Otitis media is an inflammatory condition of the ear. The disorder develops more often in preschool children. The pathological process in this group of patients proceeds faster and in a milder form. In adulthood, otitis media is accompanied by severe symptoms and significantly worsens the quality of life of a sick person. Depending on the localization of inflammation, internal, middle and external otitis media are distinguished. Below we look at the symptoms and treatment of otitis media at home.
Symptoms
Otitis media passes through 3 stages of development, each of which is accompanied by characteristic symptoms:
- catarrhal otitis media. An inflammatory process arises and develops in the middle ear. At this stage, ear pain appears, hearing deteriorates, and pus accumulates. A sick person complains of intense pain that interferes with proper sleep.
Painful sensations can intensify while eating or drinking, sometimes the pain radiates to the teeth.
All the described signs indicate the accumulation of fluid in the middle ear. The general condition of the patient also worsens - severe weakness arises, appetite decreases, temperature values can rise to 39 ° C. On visual inspection, the eardrum appears edematous.
- purulent otitis media. At this stage of the pathological process, the pus accumulated in the middle ear is released outward. The general condition of the patient during this period improves somewhat, the temperature indicators return to normal. If the inflammatory fluid does not come out on its own, the doctor will make a small puncture. This procedure speeds up the healing process and avoids possible complications.
- recovery stage. Provided timely and adequate treatment, the inflammatory process gradually subsides, the flow of pus stops, the edges of the membrane are fused. Full hearing recovery occurs in 2-3 weeks.
In the absence of the necessary therapy, the disorder becomes chronic. In this case, the painful sensations are not very pronounced, however, the decrease in hearing acuity progresses, there is a constant congestion of the ear.
Treatment features
If you experience symptoms of the disease, you should contact a medical institution. The specialist will conduct the necessary examination, make the correct diagnosis and draw up a treatment program. Depending on the existing symptoms, the attending physician will prescribe the following medications:
- painkillers (Ketanov);
- antipyretic (Paracetamol, Ibuprofen);
- nasal vasoconstrictor drops (Nazivin, Vibrocil);
- antihistamines (Tavegil, Erius);
- antibacterial ear drops in case of development of purulent otitis media (Sofradex, Normaks).
In the absence of the desired effect, systemic antibiotic therapy is carried out.
After consultation with a specialist, alternative medicine can be used to treat the disease. Next, let's talk about how to treat middle ear inflammation at home and consider the most effective folk recipes.
Garlic oil
Garlic is widely used to treat otitis media at home. This product has anti-inflammatory properties, does not irritate the skin and speeds up the healing process of the mucous membrane.
To prepare the medicine, chop 2 heads of garlic, place the gruel in a container and pour the same amount of olive oil (about ¾ glass). Cover the mixture with a transparent lid, place the container on the windowsill for 10 days, stir the medicine daily. After the product must be filtered and a few drops of eucalyptus oil or glycerin added to it. The resulting composition must be poured into a container of dark glass and closed tightly with a lid. The product can be stored in the refrigerator for several months.
The tool is used as follows: make turundas out of cotton wool, moisten them in a medicinal composition and insert them into the ear canal, the procedure must be carried out daily. The course of therapy is 2-3 weeks. This method of treatment will help to cope even with chronic and recurrent otitis media.
Onion drops
Treatment of middle ear infections at home is also carried out with the use of onion drops. To prepare the medicine, grate 1/3 of the onion, squeeze the juice and combine it with the same amount of warm boiled water. 5-10 drops of the resulting product drip into each ear canal. The manipulation is performed before bedtime, but to speed up the healing process, it is repeated 2-3 times throughout the day.
This product also effectively cleans the ear canals of wax plugs.
Propolis
An effective remedy for treating otitis media at home is propolis tincture. To reduce painful sensations and eliminate other manifestations of the disease, it is necessary to instill 3 drops of the agent into the ear canal every 4 hours throughout the day, after which it is recommended to insert a cotton turunda and lie on your side for about 20 minutes, then turn over to the other side and repeat the manipulation. Thus, the drug will have a more effective therapeutic effect. At night, it is recommended to soak cotton turundas in propolis tincture and insert into the ears.
To prevent burns of the mucous membrane, alcohol tincture can be mixed with olive oil in a ratio of 1: 3. Using cotton wool soaked in this product will help cure otitis media in 2 weeks.
Lemon juice
Treatment of chronic otitis media at home is carried out with the use of lemon juice. Squeeze the juice from 2 medium-sized lemons, strain, pour into a transparent container and place in a cool, dark place. 5 drops of the product should be instilled into the ear daily. Regularly carrying out such a procedure stops the development of inflammation, eliminates painful sensations and normalizes hearing.
After a full recovery, for preventive purposes, it is recommended to instill lemon juice in the ear twice a week.
What cannot be done?
Folk remedies can both eliminate pathological symptoms and aggravate the condition of a sick person. For home treatment, the following guidelines should be followed:
- do not bury alcohol in the ear canals, alcohol-based products can only be used to moisten cotton swabs.
- do not bury your ears with aloe, onion, garlic juice. Fresh undiluted sap of plants has a pronounced irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the ear canal, which can lead to a violation of the integrity of the tympanic membrane.
- in the event of purulent otitis media, do not use warming compresses, this can provoke a rupture of the eardrum, penetration of pus into the brain, and complete hearing loss. At normal body temperature, it is advisable to use dry heat.
It should be remembered that otitis media is a dangerous disease and its complications can be severe - meningitis, paresis of the facial nerve, abscess, labyrinthitis, deafness. Therefore, timely and correct treatment is extremely important for the patient.
