Ear hurts: what to do and how to treat at home

Sometimes a sharp pain in the ear can catch at the most inopportune moment. Let's talk about what to do if your ear hurts. We will find out ways to alleviate pain at home.

Ear hurts: the main causes of pain

In medical practice, several causes of pain in the ear area are distinguished:

1. Actually, inflammatory processes in one or another part of the ear.
2. Neuralgia and neuritis of the facial nerve structures.
3. Inflammatory processes in the oral cavity.
4. Inflammatory diseases of the pharynx and larynx.

These problems occur after acute infectious diseases, colds or microorganisms getting on the inflamed tissue. Also, pathological processes can occur due to a decrease in the body's defenses after suffering diseases. An ENT doctor is involved in ear pain. In any case, he examines the auricle and all structures of the ear, if necessary, referring to other specialists (dentist, neuropathologist).

Pain in an adult, in a child

An adult can tolerate pain more easily than children. An adult understands perfectly well that one cannot just get rid of pain, it is necessary to be treated. All the unpleasant sensations (dizziness, shooting pain, temperature, headaches) he endures steadily, with an understanding of the situation.

With children, everything is completely different. If a teenager perfectly understands what pain is, then young children will cry, be capricious, and arrange tantrums.Young children will not respond well to treatment, interfere with therapeutic procedures, thereby increasing pain in the ear.

What to do if your ear hurts

The most important requirement for pain is not to try to relieve earaches on your own. Not knowing the exact nature of the pain syndrome, one can only aggravate the situation. It is necessary to consult a specialist for advice.

If the ear just hurts, without any other symptoms (serous or purulent discharge, fever, vomiting), warming procedures can be done. An alcohol compress, heated salt in a canvas bag, turunda moistened with boric alcohol - all this will help to significantly relieve pain. Accordingly, the answer to the question “is it possible to warm the tissue” for pain in the ear is simple - it can, if there is no infection.

Most often, a pathological process occurs in the middle ear. The ear hurts inside, and quite severely. If a child is sick, he can scream and cry in pain. It is accompanied by an increase in body temperature, partial hearing loss. Requires compulsory medical intervention. Self-treatment of otitis media is unacceptable!

How to treat ear pain at home

Home therapy cannot be called a full-fledged alternative to outpatient treatment. Home therapeutic methods are good, as a means of first aid or auxiliary therapy. Many alternative methods with an illiterate approach can cause extremely severe complications.

Permission for the treatment of pain in the ear at home is given only by the attending specialist. As a rule, he prescribes medication, and in addition to it, several methods of self-treatment. These are compresses, heating, therapeutic instillation of the auricle.

Read also:middle ear treatment

Effective folk remedies

These funds have been used for a long time. Their effectiveness has been proven by more than one generation.

1. Turundas moistened with mint broth. It is necessary to prepare a decoction, moisten gauze turundas (long flagella) in it, insert into the ear canal and leave to dry completely. Peppermint essential oils relieve pain, fight inflammation and have an antimicrobial effect.
2. A drop of almond oil. Oil heated to body temperature drips into a sore ear. The amount of oil is 2 drops. After the passage, it is closed with cotton wool or gauze so that the liquid does not leak out. It has a wonderful effect on areas of inflammation. Regenerates damaged skin cells. Regulates the violation of the water-salt balance in the tissues.
3. Warming alcohol compress. Almost everyone has the ingredients for this remedy - 50 ml of water and alcohol or vodka. Alcohol and water mix, slightly warmed up. The compress is applied so that the gauze does not block the ear canal and the fluid does not enter the ear. It is necessary to hold the compress until it dries completely.

What to drip in your ear if it hurts

In case of severe ear pain, drops with a therapeutic effect should be used. They can be purchased at the pharmacy or made independently. How to treat pain in the ear with drops, now we will analyze in detail.

They cope well with microbial infections and fungal diseases. In modern pharmacology, a wide selection of drops is presented.

1. Otipax. Effective drops from otitis media. Thanks to lidocaine in the composition, they quickly anesthetize and ease the condition. Cannot be used when the eardrum ruptures.
2. Otofa. Contain rifampicin antibiotic. It is very effective for infections caused by streptococci and staphylococci.
3. Otinum. Antifungal agent. It helps even in severe stages of fungal infection.

All these tools are available in pharmacy chains. They have both advantages and disadvantages. Experts do not recommend using them for a long time. Only as a first aid to alleviate the condition. After you should definitely contact a medical institution.

When an ear hurts in an adult, you can try to relieve the pain with homemade remedies. Such drops according to popular recipes improve the condition and contribute to recovery. For children, they should not be used, since the child's body can respond extraordinary.

Popular folk drops recipes:

1. Drops of honey and propolis. In a pharmacy you need to buy alcohol tincture of propolis. Tincture is mixed with fresh (not sugared) honey in a ratio of 1: 1. After the honey is completely dissolved, the mixture is heated to body temperature. The drug is instilled in 1-2 drops.
2. Laurel broth. For cooking, 4-5 sheets of laurel and a glass of water are taken. The sheets are boiled for 1.5-2 hours on low heat. The ready-made broth is cooled to a comfortable temperature and 5 drops are instilled into the ear. The duration of treatment is no more than 5 days.
3. Onion drops. For cooking, take a large head of onion and sugar. A hole is made inside the cleaned head and sugar is poured. Bake in the oven until completely soft. The fluid formed inside the onion head is collected in a clean vial. Store in the refrigerator. Before use, be sure to warm to a comfortable temperature.

What can not be done with ear pain?

With ENT diseases accompanied by pain in the ear, it is not necessary to use some therapeutic and supportive techniques.

1. Warm the ear at elevated temperature or discharge from the ear canal. You can provoke an increase in purulent inflammation.
2. Children can not instill homemade drops without a doctor's prescription.
3. Do not try to independently remove the sulfur plug or a foreign object located deep in the ear. Damage to the eardrum.
4. You can not independently use drugs containing antibiotics, and be treated with them for a long time.

For ear pain:

• promptly consult a specialist for advice, and not self-medicate;
• cover your ear from drafts and wind. You can do this with a scarf or hat;
• try not to fill the ear canal with water;
• do not pick inside the ear stick and other objects.

A lump appeared behind the ear - causes and treatment

The formation of bumps behind the ear is a rather alarming symptom requiring a thorough examination. The causes of such formations are various, from harmless to extremely dangerous. Most often, cones are formed as a result of inflammation of the lymph node.

Provoke bumps behind the ear can:

• blockage of the sebaceous gland, resulting in the formation of a cyst or atheroma. She is painless, mobile. Sometimes it can degenerate into a malignant neoplasm;
• an infectious process in the body (tuberculosis, streptococcal tonsillitis, infectious mononucleosis);
• damage to the mastoid process by infection, as a result of which mastoiditis occurs;
• severe allergic reaction;
• autoimmune diseases;
• malignant neoplasms of the lymphatic system;
• colds and acute respiratory infections;
• benign and malignant neoplasms of the ear structures (for example, a tumor of the mastoid process);
• keloid cones. Occur after overgrown pierced earlobes. They are degenerated scar tissue.

There are several types of treatment for cones behind the ears.