| Ear infections can be incredibly painful and it is so sad to watch your child when they are crying in pain with a sore ear. Even a mild ear infection can be quite painful but a severe infection can be excruciating. Those who suffer from occasional ear infections will know how bad they are, but imagine if you suffer from chronic ear infections.
I'm sure you've heard the saying 'prevention is better than cure', well there are home remedies that you can use to help prevent ear infections and these can be particularly good for those who suffer from chronic infections. There are a number of home remedies you can use for ear infection, but if you do suspect your child has an infection it is best to consult your doctor for a proper diagnosis.
One type of ear infection is 'swimmers ear' and this is caused by water in the ear. Swimmers ear often occurs after someone goes swimming - hence the name. One thing that you can do to prevent swimmers ear is to dry your ears with a hair dryer after you have finished swimming. I know it sounds a little strange and you want to make sure you don't have the hot ear too close, but it does work. The air from the hair dryer will dry the extra moisture that remains in your ear canal and this helps to prevent bacteria from growing in your ear. The other thing you can do is to wear earplugs when you go swimming to prevent water getting into your ear canal. These two tips can let you enjoy your day at the pool without worrying about getting an ear infection later.
Ear infections can also be caused by blocked ear canals. If you have a cold or your sinuses are blocked then the Eustachian tubes can also become blocked, putting pressure on the ear canals. This can be worse at night when you are lying down as your Eustachian tubes can't drain as well as they can during the day when you are upright. Some people are prone to getting this type of ear infection whenever they have a cold.
Here are some tips for unblocking your ears and avoiding an ear infection from developing:
1. Yawning or chewing gum will flex the muscles around the ear canal and can help to 'pop' the ears. The contracting and expanding of these muscles can help the ears to drain.
2. Take a deep breath and then close your mouth. Then close your nostrils and try to blow out through your nose. This also helps to pop your ears and drain the Eustachian tubes.
If you or your children are susceptible to ear infections then there are also some herbal remedies that you can get from the health store or pharmacy. These can help give some relief when suffering from ear infections and reduce that terrible pain that goes hand in hand with these infections. |