one ear for less than two days, and his body temperature does not exceed 39 degrees Celsius.

 The child must be 24 months old or older, with mild pain in one or both ears for less than two days, and his body temperature should not exceed 39 degrees Celsius.

 Antibiotics: The doctor may recommend the use of oral antibiotics or ear drops that contain the antibiotic,[7] and it is advised to consult a doctor or pharmacist in the event of forgetting to take a dose of the drug, and the importance of the patient continuing to take the antibiotic as directed by the doctor even after improvement Symptoms to avoid recurrence of inflammation and avoid causing bacteria resistance to antibiotics.

 Pain relievers and fever reducers: The doctor may advise the use of pain relievers and fever reducers that do not need a prescription, such as;

 Paracetamol and ibuprofen, as the patient may need to use anesthetic drops to relieve pain in the ear, provided that there is no rupture or perforation in the eardrum.

 Adenoids are lymphoid tissue found in the space located above the soft roof of the mouth, which is called the nasopharynx.

 In fact, practical experiments have shown that removing the 

adenoids has helped treat some children with otitis media. [7] 

Myringotomy  known as It is a surgical procedure that is performed by making a small hole in the eardrum in order to drain fluids and relieve pressure on the middle ear as a result of the accumulation of these fluids, followed by placing a small tube in the opening to ensure ventilation of the middle ear and prevent fluid accumulation, and the doctor resorts to this procedure if the fluids remain in the ear for a period of more than More than 3 months, with recurring middle ear infections despite the use of antibiotics, and the patient's hearing is restored after fluid drainage, and the tube usually falls off on its own 6-12 months after its placement.

Treatment of inner ear infection

 Treatment of inner ear infection begins after excluding other health conditions that may be the cause of symptoms, as treatment depends on several factors, the most important of which are; 

• The cause of the problem
•  the symptoms that the patient suffers from
•  the duration of suffering from it

  

the treatments vary between drugs that do not need a prescription and those that need a prescription

 and here comes a group of medications and therapeutic procedures used in cases of inflammation of the inner ear: [9] 

Medications that relieve vertigo It controls nausea and vomiting, such as: 

• Diphenhydramine, which does not require a prescription. Meclizine. 
• Promethazine.
•  Lorazepam.
•  Diazepam.

 Medicines that help reduce inflammation and treat infections associated with otitis media, including:

•  Prednisone.
•  Antibiotics. 
• Antivirals.

 Intravenous fluids, which are received in the emergency department, in the event that the patient is dehydrated as a result of severe vomiting. Physical therapy, in which appropriate exercises are performed that may help the patient get rid of balance problems.

Tips for relieving symptoms of otitis

 A set of measures that may be effective in relieving simple otitis symptoms follows: 

•  Avoid entering water or shampoo into the ear.
•  Do not insert anything into the ear, such as a finger or cotton swabs, to remove earwax.
•  Remove any secretions from the ear by wiping the ear with a cotton towel. 
• Putting a warm cloth (like a poultice) on the affected ear.
•  Use ear drops that relieve pain and do not require a prescription.
•  Take oral pain relievers that do not need a prescription, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol.
•  Do not use decongestants or antihistamines, because there is no evidence that these medications relieve the ear infection problem.

Reasons for a doctor's review 

A doctor should be consulted if the symptoms of otitis media do not improve or if they worsen, [10] Symptoms that require a doctor's review include the following:

•   Suffering from permanent ear infection.
•  Fluid and secretions coming out of the ear.
•  There is swelling around the ear.
•  Very high body temperature or feeling hot with shivering. 
• Ear pain that has not started to improve after three days.
•  The appearance of other symptoms such as feeling ill, severe sore throat or dizziness. 
• A change in the sense of hearing or a loss of hearing.
•  Weakness of the patient's immune system, which may result from chemotherapy, for example.
•  Suffering from a long-term medical condition such as diabetes, heart, lung, kidney, or neurological diseases.