Statistics indicate that about 65% of boils form on the face, most often in the nose and ears. Men are more likely to suffer from abscesses than women. Also, this disease is more susceptible to people aged 12-40 years.
Diagnosis of the disease
In order to properly organize the treatment of the boil of the external auditory canal (or treatment with its other localization on the organ of hearing), you must first carry out a diagnosis. That is, to determine whether it is really a boil or a common pimple.
Most often, an adult can make a diagnosis on his own.
If negative sensations indicate an abscess in the ear, what can and cannot be done.
Can:
- examine the affected area with a mirror, pulling the auricle or pressing on the cartilage above the lobe;
- if this is not possible, then gently touch it with cleanly washed fingers;
- rub with alcohol to disinfect nearby parts of the skin.
It is forbidden:
- flush or douche the ear canal or wash your hair;
- open the abscess with nails or improvised objects, as this can lead to serious consequences (thrombophlebitis, sepsis, the formation of intractable carbuncles).
If possible, it is better to contact an otolaryngologist, who, under appropriate conditions, using an ear funnel, will be able to study the lesion in detail. He will determine the stage of development of the abscess and the degree of maturation of the capsule with the infiltrate and give advice, after examining the boil in the ear, what to do: conservative treatment or surgery is necessary. Radiography and ultrasound may be used occasionally, mainly in children. A blood test often indicates a slight increase in the level of leukocytes, which is natural in this situation.
Surgical removal of boils and therapy in a hospital setting
If, when examining a large abscess, the ENT suspects that he has a complicated case, home medicine is not the best option. Unjustifiably high fever, severe pain, the risk of a rod breaking into the internal tissues with pus entering the bloodstream, and the involvement of neighboring areas in the process are quite serious arguments. In such cases, it is worth agreeing with the arguments of a specialist and go under the scalpel.
Most often, an abscess is opened at 3-4 days, when ripening ends. The doctor makes a small incision with a scalpel in the place of the highest tension of the abscess, after which he removes the necrotic rod and pus, treats the wound with 5% iodine solution and puts a drainage (gauze turunda moistened with saline). Turunda removes the emerging fluid, and the hypertonic fluid dries the wound. The entire procedure is performed under local anesthesia. After the operation, the affected area should be treated with antiseptics for several days or drops with antibiotics (Ofloxacin, Neomycin) should be dripped to avoid relapse.
The question is often asked, if a boil (boil) burst in the ear, what to do? It is advisable to go to the nearest hospital. There, in a hospital, the doctor will rinse the canal with a solution of hydrogen peroxide and make a dressing, having previously applied a tampon soaked in hypertonic fluid, Dimexide or ointment (Levomekol, Vishnevsky) to the wound. The main task of the otolaryngologist in this case is to prevent the spread of the infection.
In case of a complex course of the disease, the patient may be offered to undergo an autohemotherapy procedure. These are intramuscular injections of the patient's own blood taken from his vein after ultraviolet irradiation. Infusions are given every other day (maximum 15 times) and show good results in combination with antibiotics.
Conservative treatment
Immediately paying attention to the unpleasant sensations in the organ of hearing, and diagnosing a boil, you can try to prevent it from ripening. An antibacterial turunda is inserted into the ear canal. For impregnation are used:
- ethyl alcohol solution 60%;
- a mixture of iodine with alcohol;
- a mixture of iodine with 5% silver nitrate solution.
Ultraviolet irradiation and UHF therapy, which are used in complex therapy, help well.
If the ailment is discovered late or the treatment with alcohol did not give an effect, you can accelerate the process of maturation of the boil in the ear, how to treat it with warming agents. For this, both special pulling ointments (Vishnevsky, tar) and saline are suitable. It is convenient to use such means if the boil is on the earlobe, behind the ear; treatment consists in attaching a cotton swab soaked in special means to the affected area with a plaster for several hours or at night.
In order for the abscess to ripen quickly, it is advisable to apply dry heat. As a rule, the following devices are used:
- a heating pad with warm water;
- a bag of heated sand or salt;
- mirror lamp (Minin reflector).
However, the use of heat should be limited (no more than 15 minutes per day), otherwise Staphylococcus aureus may enter the bloodstream and cause sepsis.
If an abscess develops, antibiotics are required. Applicable:
- amoxicillin, erythromycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, rulid, oral streptocid;
- penicillin by injection in difficult cases.
With increased temperature and the development of pathogenic flora, they fight with the help of:
- pain relievers and antipyretic drugs (acetylsalicylic acid, paracetamol, ibuprofen);
- anti-inflammatory drugs (efferalgan, panadol).
In order to avoid getting the infiltrate after self-opening (natural) opening into the auditory canal, the patient is recommended to sleep only on the side of the affected organ on the pillow. Otherwise, microorganisms can penetrate deeper and provoke a furuncle of the middle ear, the treatment of which is more dangerous and painful.
Features in children
If a boil (boil) appears in a child's ear, treatment at home should be started at the earliest stage. If one follicle is damaged in a child, conservative therapy is prescribed, consisting in cleansing the area around the abscess and applying compresses with rivanol, vodka or warming ointments.
In some cases, the abscess is injected from all sides with antibiotics to prevent its spread. In the case of surgery, children are prescribed antibiotics, as well as a course of vitamins and drugs to increase immunity. This is done to prevent the spread of infection throughout the body and rashes to other parts of the body.
Ethnoscience
A few tips on how to cure a boil in the ear using folk remedies:
- Stir honey and rye flour until the consistency of plasticine, make a cake, attach to a sore spot and secure. Change the dressing after 5 hours, it is better to do it at night.
- A mixture of Vishnevsky ointment (30%) and fir oil (70%) should be used as a warming compress. Change 2-3 times a day.
- Soak a strip of linen cloth with vegetable oil and rub with garlic. Under the influence of this compress, the abscess will open quickly.
- Fry the gruel of grated garlic and onion (50/50) in vegetable oil. Change the bandage three times a day until recovery.
- Place the linseed oil in the well in the onion and bake in the oven. The juice squeezed from the onion drip into the auditory canal.
Brew a tincture of a string and lingonberry leaves in equal proportions. A tablespoon of the mixture in a glass of boiling water, leave for an hour, then strain. Drink 50 grams for 2 weeks half an hour before meals.
