Here's How to Prevent an Ear Infection
Whether it's a cold autumn wind, a seemingly harmless cold, frequent swimming and diving, or cleaning your ears with cotton swabs: Middle ear infections can have many causes. But they can be prevented with a few simple tips.
Summer vacation is over, temperatures are slowly dropping, and the first leaves are falling: Fall is here. The infamous fall storms don’t just blow past your nose—they blow right past your ears, too. Your ears may even react to strong winds with pain. Although the pain usually subsides on its own once you return to a warm room after a walk, in the worst-case scenario, it can last longer and develop into a full-blown middle ear infection.
Prevention Tips
That’s why you should think about protecting your ears before you even step outside. This means putting on—or at least bringing along—a hat, headband, hood, or earmuffs. If necessary, a scarf or a fold-down collar that can be pulled over the ears can also help. If you start to feel any pain, you should cut your walk short as soon as possible and head home.
Symptoms and Treatment
Because the passageway between the middle ear and the throat is still very short in children, they are particularly susceptible to middle ear infections. Viruses can enter the middle ear through this passageway and cause inflammation of the mucous membrane. This can also be caused by a cold. Symptoms include ear pain, hearing loss, weakness, dizziness, fever, headache, and a feeling of pressure in the ear. In extreme cases, pus may also drain from the ear.
If children complain of ear pain, parents should take them to an ENT specialist immediately. Treatment usually involves pain relievers and antibiotics. In extreme cases, the doctor may make a small incision in the eardrum to allow the pus to drain and relieve the pain. However, the incision heals on its own. Parents can provide relief with a few home remedies. These include pain-relieving suppositories, onion pouches, and red light applied to the ear, as well as calf compresses if the child has a fever. Children should also drink plenty of fluids.
“Water lovers” are also at risk
But it’s not just fall storms—cold wind while biking, hiking in the mountains, or skiing can also trigger a middle ear infection. People who swim or dive frequently are also at risk. Even minor injuries to the ear canal—such as those caused by “cleaning” the ears with cotton swabs—can pave the way for an infection.
