Otitis is a term that refers to any infectious processes in our hearing organ.
Otitis media is common, approximately 10% of the total population suffers from otitis media.
Every year, 700 million new cases are reported worldwide.
Moreover, a large half falls on children under the age of 5 years. But adults can also get sick.
We will talk about the causes of the disease and the rules for its treatment below.
Otitis: symptoms and causes
Symptoms by which otitis media can be recognized are as follows: a sensation of severe pain in the ear, fever, a few days later discharge similar to pus appears. After he begins to stand out, the patient feels relief, gradually the pain goes away.
Pus begins to stand out from the rush, namely through the eardrum. This is a positive outcome of the disease, if the treatment was selected correctly, then the hole that appears in the eardrum will begin to overgrow, while no effect on the decrease in hearing acuity will occur.
If the development of the disease is unfavorable, then the pus will not be able to find a way out, it is quite dangerous, since the infection can go further and get inside the skull. This type of otitis can develop into meningitis, as well as an abscess of the brain.
There are three forms of the disease:
• internal;
• average;
• outdoor.
Otitis externa swimmers often get sick. Inflammation is formed as a result of mechanical injuries of the external auditory canal and mechanical injuries of the auricles. The protective cover is damaged, pathogenic microorganisms begin to get into the ear, which actively develop and multiply.
If you do not start treatment on time, then otitis externa will transfer to another form. This type of disease is accompanied by swelling in the ear area, severe aching pain and fever.
With otitis media, inflammation passes to the airways of the middle ear, which are located immediately after the eardrum. This form almost always goes from catarrhal to purulent.
Acute otitis media arises due to complications of diseases such as acute respiratory viral infections or acute respiratory infections. In the early stages of the disease, the level of hearing may decrease. If you ignore the symptoms of this condition, then there will be a shooting pain in the ear, which will spread to the throat and teeth. It is impossible to cure this condition yourself.
The neglected form of catarrhal otitis media - This is acute purulent otitis media. There is a breakthrough of the tympanic membrane with subsequent leakage of pus. And not always pus can go out by itself. If the patient has a strong eardrum, then an operation is performed to puncture it. This procedure is painless, as previously specialists will give you anesthetic injection.
Acute otitis media should always be treated to the end, since pus will begin to spread inside the skull. As a result, internal otitis media will develop, which will begin to completely affect the entire vestibular apparatus.
Any ENT disease is accompanied by the formation and increase in the amount of mucus. In the cells of the tympanic cavity, inflammatory fluid is released. In addition to clogging the lumen in the Eustachian tube, inflammation of the ear mucosa begins.
The main causes of otitis media are as follows:
1. Complications of concomitant diseases, infection in the ear.
2. Diseases of the nose, nasopharynx. This may include skewness of the nasal septum, adenoids.
3. Injuries to the auricles.
4. The main factor of purulent otitis media is hypothermia.
Otitis medication at home: medication
Treatment of otitis media should be comprehensive. First of all, it is important to provide the patient with rest and bed rest.
The drug Otinum has proven itself well, which is able to significantly reduce pain within a few minutes. In addition to the anti-inflammatory effect, it has an antimicrobial and antifungal effect, providing a direct effect on the root cause of the disease.
When puffiness appears, it is necessary to apply vasoconstrictor drops, they need to be buried in the nose. It can be Sanorin, Nazivin, Naphthyzin. In some cases, edema can be reduced only after taking antihistamines - Erius, tavegil, Telfast.
The development of purulent otitis media is prevented by drops containing antibacterial components - polydex, normax.
Otitis: treatment at home provides for compliance with all the rules and instructions prescribed by the doctor.
After this, the patient’s condition does not improve; in this case, the specialist should conduct systemic antibiotic therapy. But in no case should you take such drugs on your own, without a doctor's prescription.
If, nevertheless, medicines are purchased by you yourself, without the recommendation of a doctor, be sure to read the instructions before use.
Otitis medication at home: folk remedies
Otitis: treatment at home involves the use of not only medications, but also folk remedies. If the disease is in the first stages of development, and no complications have arisen, you can try to cope with it yourself. Below are the best methods of traditional medicine, each of them is tested and used more than once:
1. Plantain leaves. To small, beginning abscesses, plantain leaves can be applied. Before this, they must be thoroughly washed and chopped.
2. Bay leaf. A decoction of bay leaves has good properties. Take a small dish, put five leaves in it, then pour a glass of water, put on a fire and bring to a boil. After the water boils, remove the pan from the heat and wrap it with something, such as a towel. When the broth has cooled, strain it and drink two tablespoons, three times a day. You can also instill 10 drops in a sore ear.
3. Onions. A good remedy in the fight against otitis media is onion with caraway seeds. To prepare it, take the onion and bake in the oven, then cut off the top and make a small hole inward. After that, take a teaspoon of caraway seeds and pour into the hole in the onion. Re-close the cut part and put it back in the oven. Keep there for no more than 30 minutes. Squeeze the juice from the cooled onion and drip three drops into the sore ear. The course of treatment is 10 days.
4. Garlic oil. This is not the most famous folk remedy for otitis media: treatment at home, but, despite this, effective. Garlic oil not only relieves pain, but also eliminates inflammation. Cooking it is not difficult. In a small amount of oil (vegetable or olive), boil 4 cloves of garlic in it, put in a dark place, let it brew for one week. The tool can be made and stored in the refrigerator just in case. Before use, the oil must be warmed to room temperature and instilled in the ear 5 drops.
5. Herbal collection. Internal otitis media is considered the most dangerous. If, for example, you did not treat otitis media, the infection will go on, reach the brain, and affect hearing acuity. That is why in order to get rid of this disease you need to drink the following tincture. Take calendula flowers and a series of 4 parts. Yarrow and licorice in two. Eucalyptus leaves - three parts. Mix all the ingredients together. Pour boiling water into a glass and dip 1 tablespoon of your collection. For 30 minutes, everything should be insisted. Tincture should be drunk throughout the day, in small portions.
6. Raspberry Roots. This recipe is good to use for chronic otitis media with purulent discharge. Cut the roots of raspberries and brew in one liter of water. The mixture should be infused for 12 hours, then strain it. For one month, take it twice a day, half a glass.
In order to cure such a serious ailment as otitis media, you need to use only proven methods. Indeed, if it is not cured to the end, other, more serious complications may arise.
Otitis treatment at home: is it possible to warm up?
Applying dry heat to the ear, warming compresses are popular methods often used for otitis media: home treatment. But is it really all that effective and safe?
Under the influence of heat, the vessels expand in the tissues of the organ. Recovery processes begin to proceed much faster.
But on the other hand, in warm conditions, bacteria multiply much better. Thermal procedures will only help if the inflammatory process is almost silent.
In which cases heat is not contraindicated
From the above, we can conclude that heat can be applied only at the stage of recovery. But in no case do not appoint such procedures for yourself. Since without an examination, you cannot determine what is happening in your ear.
Carefully monitor your body and if something happens, immediately go to the doctor.
