Anyone who has suffered from an ear infection knows how painful it can be. The infection is characterized by fluid draining from the ears, a plugged-up feeling and hearing loss. It’s especially common for kids because of their eustachian tubes.
Certain factors increase your chances of getting an ear infection, including going to day care and breathing in secondhand smoke. However, there are things you can do to prevent it.
Keep Your Ears Clean
Earwax may seem dirty, but it actually is a natural cleanser for your ears. It moves from the inside of your ear canal toward the outer ear opening and along the way it picks up dust, hair and dead skin cells. Earwax also boasts antibacterial and antifungal qualities. It’s important to let it do its work instead of trying to clean it yourself with cotton swabs or other small objects that can damage your eardrum or lead to earwax impaction. You can have ear wax removal in Aberdeen, which is done by professionals.
A swollen ear canal is often the cause of an ear infection. The eardrum is pushed against by infected fluid from the middle ear, and that pressure can cause symptoms like pain, itching and drainage. Viruses, such as respiratory syncytial virus (RSV, which causes many childhood upper respiratory infections) or influenza (flu), can also cause ear infections. And certain conditions, such as HIV or diabetes, can affect your immune system and increase the risk of ear infections.
Kids are particularly susceptible to ear infections, which can be caused by colds or other illnesses, allergies, secondhand smoke or other factors that can lead to inflammation of the eustachian tube. They’re also at greater risk of ear infections because of their basic anatomy: Unlike adults, children have shorter, narrower ear canals and they typically sleep on their sides, which can trap fluid in the middle ear.
To help prevent ear infections, make sure your kids are up to date on their immunizations and wash their hands frequently. They should also be kept away from secondhand smoke, especially if they have older siblings who smoke. Kids should also sleep on their backs to encourage drainage of the ear canal and wear protective earplugs in noisy environments, such as at concerts or when mowing the lawn.
Keeping your ears clean can be as simple as washing them with a warm, wet washcloth to remove any visible wax or debris. Avoid using over-the-counter ear drops, as they can dry out the ear canal or cause earwax impaction. And don’t try to “clean” your ear canal with a bulb syringe, as that can push earwax deeper into the ear and can even rupture an eardrum.
Wash Your Hands Regularly
TALLAHASSEE—May 5 is National Hand Washing Day, and the Florida Department of Health is encouraging people to pause and reflect on this important everyday habit that can help prevent illness, such as the flu, common cold, strep throat and even hospital-acquired infections (HAIs). In fact, research shows that washing your hands correctly and frequently can significantly reduce your risk for getting sick and/or spreading germs to others.
Children are far more likely to get an ear infection than adults because their eustachian tubes — the tiny tube that connects the back of the nose and the middle ear — are narrower and shorter and are positioned horizontally toward the ears, making them easier to clog or trap fluid with bacteria or viruses. These trapped fluids can push against the eardrum, which causes pain and inflammation.
The good news is that there are a number of things you can do to help your child stay healthy and avoid ear infections:
Keep kids up-to-date on their vaccines. Kids who have all their recommended vaccines, especially the influenza vaccine annually and the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, are much less likely to have ear infections.
Wash your child’s hands often and thoroughly. Be sure to scrub the front and backs of each hand, as well as the cuticles, between fingers and under fingernails. Wash for 20 seconds, or about the time it takes to hum twice through “Happy Birthday.” Rinse your hands completely and dry them.
Other preventive measures include avoiding secondhand smoke, keeping babies and toddlers away from other kids who are sick, and putting them to sleep on their backs to encourage drainage of the ear canal. In addition, breastfeeding for the first 6 months, a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids and zinc, and limiting screen time can also decrease the risk of ear infections.
Keep Your Ears Dry
A healthy ear canal is self-cleaning and doesn’t need manual or invasive cleaning. However, if a child’s ears are constantly dry or have a scabby appearance or feel itchy, this is a sign of infection and it’s important to talk to a healthcare professional.
The ear canal is made of very delicate skin that is normally protected by a thin layer of earwax. This naturally waterproof barrier can be disrupted by trauma (cotton swabs) and infections, which can allow bacteria to enter the ear and cause inflammation and infection. The ear canal can also become dry due to hot climates, indoor heating, air-conditioning and certain medications (antidepressants and some birth control pills). In these cases, it’s helpful to use a humidifier or take shorter showers or baths.
Earwax is an excellent lubricant, which helps prevent the ear canal from drying out and causing itching and irritation. It’s also a good idea to use over-the-counter ear drops that have an oily component to help relieve itching. These drops also promote a healthy moisture balance in the ear.
It’s important to keep the ears clean by washing them frequently, especially after using the bathroom, preparing food and before eating, and after coughing, sneezing or blowing the nose. Practicing good hygiene and keeping hands away from sick people can also help prevent colds and ear infections.
Other ways to prevent ear infections include staying hydrated, drinking plenty of fluids and eating a balanced diet that includes probiotics and vitamin D, which both increase immunity. It’s also a good idea for children to stay up to date on their vaccinations, particularly the pneumococcal vaccine, which protects against 13 types of bacteria that cause most ear infections.
Finally, breastfeeding when possible and ensuring babies are bottle fed in an upright position instead of lying flat can lower the risk of ear infections. It’s also a good idea not to smoke around infants and to limit exposure to second-hand smoke and other forms of pollution.
See Your Doctor as Soon as Possible
Ear infections can be caused by bacteria, fungi or viruses in the outer and middle ears or the Eustachian tube that connects the ears to the throat. The ear canal leads to the eardrum, which separates the ear from the middle ear and contains tiny bones that amplify sound, and the inner ear, where sound waves are converted to electrical impulses and sent to the brain. Symptoms of an ear infection include pain, swelling of the ear canal or Eustachian tube, a feeling of fullness in the ear, and hearing loss. Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections, while antiviral medications can help with viral infections.
A person can prevent ear infections by keeping their ears clean and dry, washing their hands frequently with soap and water, and covering the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing. In addition, people can try to avoid secondhand smoke and ensure that children’s immunizations are up to date.
If a person gets an ear infection, the doctor will often wait and watch to see if the infection clears up by itself before prescribing antibiotics. It is important to follow the prescribed course of antibiotics in order to fully treat the infection and prevent it from returning. Overuse of antibiotics can lead to the development of resistant bacteria that are more difficult to treat.
It is also possible to prevent ear infections by using home remedies, including rinsing the ears with saline solution, or applying warm compresses on the affected ear. Taking vitamin D and probiotics may also boost immunity, though more research is needed in this area.
Some people are more prone to ear infections than others. In general, kids are at a greater risk of ear infections because their immune systems are still developing. Kids at school or day care are also more likely to get ear infections because they come into contact with many different germs on a daily basis. Other risk factors include having a family history of ear infections, being exposed to secondhand smoke, and being breast-fed. In addition, a person’s age and the occurrence of previous ear infections are important to consider when evaluating their risk for ear infections.