How do you get rid of earache?

Answer 1

Treatment for middle ear infections (acute otitis media) involves home treatment for symptom relief.

Your doctor can give your child antibiotics, but ear infections often get better without them. Talk about this with your doctor. Whether you use antibiotics will depend on how old your child is and how bad the infection is.

Follow-up exams with a doctor are important to check for persistent infection, fluid behind the eardrum (otitis media with effusion), or repeat infections.

• If your child has ongoing ear pain, a fever [101°F (38.33°C) or higher], or is grumpy or vomiting after 48 hours of treatment, see your doctor.
• Even if your child seems well, he or she may need a follow-up visit in about 4 weeks, especially if your child is young. If fluid behind the eardrum persists for 3 months, the child should have his or her hearing tested.1

Initial treatment

The first treatment of a middle ear infection focuses on relieving pain. The doctor will also assess your child for any risk of complications.

If your child has an ear infection and appears very ill, is younger than 2, or is at risk for complications from the infection, your doctor will likely give antibiotics right away.

If your child has cochlear implants, your doctor will probably prescribe antibiotics, because bacterial meningitis is more common in children who have cochlear implants than in children who do not have cochlear implants.

For children ages 2 and older, more options are available. Some doctors prescribe antibiotics for all ear infections, because it's hard to tell which ear infections will clear up on their own. Other doctors ask parents to watch their child's symptoms for a couple of days, since most ear infections get better without treatment. Antibiotic treatment has only minimal benefits in reducing pain and fever. The cost of medicine and possible side effects are factors doctors consider before giving antibiotics. Also, many doctors are concerned about the growing number of bacteria that are becoming resistant to antibiotics because of frequent use of antibiotics.

If your child's condition improves in the first couple of days, treating the symptoms at home may be all that is needed. Some steps you can take at home to treat ear infection include:

• Using pain relievers. Pain relievers such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (such as Advil, Motrin, and Aleve) and acetaminophen (such asTylenol) can help make your child more comfortable. Giving your child something for pain before bedtime is especially important. Follow all instructions on the label. If you give medicine to your baby, follow your doctor's advice about what amount to give. Do not give aspirin to anyone younger than 20, because its use has been linked to Reye syndrome, a serious illness.
• Applying heat to the ear, which may help relieve the earache. Use a warm washcloth or a heating pad. Do not allow your child to go to bed with a heating pad, because he or she could get burned. Use a heating pad only if your child is old enough to tell you if it's getting too hot.
• Encouraging rest. Encourage your child to rest to let his or her body fight the infection. Arrange for quiet play activities.
• Using eardrops. Doctors often prescribe pain-relieving eardrops for earache. Don't use eardrops without a doctor's advice, especially if your child has ear tubes. For more information, see the safest way to insert eardrops .