The incidence of ear diseases during pregnancy increases by about 3 times. This is due to a decrease in the body's reactivity against the background of hormonal disruptions, vitamin deficiency and severe intoxication. The occurrence of pain, hyperthermia and serous discharge from the ear canal signals the development of ENT diseases.
How to treat the ear during pregnancy? Most antibacterial and analgesic drugs have an ototoxic effect, so they cannot be used during gestation. To eliminate the manifestations of the disease and prevent the development of complications, experts use a limited list of medications for analgesic, antiallergic and antiphlogistic action.
The reasons for the development of ENT diseases
In late gestation, many women experience hearing impairment, which in 90% of cases is associated with tissue edema and a change in the condition of the ear membrane. Swelling of the mucous membranes is one of the key reasons for the development of infectious and inflammatory processes in the organ of hearing.
Congestion provokes a decrease in local immunity, which increases the risk of developing pathologies.
With reduced body resistance, the occurrence of catarrhal processes in the auditory analyzer can be due to the following factors:
- hypothermia;
- strong pressure drops;
- exacerbation of chronic diseases;
- upper respiratory tract infection;
- blockage of the ear canal with a sulfur plug;
- an allergic reaction to food and medicine;
- mechanical trauma to the external auditory canal.
Due to a decrease in the reactivity of the body, the clinical manifestations of ear pathologies in pregnant women are poorly expressed. The reason for contacting a specialist will be: congestion of the ears and nose, dizziness, discharge of serous exudate from the ear canal.
Treatment principles
Ear hurts badly during pregnancy, how to treat? Therapy for ear diseases in pregnant women should be carried out under the constant supervision of an otolaryngologist. Delay in treatment can negatively affect the health of not only the expectant mother, but also the child. Against the background of severe intoxication caused by the multiplication of pathogens, pathological development of the fetus in early pregnancy is not excluded.
How to treat ear pain during pregnancy? Therapy of ENT diseases begins with the use of topical drugs that stop the development of pathogens and inflammatory processes in the affected tissues. The choice of a specific method of treatment is determined by the etiological factors that provoked the onset of the disease, the trimester of pregnancy and the nature of the manifestation of symptoms. How to treat ears during pregnancy?
To prevent the further development of ear pathologies, the following can be used:
- vasoconstrictor drops - reduce vascular permeability, thereby eliminating puffiness;
- analgesics - relieve pain, provoked by catarrhal processes in the organ of hearing;
- antibiotics - kill pathogenic microbes, the development of which leads to the appearance of abscesses in the mucous membranes of the middle ear;
- ear drops - relieve inflammation and swelling, as a result of which ventilation of the ear cavity improves;
- blowing - restores the patency of the Eustachian tube, due to which the pressure on the ear membrane is normalized;
- pneumomassage - helps to restore normal blood supply to inflamed tissues, which accelerates their regeneration.
Ear pathologies in 80% of cases are the result of an infectious lesion of the nasopharynx. To prevent the development of ENT disease, pregnant women should limit their social circle and the frequency of visiting public places.
Boric alcohol use
Can boric acid be instilled into the ear during pregnancy? Boric acid is an effective antiseptic agent that prevents the development of pathogenic flora. It is produced in the form of aqueous and alcoholic solutions (boric alcohol), which are used to disinfect the external auditory canal during the development of infectious
diseases.
The components of the drug are absorbed into the bloodstream, therefore, during pregnancy, it should be used with caution and only as directed by a specialist. How to instill boric alcohol in the ear during pregnancy? For the treatment of ear pathologies, boric acid and alcohol are used in accordance with the following rules:
- before use, the medicine is warmed up to 38 degrees;
- 2% solution is instilled into the sore ear, 2 drops no more than 2 times a day;
- the excess of the drug is removed with cotton swabs;
- the course of drug treatment should not exceed 5 days.
Important! Boric acid and alcohol should not be used for kidney dysfunction. This will lead to intoxication of the body, which can negatively affect the development of the fetus.
It should be noted that boric acid cannot be used for perforation of the ear membrane. The components of the product can provoke irritation of the mucous membrane of the ear cavity, which will lead to a difficult outflow of the transudate.
Features of drug treatment
If a pregnant woman has a sore ear, how to treat it? In the first trimester of pregnancy, experts do not recommend the use of drugs that contain synthetic components. This is due to an increased risk of developing neural tube pathologies and disorders in the formation of the vital organs of the unborn child.
From the 14th week of gestation, medications such as:
- Remo-Wax is a hypoallergenic solution that is used to soften and remove ear plugs from the external auditory canal;
- "A-cerumen" is an antiseptic drug that normalizes acidity in the auditory canal and prevents the formation of ear plugs;
- "Otipax" - combined drops of analgesic, anti-inflammatory and disinfecting action. It is used to treat middle and barotraumatic otitis media;
- "Sofradex" - ear drops of antiallergic and antiphlogistic action, which include a glucocorticosteroid. The drug is active against the bacterial flora that provokes the development of purulent inflammation in the organ of hearing;
- "Nazivin" - nasal drops that eliminate swelling in the nasopharynx and the mouth of the Eustachian tube. Promotes the restoration of normal pressure on the ear membrane;
Tylenol is an analgesic and antipyretic drug that blocks the synthesis of cyclooxygenase. Relieves pain and hyperthermia that occurs during the development of catarrhal processes in the ENT organs;- "Amoxicillin" is a semi-synthetic antibiotic from the penicillin group that suppresses the activity of gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria.
Tylenol is an analgesic and antipyretic drug that blocks the synthesis of cyclooxygenase. Relieves pain and hyperthermia that occurs during the development of catarrhal processes in the ENT organs;Vasoconstrictor drops can only be used in pediatric dosages. An overdose of the drug can cause an increase in the tone of the uterus, which is fraught with premature birth in the last stages of gestation.
Pneumatic massage
Comprehensive treatment of ENT diseases accelerates the regression of inflammatory processes and recovery. If the ear hurts during pregnancy, how to treat it? According to experts, one of the safest physiotherapeutic procedures is pneumomassage of the ear membrane, which improves blood microcirculation, trophism and tissue metabolism.
Important! You can not use pneumomassage in the presence of purulent foci of inflammation in the ear cavity, as well as serious barotrauma.
Pneumatic massage - impact on the ear membrane with high and low pressure air currents. Oscillation of the membrane and ossicles leads to contraction of the muscles leading to the Eustachian tube. This helps to eliminate stagnation, which is of primary importance in the treatment of eustachitis, exudative and diffuse otitis media at the pre-perforative stage.
The physiotherapy procedure prevents the development of autophony and persistent hearing loss. Intense vibrations of the components of the sound-conducting system promotes the resorption of fibrous adhesions and scars. Timely passage of therapy prevents the formation of perforated holes in the ear membrane and mineralization of the auditory ossicles.
