Before we begin, I need to remind readers that the advice I'm giving here about getting rid of an ear infection is no substitute for the advice of a physician. You should go see a doctor. That being said, I should also note that this article is not about middle ear infections, but about external ear infections, or external otitis. There is a slight difference in the symptoms between a middle ear infection and an external ear infection. A middle ear infection exhibits the same symptoms as external otitis, but it is usually accompanied by acute pain or pressure in the ear, dizziness, fever, and chills.
If your symptoms are only a slight to moderate pain the ear, yellow or green puss oozing out of the ear, and your hearing is slightly impaired, chances are you're suffering from an external ear infection, or an infection in the lining of the ear canal leading up to your ear drum. So, let's talk about how to prevent and/or treat external otitis.
Preventing & Treating Ear Infections
The best way to prevent an ear infection is to keep your ears dry. After swimming--or even after a shower if you're particularly susceptible to ear infections--it's a good idea to put a few drops of a 1:1 mixture of water and vinegar into both ears. Do this by tilting your head to one side, allowing the mixture to drip down into your ear canal, then tilting your head to the other side and doing the same thing there. Then, wipe your ear with a dry cotton towel or a cotton ball. Don't use cotton swabs to wipe the liquid out. The point is not to clean out your ears but to help them dry more quickly.
You can place a warm heating pad over your ear to encourage your glands to produce more wax and to help relieve pain. This also dilates the capillaries and veins in and around your ears, allowing the blood to flow more freely, which allows white blood cells (specialized disease fighting cells) to make their way to the infected areas. It's kind of like calling in the immuno cavalry. Note, however, that this isn't so much a treatment as it is a temporary relief from the pain associated with an external ear infection.
If your ear infection is really painful, you should take either acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Motrin IB), or Aspirin. Some things to keep in mind before you take any pain killers are: if the pain is causing you so much discomfort that you are crying, you should probably see a physician immediately. Also, if you have a history of stomach ulcers or heartburn, you should stay away from Ibuprofen. And last, but not least, you should never give Aspirin to a child, because of the chance that they come down with Reye's syndome.
Once you've been properly diagnosed with a bacterial ear infection, your doctor will probably clean your ears and apply a corticosteroid. This will help clean out excessive fluid that may have been retained by the lining of your ears, while reducing swelling and relieving pain at the same time. One shouldn't be afraid of the word "steroid" because these are not the same kind of steroids used to build those tremendous arms on baseball players. These are simply meant to stimulate your immune system and reduce swelling by inhibiting the production of certain chemicals in your skin.
Antibiotics are usually par for the course when you're trying to get rid of an ear infection. Sometimes your doctor will prescribe a topical antibiotic, to be applied directly to the ear, and other times (if the infection is serious enough) your doctor will prescribe an oral antibiotic. It all depends on what your physician thinks is best. Remember, it's important that you let a phsycian examine you because there are rare instances when an external ear infection can turn into something quite nasty, something they call an invasive external otitis, what you an I might call a "flesh eating bacteria."Diabetics, Infants, the Elderly and People with Suppressed Immune Systems!
Diabetics and people with suppressed immune systems--this often includes the elderly and very young children--should take extra precautions when dealing with an ear infection. Extremely aggressive bacterial infections, while not common, aren't uncommon. In fact, as we've been watching in the news lately, they are becoming a serious threat. In such a case that you do contract a more aggressive bacterial infection, the infection will spread outwards into the surrounding tissue, attacking the skin, cartiledge, bones and nerves--causing hearing loss, loss of feeling in the face or control of the facial muscles, and sometimes death, if it reaches the brain. Note than an ear infection, or any infection, is nothing to laugh at and should be seen by a physician.
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