Despite the fact that ear inflammation is accompanied by pain, the use of ear drops is contraindicated before consulting an otolaryngologist. At the first signs of middle ear inflammation, it is recommended to use nasal drops with a vasoconstrictor effect, as well as warming procedures. Most experts consider these measures to be very effective, since they are able to mask the pain syndrome. However, due to its pronounced effect, the use of warming procedures, as well as other physiotherapeutic treatment, is associated with a number of limitations.
Contraindications to their conduct are:
- oncological diseases;
- arterial hypertension of any genesis;
- pregnancy;
- an increase in body temperature over 37.3 degrees;
- the patient's age is up to 5 years.
Thermal procedures for otitis media
Among the procedures most actively used for ear inflammation, dry heat, UFO lamps, and a warming compress on the ear have gained the greatest popularity. Since the course of otitis media is characterized by the fact that regression of the disease can occur at any of its stages, thermal procedures, due to their effectiveness, can significantly accelerate this process.
However, it is all these useful properties that can be very dangerous if you apply the procedure for a purulent course of otitis media. The thermal effect on the existing purulent exudate in the tympanic cavity can lead not only to a breakthrough of the tympanic septum, but also the spread of purulent inflammation to the mastoid process of the temporal bone or the meninges, leading to severe complications.
Warming procedures, including a compress for the ear, can be used only in the catarrhal stage of otitis media, that is, when the first signs of the disease appear.
Subsequently, a compress on the ears can be applied at the stage of repair, after the middle ear cavity is cleared of purulent contents.
Otitis externa is most often manifested by local purulent inflammation of the skin of a given area, that is, by the development of a boil. With this course, carrying out physiotherapy procedures is also very dangerous, as it contributes to the spread of the process. In addition to purulent processes, a contraindication for the use of warming compresses is the presence of injured skin of the parotid region. Contact with scratches of solutions can be irritating, contribute to increased pain.
Solutions used
As a component of the solution used for these purposes,
- camphor alcohol or oil;
- boric alcohol;
- ethyl alcohol diluted in half with water;
- decoctions of herbs (chamomile, basil, peppermint, sweet clover);
- 20% dimexide solution;
- honey.
The main requirement for these components is the ability to maintain temperature conditions. Compress for ear pain should have a warming effect. All solutions used for these purposes must correspond to the patient's body temperature, that is, be in the temperature range from 35 to 40 degrees. At the same time, the use of oil solutions is able to maintain the required temperature for a longer time.
Step-by-step instruction
We suggest that you familiarize yourself with the instructions, which describe in detail how to properly apply a compress on the ear:
- To prepare the compress, you will need a bandage, plastic wrap or waxed paper, cotton wool, as well as a solution used as the main component;
- A bandage or gauze is folded into 6-8 layers in the form of a square with a side of 10 cm;
- A round-shaped ear hole is made in the center;
- Somewhat larger, but the same shape and with the same hole, a napkin is cut out of polyethylene or waxed paper. This concludes the preparatory activities;
- At the next stage, a gauze napkin is moistened in a solution, wrung out and, having threaded the ear into it, is applied to the parotid region;
- From above, a damp cloth is covered with a polyethylene and then a cotton layer 1-2 cm thick;
- The compress on the head is strengthened with a bandage, kerchief or cap.
Duration of the procedure
How much to keep the compress on the ear? It all depends on the clinical signs of the disease, the patient's body temperature, and his age.
If the procedure is accompanied by a worsening of the condition, the compress should be removed immediately and an ENT doctor should be consulted again.
Perhaps we are talking about the transition of catarrhal otitis media to purulent, and the increase in pain is associated with an increased pressure of purulent contents on the walls of the tympanic cavity.
The duration of the procedure depends on which component was used as a warming agent. The procedure should last as long as the desired temperature is maintained. Otherwise, the cooled solution will begin to have the opposite effect. Herbal compresses are cooled within 1-2 hours, vodka compresses are effective for about 3 hours, oil compresses can act for 8 hours. However, leaving a compress on a child at night is considered dangerous, since the development of purulent otitis media in children takes a short period of time, only a few hours. Such a long procedure can be dangerous in the case of a fulminant course of purulent otitis media in a child.
Dimexide solution is widely used to relieve pain in adults. The most effective way to make a compress on the ear is by adding such important components as local anesthetics and antibiotics to it. The duration of such a procedure should be no more than one hour.
Varieties of compresses
Another modification of the compress is the use of cotton wool soaked in a solution of 3% alcoholic boric acid solution.
To achieve a longer warming effect, you can add to this solution in equal amounts
glycerin or sunflower oil, preheated in a water bath.
glycerin or sunflower oil, preheated in a water bath.Then you should soak a cotton turunda in the resulting solution and, squeezing it, put it in your ear for several hours.
The same funds can be used in a slightly different way. Dry cotton turunda is placed in the external auditory canal, and 3-4 drops of a heated solution are dripped onto it in the ear. Dry compress on the ear is also widely used. For its preparation, solutions are not used. The gauze napkin remains dry, which is the reason for the name.
How to make a compress on the ear correctly depends on the result that needs to be achieved with this procedure. When choosing a dry compress, the emphasis is not on the warming effect of the procedure, but on the possibility of immobilizing the ear. The thermal effect in this case is less pronounced. However, increased pain caused by air movement or touching the auricle is excluded.
It is such a compress on the ear that is recommended for children. You can make a dry compress for the ears from scrap materials. The bandage can be replaced with a regular cotton kerchief; instead of cotton wool, a synthetic winterizer, down or flannel layer is used.
In the event that a decision is made on the need to use a moist warming compress for a child, then the concentration of alcohol or other solutions necessary for these purposes should be 2 times lower than for adults. In children, to reduce the irritating effect of the solution, it is possible to use a baby cream, which is used to lubricate the parotid region before applying a compress.As for the use of camphor alcohol and oil, their use in children should be limited, since these components are strong allergens.
The main requirement for the procedure is its effectiveness and safety. Thermal procedures activate protective and reparative processes in the body. A compress for the ears can contribute to a speedy recovery if this procedure is used for catarrhal otitis media, and its appointment is agreed with the otolaryngologist. Under other circumstances, such a procedure can be very dangerous.
