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| Ear Infections |
Signs and Symptoms
In adults:
1. Earache - either a dull, continuous pain or a sharp, sudden pain.
2. Muffled hearing.
3. Sometimes accompanied by:
Fever of 100 degrees or above, possibly with chills.
4. Full feeling in the ear.
5. Discharge of pus or blood form ear.
6. Sore throat.
7. Stuffy nose.
8. Nausea or diarrhea.
In young children, especially those who aren’t yet talking, watch for:
1. Tugging at the ear.
2. Restlessness.
3. Lack of appetite.
4. Irritability.
5. Fever of 100 digress or above.
6. Discharge from the nose or ear.
What to do now
1. Gargle with salt water to soothe a sore throat and help open up blocked ears.
2. Hold a warm compress to your ear.
3. Inhaling steam may also help.
4. Use pillows to raise your head when lying down. This helps drain your middle ear.
5. Some people use decongestant nasal sprays to help unblock the ears. But after a couple of days, sprays can lead to “rebound” congestion, worsening your condition.
6. The drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen may provide some relief. (Never give aspirin to a child under 12 who has chicken pox, flu, or any other illness you suspect of being caused by a virus, such as a bad respiratory infection).
When to call a doctor
1. If you or your child have an earache that lasts more than two days.
2. If your child has symptoms of an ear infection of difficulty hearing.
3. If your or your child’s body temperature rises above 100 degrees.
4. If you or your child frequently development ear infections.
How to prevent it
1. Remove irritants and allergy-causing agents from your home, including dust, cleaning fluids, and tobacco smoke.
2. If you or your child are susceptible to food allergies, cut back on wheat products, corn products, or specific foods that may cause allergic reactions.
3. Pay close attention to your baby’s health, particularly if you are not breast-feeding. Bottle-fed babies are more likely to get ear.
4. infections. Hold your baby upright during bottle-feeding to prevent milk from irritating the tube that connects the back of the nose and the ear.
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