How can I prevent ear infections?

Greetings! I am not a doctor, but I hope this information is helpful to you. An ear infection is an infection or inflammation of the ear known by the medical term Otitis.

There are two different forms of Otitis: Otitis Externa, which affects the outer ear and ear canal, and Otitis Media, which affects the middle ear just behind the ear drum. Otitis Externa, also known as swimmers ear, is fairly common especially in children and young adults. Symptoms can include an itchy ear canal, redness, inflammation, pain, fluid drainage, and slight hearing loss.

Symptoms worsen the longer the infection goes untreated. They are frequently caused by moisture in the ear that remains after swimming. The water in the ear acts as a breeding ground for bacteria which causes the infection.

If the water is polluted it will also raise the chances of getting an infection. Other causes of swimmers ear include scratching, or placing objects inside of the ear as it can damage the thin layer of skin surrounding the ear canal. Some people are more prone to ear infections for natural reasons such as abundant ear wax production or a narrow ear canal (children have narrow ear canals that expand as they grow older, making them more prone to infections).

If you have swimmers ear it is imperative to see a doctor, as untreated ear infections can lead to much more serious problems. Most likely your doctor will provide you with medical ear drops to treat the infection, after the ear has been cleaned to allow the medicine to flow to all infected areas. You can help to prevent swimmers ear by keeping your ears dry after swimming or showering.Be cautious of your surroundings while swimming and avoid swimming in water with a high bacterial level.

Lakes and rivers are much more likely to have high amounts of bacteria than swimming pools. Avoid putting foreign object in your ears, including cotton swabs as they can damage the tissue of the ear canal and push ear wax further into the ear and cause a middle ear infection. Otitis Media which affects the middle portion of your ear directly behind the ear drum are very common among children and young adults.

Behind the ear drum there is an air filled space which contains the tiny vibrating bones of the inner ear. Middle Ear Infections are the most common type of ear infection and are usually characterized by a viral or bacterial infection causing pain and inflammation of the middle ear. The Eustachian tube begins directly behind the ear drum and runs to the back of the throat and provides drainage to fluid normally produced in the middle of the ear.

If this drainage tube gets clogged fluid can build up and bacteria can form causing the ear infection. Anything that can cause these Eustachian tubes to become blocked or swollen can lead to a middle ear infection. Some common causes include Allergies, cold and sinus infections, Excess mucus and saliva produced during teething, and certain irritants including tobacco smoke.

Middle ear infections do occur more frequently in colder climates, as they are closely tied to common colds which are also more likely in such conditions. Middle ear infections need to be monitored closely but do usually go away on their own.In infants and in severe cases antibiotics are used to treat the infection. If symptoms worsen you should see a doctor immediately, as untreated infections can lead to more serious problems.

References: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/swimmers-ear/DS00473 http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000638.htm http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ear-infections/DS00303 http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/ear-infection/default.htm.

Ion4! The first measure to take to prevent earache is certainly to dress adequately according to weather. Just put a woolly hat on!

As a herbalist I would recommend to take Echinacea tincture for 3 to 6 weeks at the beginning of winter to strengthen the immune system as a preventive measure. If you already have an ear ache, warm some oil, squeeze some garlic in it, let stand for an hour and then strain the oil off. Drop a bit of the oil into the ear and stop it from running out by putting a bit of cotton wool in the ear.

Put on a woolly hat. If you had this ear ache for longer than just a few hours, I would strongly recommend to see a doctor who will prescribe appropriate medication. If you do not do this, the ear might get damaged irreparably.

OTC medications are not to be recommended in case of ear infection. Please see a doctor! You can get ear infection at any time of the year, in winter while out in the cold and in summer after bathing.

Hope this helps.

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