Ear infection treatment?!


Question: Ear infection treatment!?
well, i have an ear infection (not really an infection, just a build up of fluid) is there a way to re open the tube that drains the middle ear, like sucking on a piece of candy, or chewing gum, something simple that does not require me having to leave the house!.Www@Answer-Health@Com


Answers:
rubing alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide do half and half and pour it in your ear, it works i do it all the timeWww@Answer-Health@Com

Otitis media occurs in the area between the ear drum (the end of the outer ear) and the inner ear, including a duct known as the Eustachian tube!. It is one of the two categories of ear inflammation that can underly what is commonly called an earache, the other being otitis externa!. Diseases other than ear infections can also cause ear pain, including cancers of any structure that shares nerve supply with the ear!.

Otitis media is very common in childhood, with the average toddler having two to three episodes a year, almost always accompanied by a viral upper respiratory infection (URI), mostly the common cold!. The rhinoviruses (nose viruses) that cause the common cold infect the Eustachian tube that goes from the back of the nose to the middle ear, causing swelling and compromise of pressure equalization, which is one of the normal function of the tube!. The other main function is the lateral drainage of fluids from tissues on either side of the skull!. It has to be remembered that the Eustachian Tube is only the width of three to four hairs in places along its length!. It also changes its anatomical and physiological appearance during the early growth peroid of the child!. In the newborn the tube is horizontal making it more difficult to drain naturally, and the surface of the tube is 100% cartilage, with a lining of Lymphatic tissue which is an extension of the Adenoidal tissue from the back of the nose!. As the early years pass by the superior (upper) part of the tube ossifies to bone but the lower remains the same!. The angle of the tubes changes and descends to roughly a 45 degree angle increasing the downward flow of fluids!. It should be noted that individuals with Downs Syndrome anatomically have more severe curves to their tubes, hence why D!.S children tend to have more grommet operations than other children!. To put this into perspective there are on average 65,000 grommet operations in the UK every year!. In general, the more severe and prolonged the compromise of Eustachian tube function, the more severe the consequences are to the middle ear and its delicate structures!. If a person is born with poor Eustachian tube function, this greatly increases the likelihood of more frequent and severe episodes of otitis media!. Progression to chronic otitis media is much more common in this group of people, who often have a family history of middle ear disease!.

Management of pain

To treat the pain caused by otitis media oral as well as topical analgesics are often used!. Oral agents may include ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and / or narcotics!. Topical agents have also been shown to be effective, such as antipyrine and benzocaine ear drops!.

Antibiotics

Many guidelines suggest deferring the start of antibiotics for one to three days[5] avoiding the need for antibiotics for two out of three children[6] without adverse effect on longterm outcomes for those whose treatment is deferred!.[7] First line antibiotic treatment, if warranted, is amoxicillin!. If the bacteria is resistant, then amoxicillin-clavulanate or another penicillin derivative plus beta lactamase inhibitor is second line!.

Treatment of acute otitis media however is controversial!. Much of the controversy centers around the difficulty of distinguishing viral infection from bacterial infection and the fact that viral infection can progress to bacterial infection at any time!. Primary care providers, such as general practitioners and pediatricians, often have a monocular otoscope and perhaps a tympanometer as their only diagnostic tools, which makes this distinction difficult, especially if the canal is small and there is wax in the ear that obscures a clear view of the eardrum!. Also, an upset child's crying can cause the eardrum to look inflamed due to causing distention of the small blood vessels on it, mimicking the redness associated with otitis media!. Because of a tradition of inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics for viral acute otitis media, their use has recently been condemned by many primary care practitioners for most cases of acute otitis media!. Ear specialists tend to disagree with this philosophy and promote efforts to distinguish between viral and bacterial infection, so as to optimize treatment results by giving antibiotics only for bacterial infection!. Acute bacterial otitis media can cause pain that leads to sleepless nights for both children and parents, can cause eardrum perforations, not all of which heal, and can spread to cause mastoiditis and/or meningitis, brain abscess, and even death if a severe infection goes untreated long enough!. High fever can occur and can cause febrile seizures!. Appropriate antibiotic administration prevents most such complications!. On the other hand, it is generally agreed that acute otitis media that is purely viral will usually resolve without antibiotic treatment, although associated persistent middle ear effusions may require medical intervention!.Www@Answer-Health@Com





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