Despite the different localization of the process and the associated clinical manifestations, the main methods of treating otitis media are the following:
- ear drops with analgesic, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory effects;
- warming procedures;
- if necessary, antibiotic therapy.
Due to its unique properties, camphor oil and its alcoholic solution are widely used for ear inflammation. Used in these drugs for their antiseptic, warming effect, the ability to improve metabolic and reparative processes. These funds can be used in the form of compresses, tampons in the ear, or instillation solutions.
Indications
Given the warming effect of this medicinal substance, it can be used only at the first signs of the disease or at the recovery stage, when the use will be due to the property of accelerating the recovery processes. With the development of perforation of the tympanic membrane and the presence of suppuration, any thermal procedures are contraindicated, including with the use of these funds.
As for the alcohol solution, its use for perforation of the tympanic membrane can be limited not only by the presence of a warming effect from the action of the drug, but also by the presence of a component in the form of alcohol, which has a pronounced toxic effect on the structures of the middle ear.
The use of any alcohol-containing drugs in the presence of a perforated eardrum is contraindicated.
Instillation technique
There is the following procedure for instilling camphor oil in the ears:
- Before use, the solution must be warmed up by dipping the bottle into warm water. The oil should be warm, but not hot. In this connection, the recommended temperature is about 40 degrees;
- Instillation is carried out in a horizontal position of the patient;
- The dose of the drug is 3 drops in one ear;
- To prolong the warming effect, the external auditory canal must be closed with a cotton swab and a hat must be put on;
- As a preventive measure, after 15 minutes, it is recommended to instill the second ear.
Application in the form of compresses and cotton turunda
An alternative to instillation is the use of camphor oil in the form of a cotton swab, or turunda. To do this, a small amount of oil is dripped onto a small piece of cotton until it is moistened and placed in the ear. It is advisable to put on a hat on top, or lay another piece of dry cotton wool to prevent the product from drying out. In this form, camphor oil can be left for several hours or overnight.
In a similar way, you can use a compress soaked in camphor oil. To do this, in a piece of wide bandage folded in 4-5 layers, a hole is made for the ear, and the bandage itself is impregnated with a drug. Then it is covered with a layer of waxed paper and a layer of cotton wool. In this form, the compress is attached to the ear using a scarf. The duration of the procedure can be several hours until the thermal effect decreases.
However, since these procedures can be used only in the initial stages of the disease, before the appearance of the exudative stage, it is unsafe to carry them out during a night's sleep. For such a long time, tampons or compresses can only be used during the recovery stage. During this period, suppuration is no longer there, and all efforts are aimed at restoring the injured tympanic membrane. Warming procedures during this period activate the reparative processes in the ear.
Contraindications
As for the use of camphor oil for otitis media in children, up to a year no physiotherapeutic procedures, including warming ones, are performed for children, due to their imperfect thermoregulation and immunity. In addition, the drug itself may be toxic to the child's body, therefore, until the age of three, it is used with great care and only in the form of tampons.
Camphor oil in the form of drops in the absence of allergic reactions can be applied to children only after 5 years.
Thus, there are the following contraindications for the use of camphor oil for otitis media:
- the presence of perforation of the tympanic membrane and the resulting suppuration;
- drug intolerance;
- in the presence of a wound surface in the area of the external auditory canal, the drug can have a pronounced irritating effect;
- the age of the patient;
pregnancy;- the presence of concomitant pathology, in which any thermal procedures are contraindicated (tumor processes, an increase in body temperature over 37.3 degrees, etc.).
pregnancy;Like any essential oils, camphor-based preparations are powerful allergens. In patients prone to the development of allergic reactions, procedures must be carried out with great care.
If there are complaints of increased pain in the ear, burning sensation, itching, the procedure must be stopped. In this case, the tampon should be removed from the external auditory canal, the excess oil should be dried with a dry cotton swab. If the condition worsens caused by the application of a compress, it must be removed, the parotid region should be wiped dry.
Camphor alcohol for otitis media is used as widely as an oil remedy. It can be applied in various forms, such as compresses, ear drops or turunda. This drug, in addition to antiseptic, anti-inflammatory action, has a pronounced irritant effect. In this regard, before use, the pharmacy 2% alcohol solution must be diluted in half with boiled water and heated to body temperature. It is when this temperature regime is observed that it is possible to achieve the maximum analgesic effect from the action of the drug.
Turning to camphor oil in the treatment of otitis media, it is necessary to understand that this drug is only an adjunct in the complex therapy of this pathology. In most cases, the treatment of otitis media can be dispensed with without the use of antibacterial agents. However, there is such a course of otitis media when it is required to use not only local treatment, but also systemic antibiotics. Thermal treatments using camphor oil or alcohol can be both useless and dangerous.
