Physical therapy is a powerful tool in the fight against many diseases. However, their implementation may be limited by a number of contraindications:
- the presence of oncopathology in the patient;
- existing severe pathology of the cardiovascular system;
- an increase in blood pressure of any genesis;
- hyperthermia over 37.3 degrees;
- the age of the patient (physiological features of the development of the child's body, such as imperfect thermoregulation and the immune system, do not allow procedures to be carried out until the age of five).
Thermal procedures for otitis media are also referred to as physiotherapeutic measures. Consequently, their use is subject to general laws, and the existing concomitant pathology in the form of hypertension, or an increase in body temperature up to 38 degrees, is an absolute contraindication for carrying out these measures.
Positive action
A positive result of heat exposure for otitis media is due to the following:
- a local increase in temperature helps to increase blood flow to the site of the disease, thereby accelerating the elimination of toxins, activating the protective functions of the body;
- improving microcirculation helps to reduce inflammation and edema;
- a local increase in temperature contributes to the death of some types of bacteria in the outbreak;
- excitation of heat receptors leads to a decrease in pain;
- the ongoing activation of metabolism promotes tissue regeneration, accelerates reparative processes.
Methodology
Heating pads, UFO lamps, compresses with warming solutions can be used as a tool for carrying out these procedures. You can warm your ear with otitis media with heated salt or sand in a bag. To do this, salt or sand is heated in a hot frying pan and placed in a prepared linen bag or cotton sock, which is tightly tied. Any salt is suitable for the procedure, preferably a larger one, since its crystals will not spill through the fabric.
The recommended salt temperature for the procedure is 40-50 degrees. In the event that it is hot to a higher level, the bag must be wrapped in a towel or napkin, which will prevent the development of a burn. Having applied this agent to the damaged organ, they wait until it cools down. You can warm your ears with otitis media in two ways: by putting a bag of salt on the affected organ, or by putting the bag on a pillow, and on top, covering it with your ear. Usually the duration of such a procedure is about half an hour.
The outlined improvement indicates the need to continue the procedure 2-3 times a day.
An increase in pain or a deterioration in the general condition is a reason to stop further thermal procedures and consult an otolaryngologist.
Indications for otitis media
Any thermal procedure must be justified in terms of indications. Otherwise, you can get the opposite effect from what was expected. This is especially true for this localization of the process, in which the ear is directly connected to the canals of the temporal bone and the membranes of the brain. Warming up the ear with otitis media should be done only in the initial stage of the disease, when the first symptoms appear.
In the presence of acute otitis media, the first catarrhal stage lasts an average of 2 days. After this time, there may be a gradual improvement in the condition or the transition of the disease to the next, perforated stage, which is characterized by a violation of the integrity of the tympanic membrane and suppuration. During the period when there are signs of an acute purulent process, any physiotherapeutic procedures are prohibited. The resulting pus under the influence of heat can spread not only to the structures of the middle ear, but also to the area of the mastoid process, leading to the development of mastoiditis.
In adults, it is possible to warm the ear with otitis media only at the stage until the exudative component is absent.
Features of carrying out in children
As for children, their physiological development has its own characteristics. Children's hearing aids are characterized by a narrower opening of the auditory tube, which more quickly leads to the development of congestion in the ear and purulent otitis media. The presence of an exudative stage in children can occur within a few hours after the first signs of the disease appear.
Therefore, it is dangerous to warm up the ear for otitis media in children, even at the first signs of the disease. In this regard, carrying out physiotherapy procedures for children is contraindicated.
The procedure for conducting thermal procedures
There are such rules for conducting thermal procedures:
- it is recommended to carry out the procedure before going to bed or resting in bed;
- after it has been carried out for several hours, it is not recommended to go out into the air;
- it is necessary to carefully avoid the presence of drafts in the room;
- after the procedure, you should wrap your ear with a handkerchief or put on a hat;
- deterioration after the procedure is a reason to consult an ENT doctor.
The thermal procedure is absolutely safe and justified at the later stages of the process, when it comes to the regeneration of the damaged eardrum, at the stage of hearing recovery. The performed surgical intervention, paracentesis, with further evacuation of pus is also an indication for physiotherapy procedures.
In all cases, when the diagnosis and stage of the pathological process are yet to be clarified, thermal procedures should not be carried out.
Warming up the ear with otitis media, accompanied by the presence of purulent exudate, can lead to severe complications. At the same time, a timely heat treatment can be very beneficial and contribute to recovery.
