Prescription ear drops have either antibiotics or steroids in them. Often this will include an oral antibiotic and sometimes a prescription ear drop. One of the first things a doctor will do if they diagnose your kid with an ear infection is to prescribe them some kind of medication. The answer as to whether or not they’re effective is kind of complicated because there are a few different kinds of ear drops.
#Over the counter ear infection medicine how to#
Now that you know all about how to identify an ear infection and what causes them, you might be wondering: how can I treat my little one if they get an ear infection? One common remedy for ear infections is ear drops. Other signs that it might be a good idea to call your doctor is if you notice that there’s some fluid coming from your little one’s ear or they seem really irritable after having a cold or another infection. If your little one is younger than 6 months old, it’s a good idea to call your pediatrician right away. Given that ear infections are so painful and disruptive and there are oral antibiotics that can treat them, it’s a good idea to call your doctor if your kid’s ear pain lasts longer than a day. Kids are more susceptible to illness because their immune systems have less experience fighting off illness than adults’. If you’ve ever been to your kid’s preschool you might have noticed that it seems like there’s always one or two sick kids. The same goes for fluid in the ears.Īlongside their smaller, level tubes, kids are also at higher risk for an ear infection because their immune systems are still developing. The larger and steeper the staircase is, the faster the balls will reach the bottom. Think of balls dropping down a staircase. This means it’s harder for fluids to drain out of their ears. Kid’s eustachian tubes, the ones that connect their middle ear to their throats, are smaller and more horizontal in kids than they are in adults. Why are ear infections more common in kids?Īlthough adults can absolutely get ear infections too, they’re much more common in kids for a few reasons. Experience headache or a loss of appetite.There’s some fluid draining from their ear.Seem to cry more than normal or are generally irritable.Have trouble sleeping, especially falling asleep.Tug or pull at their ear to try and relieve pain.You might also know your little one is fighting off an ear infection if they. There are several symptoms of ear infections but the most obvious is definitely ear pain, especially when lying down. It’s this blockage that allows fluid to build up. When your kid has a cold or bad allergies, these tubes can get swollen and become blocked. There are tubes called eustachian tubes that connect the middle ear to the back of the throat. If your kid is trying to fight off a sickness that causes congestion and swelling in their nose, then they’re at a greater risk for developing an ear infection. The most important thing to remember in terms of the causes of ear infections is that they usually accompany other illnesses like the common cold, flu, or allergies. Once this happens, a secondary infection occurs.
This bacteria can easily spread to the middle ear where it can infect the fluid that’s built up due to inflammation. If your little one has a sore throat, cold, or another type of upper respiratory infection, then there are already bacteria in their system. Just like with other common types of infections, ear infections are often caused by bacteria. The inner ear contains lots of important things that help keep your balance and turn vibrations into sound. The middle ear is, you guessed it, the part of the ear between the eardrum and the inner ear and is where the infections occur. Although ears are surprisingly complicated, there are really only three parts you need to know about: the outer ear, the middle ear, and the inner ear.īasically, the outer ear is everything you can see, and the ear canal which is the part of the ear that extends from the ear opening to the eardrum (it’s what doctors are looking at when they stick the pointy black tool in your ear!). Usually, inflammation happens when there’s a buildup of fluid behind the eardrum. The term “ear infection” is used to describe any kind of inflammation in the middle ear. This article will take a look at how effective ear drops are for treating ear infections and a few other remedies you can try to get your little one feeling better.
Everyone knows that they’re painful and pesky, but sometimes it can be hard to figure out what the best form of treatment is. Ear infections are the most common reason parents bring their kids to the doctor. If you have a little one at home, chances are you’ve had to deal with an ear infection at some point.
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